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Patriots 2016 Free Agency Yes/No: Rufus Johnson

By Connor Fulton

Sep 3, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Rufus Johnson (70) tackles New York Giants quarterback Ryan Nassib (12) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Rufus Johnson (70) tackles New York Giants quarterback Ryan Nassib (12) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Rufus Johnson Patriots
Sep 3, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Rufus Johnson (70) tackles New York Giants quarterback Ryan Nassib (12) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /

As the next installment in our Yes/No series detailing the New England Patriots’ free agency, this morning we are deciding whether or not the Patriots should re-sign exclusive right free agent linebacker Rufus Johnson.

The answer: YES

In case you weren’t aware, an exclusive rights free agent is a player whose contract has expired and has yet to play more than three tenured years in the league. If the Patriots don’t make an offer to Johnson before the league-imposed deadline for exclusive rights free agents, then Johnson will hit the open market.

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Selected by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Johnson didn’t appear in a single game for the Saints as a rookie. In fact, the Tarleton State product spent all of 2014 on the couch when no team picked him up after the Saints cut him loose at the end of 2014 training camp.

At the tail end of the 2014 calendar year, the Patriots swooped in and signed Johnson to a reserve/futures contract. Johnson proved himself in training camp this past summer, turning heads throughout the dog days of summer. He suited up in his first NFL game in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills, recording his first career tackle.

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Unfortunately for Johnson, an undisclosed illness prematurely ended his 2015 season once it got off the ground. Whispers around New England at the time indicated that Johnson fell victim to the same bug that nailed Jamie Collins for a month.

At 6-foot-5, 272 pounds, Johnson is hard to miss on the field. With that size, he is an intriguing development guy going forward, someone who the Patriots should keep around on their own terms in free agency.

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Next: 5 positions Patriots must address in free agency

Be sure to check back on Musket Fire tomorrow morning as we ponder the future of exclusive rights free agent cornerback Justin Coleman.

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