Matt Patricia promoted by Patriots

Officially named defensive coordinator

Matt Patricia, who has been with the Patriots since 2004, has been the primary defensive playcaller for at least two seasons.File/The Boston Globe/Globe Freelance

The Patriots announced several changes to their coaching staff Thursday, most notably naming Matt Patricia defensive coordinator.

Patricia, 37, has been the primary defensive playcaller for at least two seasons, and is the first to hold the title since Dean Pees left after the 2009 season. This is his ninth year in New England. He began in 2004 as an offensive coaching assistant, switching to defense in '06 when Pees was promoted to coordinator and Patricia took over as linebackers coach.

Last year, Patricia was named safeties coach, though he still oversaw the defense.

Other changes to the staff include:

■Longtime assistant Pepper Johnson returns to coaching linebackers after coaching the defensive line since 2004. Johnson oversaw the team's inside linebackers from 2001-03;

■Patrick Graham, who was named linebackers coach before last season, will now mentor the defensive line.

■Former Boston College linebacker Brian Flores, who moved from the scouting department to coaching in 2008 and served as an offensive and special teams assistant, was promoted to safeties coach.

■Josh Boyer will coach cornerbacks.

■George Godsey, who joined the staff as an offensive assistant last year, will coach the tight ends, filling the vacancy left by Brian Ferentz.

■Joe Judge, who spent the last three years as an analyst on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama, will be special teams assistant and Steve Belichick, son of Bill Belichick, joins the staff as a coaching assistant.

Revis: No regrets

The Jets kept up their onesided war of words with the Patriots when cornerback Darrelle Revis told reporters he doesn't regret referring to Belichick as a "jerk'' a few months ago.

"I gave my honest opinion,'' Revis said. "That's how I feel. I feel that people let him slide when he says his smart remarks [on] certain things.

"I have respect for him. Winning is winning. But sometimes things are disrespectful. When you say certain comments about the Jets, some stuff is disrespectful. It's OK to have a rivalry. It's OK to compete. But when it gets personal, you're getting disrespectful. I didn't start this battle. The smart remarks sometimes he says are ignorant. It's ignorant to this organization.''

Revis was referring to a New York Post report that after the Patriots' 37-16 victory at MetLife Stadium, Belichick allegedly mocked the Jets' "best defense in the league'' on the field.

"Why go there? You won fair and square,'' Revis said. "Did anybody else say anything like that? No, not from our side.''

Revis also backed the comment that cornerback Antonio Cromartie made that Tom Brady was a jerk on the field.

"He wants to throw a touchdown and point at our sideline. That's disrespect, man,'' Revis said. "That's not sportsmanship.''

Gallery looking to win

Guard Robert Gallery, whom the Patriots signed to a one-year contract, still is looking to play on his first winning team after seven years with the Raiders and one with the Seahawks.

Gallery, 31, has been on teams with a combined 45-88 record since he was the second overall pick in 2004.

"That's one of the big reasons why we came here, because we've never had a winning season in my eight years and obviously that's why you play the game,'' Gallery said. "I'm just glad for the opportunity to come to a place like this and I still know I have a lot left in me.''

Addai signs on

The Patriots announced the signing of former Colts running back Joseph Addai . . . The team also signed seven undrafted free agents in advance of Friday's rookie camp, which runs through Saturday and is not open to the public. The Patriots added Mississippi running back Brandon Bolden (5 feet 11 inches, 215 pounds); Miami defensive tackle Marcus Forston (6-3, 300 pounds); Rutgers end Justin Francis (6-4, 275 pounds); Iowa tight end Brad Herman (6-5, 255 pounds), Kentucky receiver Matt Roark (6-5, 214 pounds); South Florida offensive lineman Jeremiah Warren (6-4, 329 pounds); and Iowa offensive tackle Markus Zusevics (6-5, 300 pounds).