Patriots' Sione Takitaki: New Role, Contract Details
FOXBORO — In an attempt to help sustain, or perhaps bolster, their depth at linebacker, New England Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf turned to a trusted soldier.
New England, on Monday evening, reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with former Cleveland Browns linebacker Sione Takitaki — helping to mitigate the loss of both weakside linebacker Mack Wilson, Sr (via free agency to the Arizona Cardinals) and the impending release of special teamer/linebacker Chris Board.
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Fortunately for the Pats, Wolf is quite familiar with Takitaki’s abilities and potential. Having served as the Browns’ assistant general manager in 2019 — when Cleveland selected selected him No. 80 overall in the third-round of the NFL Draft — the man currently in charge of Pats’ personnel has seen the BYU product’s toughness, tenacity and on-field intelligence first hand.
During his five years in Cleveland, Takitaki appeared in 72 regular season games. He registered a combined 268 tackles (14, for loss), four sacks, four passes-defensed, two interceptions, and a pair of forced fumbles. Having aligned at all three linebacker positions, his versatility became key factor in the progressional increase with which he has been utilized in the Browns’ defense — taking 65 percent of Cleveland’s defensive snaps in 2022 and 61 percent in 2023.
With New England, Takitaki should be expected to play both on and off the line of scrimmage — primarily in a third-down role, yet capable of spelling top options Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jahlani Tavai on early downs if necessary. His ability to quickly diagnose opposing offensive plays could make him an option in a hybrid role as well. Throughout both his collegiate and pro tenure, he has been a solid run defender and special teams contributor — traits which will undoubtedly be utilized by Pats coach Jerod Mayo in the upcoming season.
Accordingly, the Pats contract agreement with Takitaki becomes official at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, the start of the new NFL year. Per the Boston Herald, the two-year pact will hit the books for $6.65 million, with a maximum worth up to $10.25 million. His salaries will be set at $1.13 million for 2024 and $2.2 million in 2025. The deal includes a $2 million signing bonus/total guarantee, $510,00 in per-game roster bonuses each year, a $150,000 per-year workout bonus and up to $1.8 million in playing time incentives each year.
Takitaki’s contract will carry a $2.73 million salary cap hit in 2024, while increasing to $3.86 million in 2025.
