New England Patriots retain special teams ace Matthew Slater
New England Patriots special teams ace Matthew Slater re-signed with the team on a two-year contract.
The New England Patriots lost a few key players at the beginning of free agency. On offensive, the Patriots lost wide receiver Danny Amendola, running back Dion Lewis and left tackle Nate Solder. On defense, the Patriots lost cornerback, Malcolm Butler.
While the offense and defense suffered losses, the Patriots’ special teams were kept intact. The Patriots were able to retain wide receiver and special teams, Matthew Slater.
According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, Slater and the Patriots agreed to a two-year deal to keep him with the only organization that he has known in his NFL career. Slater was a fifth-round pick, No. 153 overall, in 2009 out of UCLA.
Slater has caught only one pass in his professional career, but he has become a mainstay in New England. His performance on special teams is stellar. He has been named to the Pro Bowl for seven consecutive seasons, which is tied with Steve Tasker for the most special teams Pro Bowl nods in NFL history. Slater has also been named to an All-Pro team five times.
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This is a good signing for the Patriots. Slater is one of the team’s spiritual and inspirational leaders according to Reiss. However, last week it looked like Slater may be moving on.
Last week Slater made a visit to the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent. While making a visit does not mean a player intends to leave, the Patriots responded in a way that made it seem like Slater would be on the move.
While Slater visited the Steelers, the Patriots swung a deal for another player that excels on special teams. New England acquired wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson from the Oakland Raiders.
Patterson, like Slater, is an excellent special teams player. He is a game breaker as a return man and strong on coverage teams as well. Patterson will also chip in offensively as a deep threat or even on running plays.
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Patterson was excellent insurance for Slater. With Slater now back in the fold, the Patriots special teams have two of the best special teamers in the NFL on their roster. Special teams are sometimes overlooked in football games, but the Patriots should excel in that area in 2018.