FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) – Duane Starks sees similarities between himself and the cornerback he’ll try to replace in New England’s secondary.

Starks has nearly as many interceptions as Ty Law, and both have returned one for a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

“I think I’ll fit right in,” Starks said Friday. “I’m a big playmaker. That’s all New England has, is big playmakers.”

The Patriots acquired Starks from the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday for a third-round draft pick. The teams also will exchange fifth-round picks. The Patriots hope Starks can fill the hole created by Law’s departure.

And like Law, Starks was rumored to be in his coach’s doghouse. “I’ve never known myself to be in the doghouse with Dennis Green,” Starks said. “Dennis, he really didn’t talk to his players that much. No one really had a good relationship with him.”

Starks, 30, met Patriots coach Bill Belichick in Foxboro on Tuesday and said he agreed to rework the remainder of his contract, which was to pay him more than $6 million over the next two seasons.

“We got on the same page about a lot of things… (like) not being complacent about winning Super Bowls,” Starks said. “He let me know that he’s been following my career since I’ve been in college.”

Starks was signed by the Cardinals in 2002, leaving the Baltimore Ravens, who drafted him out of Miami in 1998. He returned an interception for a touchdown in Baltimore’s Super Bowl victory in 2000.

In 25 games over three seasons with Arizona, the 5-foot-10-inch Starks had 119 tackles, five interceptions, 19 passes defended, two fumble recoveries and a sack. He missed the entire 2003 season with a knee injury. He has 25 career interceptions. The Patriots recently released Law, who missed much of last season and the entire postseason with an injury. New England won its third Super Bowl in four years playing mostly with inexperienced fill-ins at cornerback. Law had 36 interceptions in 10 seasons for New England.

Starks said he knows he’ll have to fight for a starting job.

“If I don’t start, it’s because I didn’t work hard,” he said. “If you’re not starting, there’s a reason you’re not starting.”

Starks spoke to reporters in a conference call from Miami, where he’s finishing classes for a sociology degree.

“I promised my mom I’d go back,” he said.

AP-ES-03-04-05 1739EST