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Gambling Charges Dropped Against Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte

July 16th, 2024 at 7:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

7:20pm: Although Boutte has avoided charges, the NFL announced later Tuesday (via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss) will continue its investigation into the 2023 Patriots draftee. The league’s personal conduct policy does not require a conviction to punish a player. Boutte remains eligible for training camp.

11:13am: In January, second-year Patriots wideout Kayshon Boutte was arrested on gambling and computer fraud charges. Those charges have now been dropped, though, as detailed by ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Boutte faced one felony count of computer fraud in addition to a misdemeanor of gaming prohibited by someone under 21 stemming from an alleged betting scheme during his time at LSU. He was accused of using an alias to place at least 8,900 wagers; of that total, a minimum of 17 were believed to have been on college football games, including six LSU contests. Investigators from the Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement Division discovered the wagers took place between April 6, 2022 and May 7, 2023, at which point Boutte was 20.

The state of Louisiana’s decision to drop the charges now leaves the former five-star recruit free to focus on training camp and the preseason, though. Boutte was a participant in New England’s OTAs and minicamp and his performance this summer will go a long way in determining his roster status. After a college tenure which included plenty of potential being flashed in addition to injury problems, he logged only a minor offensive role across five games as a rookie.

The former sixth-rounder has considerable competition for a spot on the 53-man roster. New England signed K.J. Osborn in free agency and added a pair of wideouts (second-rounder Ja’Lynn Polk and fourth-rounder Javon Baker) during the draft. Those newcomers will be joined in camp by the likes of Kendrick Bourne, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Demario Douglas as presumptive locks to make the team.

As a result, Boutte will be competing with Jalen Reagor and Tyquan Thornton for the final one or two spots at the receiver position. His limited usage last season could limit interest shown on waivers by outside teams in the event he failed to make the 53-man roster, but being in the clear from a legal standpoint is nevertheless a positive development from his perspective.

Latest On Patriots, Matt Judon

July 15th, 2024 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Matt Judon‘s contract situation remains one worth watching closely. The Patriots edge rusher is set to enter the final year of his current deal, and mixed signals have been sent recently with respect to whether or not an extension will be worked out in the near future.

Judon himself does not foresee a long-term deal coming to fruition, though time still remains to negotiate a resolution before the start of the year. The Patriots have made at least one offer to the four-time Pro Bowler, but the parties have ground to make up if an agreement is to be reached in the coming weeks. The latest reporting on the matter adds further uncertainty to Judon’s future in New England.

Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal stated on his Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast that Judon will not play for the Patriots in 2024 on his current deal (video link). He added that a trade sending him to a new team could be a possibility in the event New England could not resolve the matter with a contract extension or an incentive-laden adjustment. Judon engaged in a training camp holdout last summer prior to a resolution being reached, and he has said such a move will not be repeated in 2024.

The 31-year-old responded to Bedard’s report on social media by confirming he has not personally informed the team of any planned holdout or a refusal play on his current terms. Judon is set to receive $7.5MM in compensation this season while carrying a $14.68MM cap hit. With 32 sacks in 33 Patriots games, a case could certainly be made for a lucrative re-up, and a multi-year extension could lower his 2024 cap charge (although New England is not in need of added flexibility in that respect).

Judon’s value is, of course, clouded by the biceps injury he suffered early in the 2023 campaign. The ailment limited him to four games and hurt his bargaining power this offseason. A report from two weeks ago nevertheless indicated a deal could be reached soon, but the latest developments on the Judon front suggest considerable progress will need to be made for an agreement of any kind to be reached ahead of training camp.

On that note, ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes New England hopes to have all contract matters resolved by the team’s first camp practice (July 24). Judon – along with players such as defensive lineman Davon Godchaux – will therefore be among the ones to watch over the coming days. Eliot Wolf has authorized several deals keeping in-house players in the fold for the Patriots during his first offseason at the helm, and it will be interesting to see if the likes of Judon and Godchaux see their respective situations clarified in the near future.

Patriots To Move Michael Onwenu Back To RG?

July 14th, 2024 at 8:07am CST by Rory Parks

This offseason, the Patriots tapped offensive lineman Michael Onwenu as a core piece of their foundation, signing the versatile blocker to a three-year, $57MM contract. Shortly thereafter, we heard that New England planned to keep him at right tackle, where he took most of his snaps last season.

However, that plan may have changed. As Paul Perillo of the team’s official website observes, the Pats did indeed have Onwenu line up at right tackle in the early stages of spring work, but at mandatory minicamp last month, Onwenu slid inside to right guard. In Perillo’s estimation, RG is Onwenu’s best position, and the writer also made it sound as if the move is permanent, noting that David Andrews “will lock down the center spot next to Onwenu.”

While Onwenu’s ability to line up at right tackle and both guard positions is a selling point, Perillo may well be correct in his belief that the Michigan product is best-suited to RG. Pro Football Focus assigned Onwenu a strong 71.5 overall grade last year — positioning him as the 29th-best tackle out of 81 qualifiers — but in 2022, when he started all 17 games and took every single snap at right guard, Onwenu earned a 79.3 overall grade and finished as the league’s fourth-best guard out of 77 qualified players. In 1,044 snaps that season, he committed just two penalties and yielded 14 pressures, only one of which got home for a sack.

The Patriots, who are projected to lead the league with roughly $107MM in cap space in 2025, can afford to overspend on certain positions to retain premium talent, but the Onwenu contract does not qualify as a significant overpay even with his presumptive shift to the interior of the line. Since the Colts’ Quenton Nelson took the top off the market in 2022, a number of guards have landed contracts paying them at rates enjoyed by high-end tackles. In terms of average annual value, Onwenu’s $19MM figure makes him the fourth-highest-paid RT and the third-highest-paid RG. If we factor LGs into the equation, Onwenu slots fifth in the guard hierarchy.

Onwenu’s move to right guard opens the door for rookie Caedan Wallace to take the reins at right tackle. At present, Chukwuma Okorafor is penciled in at left tackle, though he has no experience on the blind side. While the Pats are surely comfortable with the Andrews-Onwenu pairing in the middle of their line, it would not be surprising to see them bring in reinforcements at OT as the summer progresses.

2023 fourth-rounder Sidy Sow, who started 13 games at right guard in his rookie season, will step in at left guard while Cole Strange recovers from knee surgery. That procedure will force Strange to miss the start of the 2024 campaign.

Patriots, LB Jahlani Tavai Agree To Extension

July 12th, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

JULY 12: Further details on the Tavai deal are in, courtesy of KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The extension carries a base value of $17.88MM (a slightly higher figure than first reported) and includes $9MM guaranteed. The latter figure results from a $5.78MM signing bonus and fully guaranteed salaries for the 2024 and ’25 seasons.

Tavai’s cap figures range between $3.45MM and $5.44MM over the course of the deal, so keeping him in the fold for the foreseeable future should be feasible from the team’s perspective. He can earn per game roster bonuses topping out at $500K this season and $750K annually from 2025-27 to help reach the maximum value of $21MM.

JULY 2: Continuing an offseason trend of keeping in-house players on the books for years to come, the Patriots are set to retain Jahlani Tavai for the foreseeable future. The veteran linebacker has reached agreement on a three-year extension, ESPN’s Mike Reiss and Adam Schefter report.

This agreement contains a base value of $15MM, but the pair add it can reach a maximum of $21MM. Tavai was set to enter a walk year following the conclusion of his most recent Pats extension, but now he will be on the books through 2027. The 27-year-old has been in New England for the past three seasons, and he has emerged as a key figure on the team’s defense.

Tavai began his career with the Lions, spending a pair of seasons in the Motor City. The former second-rounder’s debut Patriots campaign saw him make 13 appearances without any starts following his Detroit release. In the two years since then, however, he has seen defensive snap shares of 50% and 76%. Tavai is set to continue as a first-team contributor for years to come at the second level of the team’s defense.

The Hawaii alum was due $1.88MM in 2024, but none of his base salary was guaranteed. This new deal represents a notable raise and a sign of confidence from Eliot Wolf and Co. that Tavai will continue to produce. He posted a career-high 69 tackles in 2022 before upping that figure to 110 last season. Over the past two years, Tavai has added a pair of interceptions, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Remaining a consistent performer over the life of this pact could prove to make this a solid investment from the team’s perspective.

New England has been busy in 2024 with respect to retaining and extending returning players, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. The likes of defensive tackle Christian Barmore and safety Kyle Dugger agreed to big-ticket pacts during the spring. In the linebacking core, Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings both worked out deals of their own. The Patriots – a team which ranked seventh in total defense last season – will thus have plenty of familiar faces in place for 2024.

Armed with over $44MM in cap space entering Tuesday, absorbing a deal such as this will not be a problem for New England from a financial standpoint. Tavai was due to count $3.16MM against the cap in 2024, and that figure could change once this pact is official. Regardless of if that is the case, though, he will be a central member of the Patriots’ defensive plan for several more years.

Patriots, Matt Judon Not Close To Extension Agreement

July 11th, 2024 at 9:42am CST by Adam La Rose

Uncertainty remains with respect to Matt Judon‘s financial future. The Patriots edge rusher has been floated as one of the next players around the league to receive a lucrative new deal, but plenty of progress between team and player may need to be made for that to be possible.

Judon himself recently hinted on social media that he does not expect to land an extension from New England. The team has prioritized retaining a number of other in-house players this offseason, and keeping the 31-year-old in the fold on a multi-year agreement could create cap issues down the road. The Patriots have nevertheless submitted an offer, Henry McKenna of Fox Sports reports.

That move came amidst a request on Judon’s part for a new deal, McKenna adds. The four-time Pro Bowler missed time during training camp last summer while angling for a raise, but he stated earlier this offseason that a repeat of that approach would not be taking place. The sides discussed a contract during the spring, though Judon’s value is not as high now as it previously was.

The former fifth-rounder racked up 28 sacks across his first two New England campaigns, establishing himself as one of the team’s most important players. Judon was limited to four contests in 2023, however, and his missed time through injury has no doubt hurt his bargaining power. One year remains on his current contract, and he is due a non-guaranteed base salary of $6.5MM in 2024. Judon’s cap hit is $14.68MM, and working out an extension could lower that figure while adding to his up front earnings.

As McKenna notes, however, the sides are not close to an agreement at this time. The Patriots currently have a league-leading $44MM in cap space along with considerable flexibility for next year. A second Judon investment could be feasible as a result, but it will be interesting to see if Eliot Wolf and Co. wait until the start of the campaign to consider meeting his asking price. A healthy and productive start to the season could shift leverage back in favor of the Grand Valley State alum.

In terms of annual average value, Judon’s current contract ranks 27th in the league amongst edge rushers. An extension taking him near the top of the market should not be expected, but a short-term accord in particular could pave the way for a raise and an agreement keeping him in New England beyond 2024. With training camp not far away, this situation will be worth watching closely.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 10th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s general manager ranks featured some key shakeups this offseason. One of the longest-tenured pure GMs in the game, Tom Telesco, lost his Chargers seat 11 years in. The Raiders, however, gave Telesco a second chance. He now controls the Las Vegas roster. Only Telesco and the Jaguars’ Trent Baalke reside as second-chance GMs currently.

Two long-serving personnel bosses also exited this offseason. The Patriots’ decision to move on from 24-year HC Bill Belichick gave Jerod Mayo a head coaching opportunity but also resulted in Eliot Wolf belatedly rising to the top of the team’s front office hierarchy. A former Packers and Browns exec, Wolf held decision-making power through the draft and kept it on an official basis soon after. While John Schneider arrived in Seattle with Pete Carroll in 2010, the latter held final say. Following Carroll’s ouster after 14 seasons, Schneider has full control.

[RELATED: The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches]

The Commanders changed GMs this offseason, hiring ex-San Francisco staffer Adam Peters, but Martin Mayhew received merely a demotion. The three-year Washington GM, who worked alongside Peters with the 49ers, is now in place as a senior personnel exec advising Peters. Rather than look outside the organization, Panthers owner David Tepper replaced Scott Fitterer with Dan Morgan, who had previously worked as the team’s assistant GM.

Going into his 23rd season running the Saints, Mickey Loomis remains the NFL’s longest-serving pure GM. This will mark the veteran exec’s third season without Sean Payton. An eight-year gap now exists between Loomis and the NFL’s second-longest-tenured pure GM.

As the offseason winds down, here is how the league’s 32 GM jobs look:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  4. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  5. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010[3]; signed extension in 2022
  6. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  7. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
  8. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  9. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  10. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  11. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  12. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
  13. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  14. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  15. Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
  16. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020: signed extension in 2024
  17. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  18. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  19. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021: agreed to extension in 2024
  20. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  21. Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
  22. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  23. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  24. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
  25. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022
  26. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  27. Ran Carthon (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2023
  28. Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
  29. Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
  30. Tom Telesco (Las Vegas Raiders): January 23, 2024
  31. Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
  32. Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

Extension Candidate: Matt Judon

July 8th, 2024 at 9:20pm CST by Ben Levine

Matt Judon is set to enter the final season of the four-year, $56MM contract he signed with the Patriots back in 2021. The four-time Pro Bowler has undoubtedly lived up to his contract in New England (at least through the first two seasons), but there have been conflicting reports surrounding the progress of extension talks. That’s led some pundits to wonder if 2024 could end up being Judon’s final season with the organization.

Judon himself provided a discouraging update last week. The veteran posted on X that he doesn’t think an extension is “about to happen” (per Dakota Randall of ProFootballNetwork.com). Further, Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard said that “there are a couple of big contract issues” that may stem from the front office’s decision to hand Christian Barmore a new $92MM deal, with Bedard seemingly pointing the finger at Judon (via Randall).

On the flip side, Mike Jurecki of Arizona Football Daily recently hinted that Judon could sign the league’s “next big contract.” The four-time Pro Bowler has also continued to express interest in continuing his career in New England, and the 31-year-old has been an active free agent recruiter on social media.

In other words, it doesn’t seem like anyone has any idea how this will play out. At the very least, Judon doesn’t intend to make his contract status a distraction. Last year, the player staged a hold-in before coming to a temporary resolution with the Patriots, but the player has since admitted that his negotiation tactic was “trash.” With the impending free agent hinting that he won’t follow a similar path this year, the Patriots could simply let Judon play out his contract before revisiting a long-term deal next offseason.

Of course, this could be the perfect time for the organization to pounce. After compiling 28 sacks through his first two seasons with the Patriots, Judon was limited to four sacks in four games before suffering a season-ending bicep injury in 2023. With the 2024 campaign representing Judon’s age-32 season, the Patriots could cite the player’s age and recent injury as a reason for a discounted extension. Plus, while Judon is only set to earn $7.5MM in 2024, he’s connected to a $14.6MM cap charge, so any extension could help the organization reduce that number for the upcoming season.

Beyond the simple decision to extend Judon, the two sides would obviously have to settle on a value. Judon would probably be hard pressed to garner a $22MM average annual value, a mark that would push him into the top-10 among pass rushers. Von Miller got a $20MM AAV from the Bills ahead of his age-33 season, but Judon is still unlikely to generate that type of money and term (six years). DeMarcus Lawrence‘s three-year, $40MM deal with the Cowboys or Cameron Jordan‘s two-year, $27.5MM deal with the Saints may be better benchmarks. Considering the Patriots are armed with plenty of future cap space, this shouldn’t be a prohibitive move for the front office.

There would probably be plenty of teams willing to give Judon at least $13MM per year, and those hypothetical suitors would probably give the player a better chance at winning. The projected franchise tag for Judon is likely untenable (between $24MM and $25MM, per OverTheCap.com), so the Patriots could risk the player walking for nothing if they can’t agree to an extension now.

As the team’s defensive and emotional leader, the Patriots can’t afford to move on from Judon in 2024. It remains to be seen if the organization is willing to pay up to keep him on the roster for 2025 and beyond.

WR Notes: Texans, Patriots, Eagles, Cardinals

July 8th, 2024 at 9:01pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s easy to be excited about the Texans wide receiver corps in 2024. After Tank Dell and Nico Collins established a connection with C.J. Stroud in 2023, the organization added another major name in Stefon Diggs. With the Texans hoping to take a major step forward in 2024, the team can now boast that they’re armed with one of the best WR trios in the NFL.

One of the other players on the depth chart, Steven Sims, has gotten a first-hand look at his talented teammates, and he believes Houston’s wideouts are ready for some big plays during the upcoming campaign.

“We’ve got a great group,” Sims told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. “I can’t wait to get back to camp. It’s going to be so much fun. I feel like there’s going to be a lot of big plays, a lot of fun, but it’s a business and it’s work. It’s time to get back to work and I’m excited to go back to work with the group we’ve got I feel like from top to bottom everybody can get it done.”

Sims re-signed with the Texans this offseason after getting into three games with the team in 2023. He’ll be competing with the likes of John Metchie III and Ben Skowronek for reps behind the team’s top-three WRs.

More wideout notes from around the NFL…

  • Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston explores some of the Patriots wideout scenarios for the 2024 campaign, including the best-case scenario (which sees rookie Ja’Lynn Polk and second-year wideout DeMario Douglas break out) and the worst-case scenario (the team’s over-reliance on veterans JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kendrick Bourne). Curran believes the most-likely scenario is a bit of both, with the organization allowing the young players to show their stuff, especially as Bourne works his way back from a torn ACL. Curran says the team’s main wildcard at the position is free agent acquisition K.J. Osborn, who has already developed chemistry with presumed starting QB Jacoby Brissett.
  • Joseph Ngata spent the majority of his rookie campaign on Philly’s practice squad, and Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia believes the former UDFA is set to make the Eagles 53-man roster in 2024. As Zangaro notes, Ngata got some first-team reps during the spring,and he’s clearly ahead of some of the team’s other young wideouts. Parris Campbell is the likeliest of Philly’s non-star WRs to emerge, but Ngata should have an upper hand on fifth-round rookie Ainias Smith and sixth-round rookie Johnny Wilson.
  • Jess Root of Cards Wire notes that Cardinals undrafted rookie WR Xavier Weaver is likely to stick with the organization by virtue of his contract. The Colorado product got $225K in guaranteed money from Arizona, the equivalent to 18 weeks of practice squad salary. If the rookie is eventually waived, it’s unlikely a cash-strapped suitor would willingly add him to their 53-man roster. With four WR spots locked up in Arizona (Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, and Zay Jones), Weaver will be hard pressed to earn a regular roster gig, but the Cardinals’ financial commitment shows they plan to keep the WR around their practice squad for the 2024 campaign.

Patriots To Hold Open K Competition Between Chad Ryland, Joey Slye

July 8th, 2024 at 5:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots selected Chad Ryland in the fourth round of the 2023 draft as Nick Folk‘s successor. The latter was ultimately traded to the Titans in a sign of confidence for the rookie.

While Folk delivered a strong season which landed him a new Tennessee contract, Ryland endured an inconsistent debut campaign. The 24-year-old connected on just 16 of 25 field goal attempts, including five of 10 kicks between between 40 and 49 yards. Ryland only missed one of his 25 extra point tries, but it came as no surprise when the Patriots added a veteran competitor this offseason.

New England signed Joey Slye in May shortly after he was released by the Jaguars. Jacksonville already had Riley Patterson in the fold before becoming one of the teams which drafted a kicker, leading to the decision to let go of Slye. The 28-year-old is a veteran of 78 games spent with four different teams, including a stint in Washington which ran from midway through the 2021 campaign through the end of last season.

Slye has a career accuracy rate of 82.3%, a figure buoyed by the 12-for-12 start to his Commanders tenure. He saw his success rate dip over the past two seasons, though, and he will need a strong showing this summer to cement the Patriots’ kicking role. As team reporter Paul Perillo notes, both Ryland and Slye will have the opportunity to win the position during training camp and the preseason in what is “expected to be a true competition.”

Perillo adds that Slye was the more accurate of the two during OTAs and minicamp, but summer practices and exhibition games will provide plenty of further chances for Ryland to gain an advantage. The latter is on the books for the next three years via his rookie contract, and he would be subject to waivers if New England elected to keep Slye on the active roster instead of him. Ryland could be a developmental practice squad candidate if no outside team showed interest, though.

Slye’s deal is worth the veteran minimum, and releasing him during the summer would create $1.28MM in cap savings without any dead money accruing. Neither contender for the kicking gig therefore has much in the way of security, so their performances in the coming weeks will be crucial.

Patriots’ Josh Uche Changes Agents

July 8th, 2024 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots have made it a priority to retain several players this offseason, and that includes Josh Uche. The fifth-year edge rusher could have tested the market in free agency, but instead he took a one-year deal to remain in New England in 2024.

Uche had more lucrative offers waiting from outside suitors, but the 25-year-old elected to play on a prove-it contract worth a base value of $3MM. He can earn up to $8MM via incentives, and reaching them would also position him as one of the more attractive free agents in 2025. Perhaps keeping that in mind, Uche recently changed representation.

The Michigan alum now has Drew Rosenhaus as his agent, as noted by ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Rosenhaus initially represented him at the start of his career, but that was not the case by the time he took his one-year Patriots deal. Now, a change back to Rosenhaus has taken place ahead of a 2024 campaign which will have significant financial implications for Uche.

The former second-rounder enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2022, posting 11.5 sacks. He remained a rotational player this past season, though, and his pass rush production took a step back (three sacks, 15 pressures). Uche – who has not developed into a strong run defender at the NFL level – has logged snap shares between 30% and 38% in each of his Patriots campaigns, and it will be interesting to see if he earns an increased workload this season under Jerod Mayo.

Leading up to the 2023 trade deadline, Uche drew considerable interest and the Patriots nearly worked out a deal. He later made it clear he wished to remain in New England, something which will be the case for at least one more season. Uche’s performance as a pending free agent for the second time in his career will be worth watching closely, and he will approach another Patriots deal or one sending him to a new team with a familiar face representing him.

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