The New England Patriots did what they do best: Sign everything but an elite wide receiver.
According to ESPN’s Diana Russini, the Pats just agreed to terms with veteran offensive lineman Riley Reiff, who’s coming off an up-and-down season with the Chicago Bears.
The Patriots are expected to sign OT Riley Reiff, per sources.
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) March 15, 2023
The Pats were tied to former Philadelphia Eagle Andre Dillard, who ultimately signed a three-year deal with the Tennessee Titans.
The Patriots were also tied to superstar OT Orlando Brown Jr., who’d instantly become their starting left tackle.
Brown was seemingly ready to move on after the Kansas City Chiefs signed Jawaan Taylor to a multi-year deal, but he’s expected to fetch a steep salary of more than $20 million a year.
That would be more than what a historically cheap franchise like the Patriots would be willing to spend, let alone on an offensive lineman.
That’s why they shifted their focus to a cheaper option like Reiff.
The 34-year-old has made 163 appearances (149 starts) throughout his career.
This was the first free agency splash of the offseason for Bill Belichick’s team, but most insiders predict this will be a quiet period for the Patriots.
They already managed to re-sign veterans Jabrill Peppers and Carl Davis as well as starting CB Jonathan Jones, who reportedly considered other options before coming back on a two-year, $19 million deal.
Will that be enough to keep up in the stacked AFC East?
We’ll have to wait and see.
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