Pats-Miami Connection Continues
The New England Patriots just continue to stockpile former Miami Dolphins players.
The Patriots made their latest acquisition Friday afternoon, with multiple reports indicating they've agreed to terms on a one-year contract with linebacker Raekwon McMillan.
He will become the fifth former Miami player on the Patriots roster, joining defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, linebacker Kyle Van Noy, running back Brandon Bolden and center Ted Karras.
Of course, the latter three all played for New England before they went to Miami for a one-year stint.
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Van Noy and Karras both signed with Miami as unrestricted free agents, but Van Noy was released in the offseason and Karras was a UFA again this year after signing a one-year contract last March.
McMillan actually didn't directly come from Miami, as he spent the 2020 season with the Las Vegas Raiders after an August trade.
The Raiders acquired McMillan and a fifth-round pick in exchange for a fourth-round selection.
McMillan was a full-time starter in Miami in 2018 and 2019 after missing his entire rookie season because of a torn ACL sustained on his first play of the preseason, but he started only four games for the Raiders in 2020.
A second-round pick out of Ohio State in 2017, McMillan is a lot more efficient against the run than in pass coverage.
One of McMillan's most productive games in the NFL came against the Patriots when he recorded nine tackles, tied for second-highest total of his career, in the 34-33 Miami victory in December 2018 — the game dubbed as the "Miracle in Miami."
Bringing in McMillan is a solid depth move for the Patriots, whose linebacker corps figures to be led by the aforementioned Kyle Van Noy, fellow free agent pick-up Matt Judon and Dont'a Hightower back after his 2020 opt-out.
Like McMillan, Godchaux also should make his biggest contributions against the run, though he logically has a better chance of earning a starting role.
The Patriots actually have one more Dolphins player to go to match the former New England players on the Miami roster.
Miami's six former Patriots players are quarterback Jacoby Brissett, defensive tackle Adam Butler, linebacker Calvin Munson, and defensive backs Eric Rowe, Jamal Perry and Justin Coleman.
Butler joined the Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent this week; Munson and Perry (formerly known as Jomal Wiltz) were signed off the Patriots practice squad; and Brissett (Colts) and Coleman (Lions) played with other teams between their time in New England and signing with Miami.
