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When Malcom Brown thought through his options on this first excursion into free agency, there was something that drew him to New Orleans.

It was a place where he felt he could finally emerge as the disruptive player he feels he always has been, somewhere a few people he knew from college told him was a great place to be, a setting where he could let loose and have some fun.

That was enough for the former first-round draft pick of the New England Patriots, as he signed a three-year, $15 million contract to shore up one of the New Orleans Saints most pressing offseason needs.

“They’re a one-gap defense, I played that in college, it’s something I like being in,” Brown said. “The guys on the d-line, they’re disruptive, they’re always in the backfield, they rush the passer great, they stop the run great.

“They are always high energy, celebrating and everything. It just looked fun to be out there on the field with those guys.”

Brown had heard positive things from college teammates Kenny Vaccaro and Alex Okafor. He wanted to be a part of that feeling and, as a kicker, to “get a feel for the culture of New Orleans.”

And New Orleans could use him. While it was a position of strength last season, the interior defensive line needed to be addressed before the start of the 2019 season.

Rising star Sheldon Rankins tore his Achilles in the divisional round of the playoffs, which could force him to miss the start of the season. David Onyemata, who played a key role in the rotation a year ago, could be facing a potential suspension after his marijuana-related arrest in January. Tyeler Davison is an unrestricted free agent, and after the Brown signing is unlikely to return.

That left the Saints with one interior defensive lineman, Taylor Stallworth, whom they knew they could count on to be there for the start of the 2019 season.

Brown feels like he can jump into a scheme that fits what he likes to do and be a disruptive player against both the run and the pass — something he was not always given an opportunity to do in New England where his primary job was often to eat up blocks on early downs, especially later on in his time there.

“I like to play the run,” Brown said. “… But I can rush the passer, too. I just haven’t gotten as many opportunities as I would like, but I know I can.”

In his final season at the University of Texas, Brown recorded 13 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He recorded 8.5 sacks in his first three seasons with New England, but did not record one last season.

The Patriots had a chance to keep Brown around in 2019, but declined to pick up his fifth-year option last offseason.

Though he almost definitely received more money with the Saints than he would have with the Patriots, Brown said it was a difficult decision leaving a place where he had been to three consecutive Super Bowls, winning two.

But he also looked at the Saints, a non-call away from representing the NFC in the Super Bowl, and sees the potential there.

“I wanted to try and contribute somewhere else and help the Saints win a Super Bowl, too,” Brown said.