New England Patriots: Six Takeaways from the Preseason So Far
By Hal Bent
LINEBACKER CONTRACT EXTENSION:
In the surprise of the preseason, the New England Patriots recently extended one of their pending free agent linebackers. No, not Jamie Collins or Dont’a Hightower. Instead the Patriots extended special teams maven and backup linebacker Jonathan Freeny with a two-year extension.
Freeny is not a high-profile player on defense, but the Rutgers product won over Belichick. Freeny has some athleticism but struggles in pass coverage (he allowed an 18 yard reception against Carolina on Friday night) and is not always strong at the point of attack in the running game. However, he is a regular on the special teams units and a leader in the locker room.
No team values it’s non-returner special teams players more than Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Freeny is a backup at all three linebacker spots, but his main contributions are on fourth down. Freeny is valuable in that he can add depth at linebacker both inside and outside and contribute and thrive on special teams. For Belichick, those types of players are valued and he wastes no time locking them up.
Of course, there is still no movement publicly on the Hightower and Collins potential extensions. Because Collins’ salary and cap hit is so low (less than $1 million) this season, he will likely be the prime candidate for the franchise tag. Hightower remains the most likely of the duo to get his money and extension this year as he is in his fifth year option and is due and counts almost $8 million against the salary cap this year.
Freeny did not get starting linebacker money and is expected to be the backup and special teams role player that he has been in New England. The Patriots continue to value versatility and Feeny is just another example of how those low-key role players can be rewarded in New England.
Next: DEFENSIVE LINE TAKING SHAPE