Patriots Contract To-Do List: Who's Next?
The New England Patriots checked off one box from their contractual do-list with the signing of star edge rusher Matthew Judon to a new contract that, while it won't add time to his stay in Foxboro, will see him earn a fully guaranteed $14 million this season instead of the $2 million originally.
The move to give the 30-year-old more money keeps him happy and further reinforces his idea of retiring as a Patriot, and shows the team's continued commitment to him as a franchise building block for the defense. While the Patriots' front office can rejoice about putting to rest any concerns regarding the status of Judon, they won't have long before sitting back down at the negotiating table.
As things currently stand, the Patriots will have 30 players on expiring contracts this season; some include key contributors like safety Kyle Dugger, starting guard Michael Onwenu, and edge rusher Josh Uche, among many others.
So who could be next?
Kyle Dugger
The fourth-year safety out of Lenoir-Rhyne has quickly become an impact player on the Patriots' defense, featuring in a safety/linebacker hybrid role similar to what Patrick Chung once did. Yet, what makes Dugger different from Chung is his ability to also feature on the outside as a cornerback or even play nickel. Dugger can and will move around the field for the Patriots defense, making it hard to believe they won't want to lock down his future quickly.
Michael Onwenu
Since being selected by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, he has developed into one of their best offensive linemen. Onwenu has proved valuable as he can play both inside at guard and outside as a tackle for the Patriots, but he looks to have found his long-term home on the inside.
While it seems likely that Onwenu will be brought back on a contract extension beyond this season, although as we saw with the decision to pass on re-signing Joe Thuney, it is never a sure thing.
Josh Uche
The Patriots second-leading pass rusher from last season is also entering a contract year. Uche, the former second-round pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, is coming off a career year where he totaled 27 tackles, nine for a loss, 11.5 sacks, and 14 quarterback hits.
Of the three on this list, Uche seems potentially the most unlikely to sign a new deal before the start of the regular season, yet if the Patriots don't want to risk his value going up, signing him in camp could be a smart way of getting him for a lower price.
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