The New England Patriots have done their best to keep a number of their own free agents this offseason and have even gone out of their way to look up some guys before they hit the market next year.
Last week, New England locked up linebacker Jahlani Tavai on a three-year deal to make sure they have some consistency in the middle of a defense that has seen some change this offseason.
While not everyone has loved what the team has done this offseason, former Patriots edge rusher Rob Ninkovich is thrilled with the decision to extend Tavai. ESPN's Mike Reiss recently highlighted Ninkovich's opinion from a recent interview:
"I love his energy. He plays hard. You need a guy like that who can do multiple things, but also get everyone in the right spots. He's been in this system long enough where he understands his role so well that he can help others. ... Him and Bent [Ja'Whaun Bentley] having played together for the last three years, that's a good thing to keep that going. I think he has a higher ceiling and that could soon become an undervalued contract."
"It's also an appreciation thing for a player who has performed well. I like what they've done with him and David [Andrews], which is something I'm not sure would have happened prior to this year. It tells the younger guys that if you approach it the right way, like they did, this is what the reward can be."
Ninkovich is right on the money with this one.
Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf are running a team for the first time, and they need to show other Patriots and future Patriots what they'll need to do if they want to get paid in New England.
Tavai has been solid in his role, and with the coaching changes, he'll be relied on even more in the middle.
