The New England Patriots continue to make waves during the NFL offseason, as they have re-signed their starting strong safety Patrick Chung to a one-year $5.7 million extension.
The 28-year-old may have not recorded an interception during the 2015 NFL season, but he did have nine pass defenses and 85 combined tackles. Chung has predominantly spent his entire eight-year career with the Patriots, except for a season in 2013 in which he played for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Chung provides a solid veteran presence to this Patriots secondary and has had his best production while with this franchise. He has only recorded one interception throughout the last three seasons, but he has recorded a ridiculous amount of combined tackles (229) and has shown a prowess for stopping the run.
The Patriots have added former Washington Redskins defensive end Frank Kearse, who is only 27, and Chris Long to help bolster this pass rush and provide some depth to their defensive unit.
Long was surprisingly released by the Los Angeles Rams to make room for younger talent. The Patriots also signed wide receiver Nate Washington from the Houston Texans, which will not only add some depth to this wide receiving corps, but also provide solid veteran production.
Washington suffered several lingering injuries that kept him off of the field for quite some time. However, he should bounce back with this pass-heavy Patriots offense. They also acquired free agent running back Donald Brown, even though perennial Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount is still a free agent.
New England signed Shea McClellin from the Chicago Bears to help the Patriots stop the run and generate some pressure. McClellin is just one of the many defensive players that the Patriots have picked up during this chaotic free agent period.
The only other linebacker that the Patriots picked up was Ramon Humber from the New Orleans Saints, as he was one of the few bright spots in what was otherwise a struggling defensive unit.
Humber is likely just a depth addition, as the Patriots will miss a round during the 2016 NFL Draft thanks to their involvement in the Deflategate scandal. Chung receiving a contract extension secures that this secondary has a veteran edge for at the very least another season.
