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(PHOTO: Patriots Eliot Wolf addresses the media at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, IN on Tuesday, February 27 at 10 AM ET.) One of the things that Eliot Wolf told reporters ahead of the Scouting Combine is that he’s a big proponent of keeping homegrown talent in the fold, and so far through free agency, that’s certainly held true.
The Patriots have re-signed a total of 11 players so far, with players like Mike Onwenu, Josh Uche, and Anfernee Jennings among several of their own young players who have been extended. The hope is that number will become four at some point, with safety Kyle Dugger having received the transition tag, but they’ve said repeatedly that they’d like to have him here for the long-haul.
Here’s a quick rundown of where they currently stand in terms of players they’ve re-signed overall so far, which is taken from our 2024 Patriots Free Agents tracker:
Staying (11):
OL Mike Onwenu – Agreed to 3-year Deal
WR Kendrick Bourne – Agreed to 3-year deal
WR Jalen Reagor – Agreed to 1-year deal
OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr. – Received Exclusive Rights Tender
DB Alex Austin – Received Exclusive Rights Tender
TE Hunter Henry – Agreed to 3-year deal
S Kyle Dugger – Given Transition Tag
QB Nathan Rourke – Received Exclusive Rights Tender
LB Josh Uche – Agreed to 1-year deal.
LB Christian Elliss – Received Exclusive Rights Tender
LB Anfernee Jennings – Agreed to 3-year deal
After a busy couple of days, the Patriots have seen five players among those not returning. Those names include Mack Wilson Sr (Arizona), DeVante Parker (Eagles), Chris Board (Released), Mike Gesicki (Bengals), and Pharaoh Brown (Seahawks). Wilson reportedly was someone they made an effort to retain but he opted to head to the Cardinals. It’s unknown if any of the others – outside of Parker and Board – were made an offer to stay.
Wolf’s philosophy stems from his days in Green Bay, with the Director of Scouting talking about extending core players, which is something he truly believes in.
“Yeah, the Packer Way, to me, is just sort of draft and develop, extend your core performers from within,” said Wolf last month. “And again it’s about honesty, respect, and treating people the right way.”
So far, he’s been a man of his word.
(Editor’s Note: The above appeared in a recent daily Patriots notebook column.)
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