Monday saw two Patriots-related moves take place.
NFL free agency is not over, and Monday was a clear example of that. While the market has slowed down overall, two moves impacting the New England Patriots happened: the team decided to match the Las Vegas Raiders’ offer sheet for restricted free agent linebacker Christian Elliss, while it also saw kicker Joey Slye sign a deal with the Tennessee Titans.
Let’s take a big-picture look at the two transactions to find out what they mean for the Patriots.
LB Christian Elliss: Re-signed via 2-year contract
Sign of things to come: The Patriots had the option to match the Raiders’ offer sheet, and they did so by signing Elliss to a two-year deal. While the details of that contract will provide further clarity, fact is that the team keeping him does show New England’s intentions: the 26-year-old projects to be part of the mix going forward alongside free agency acquisitions Robert Spillane and Jack Gibbens.
In addition, the pact also provides some stability at linebacker. At the moment, Elliss, Spillane and Jahlani Tavai are the only linebackers signed beyond 2025.
Linebacker questions remain: Speaking of Spillane and Gibbens, they and Elliss project to be at the heart of the Patriots’ linebacker corps this year. Who will join them in the room will be fascinating to see given its current composition:
Linebacker (6): Robert Spillane (14), Ja’Whaun Bentley (8), Jack Gibbens (51), Jahlani Tavai (48), Christian Elliss (53), Monty Rice (45)
At the moment, Spillane projects as a starter at the position and somebody who fits Mike Vrabel’s and Terrell Williams’ vision for the new-look Patriots defense. Ja’Whaun Bentley is a prime candidate to join him in the starting lineup, and he is actively trying to transform his body to fit what the coaching staff is looking for from its off-ball ‘backers.
The biggest question marks at the moment, however, are Jahlani Tavai and Monty Rice. The former had a rough 2024 season, but could still provide value when returning to a more specified role. The latter projects as a depth and special teams option, who has a history working with Vrabel.
Two birds, one stone: Keeping Elliss not only helps stabilize the Patriots’ linebacker group, it also should have a positive impact on the kicking game. In 2024, after all, he ranked fourth on the team with 247 special teams snaps (56.5%) and second with eight tackles. He also registered one forced fumble and recovery each.
It remains to be seen what the Patriots have in mind for him as his usage relates to the game’s third phase. At the very least, having him in the fold gives coordinator Jeremy Springer another experienced option to work with.
50% retention rate: With Elliss officially back in New England, the Patriots have now kept exactly half of what was originally a 16-member free agency class. Besides re-signing or tendering eight of their unrestricted (2), restricted (1) and exclusive rights free agents (5), the team also saw five players sign elsewhere.
As of Tuesday morning, three free agents — RB Ja’Mycal Hasty, OL Lester Cotton, ED Oshane Ximines — remain unaccounted for.
K Joey Slye: Signed by Titans
No surprise: Even though Slye had some positive moments during the 2024 season, the writing for his departure was on the wall. There never was any real momentum toward the Patriots bringing him back into the mix after he made only 78.8 percent of his field goals and 96.2 percent of his extra points — ranking 29th and 20th in the NFL in those two categories, respectively.
While not every miss was squarely on him, the Patriots felt the need for change has arrived. At the moment, former practice squad member John Parker Romo is the lone place kicker under contract. The expectation is that some competition will eventually be added to the mix.
More kicker turnover: With Slye officially out the door, the Patriots will now have a new kicker for the fourth straight season. They had Nick Folk handle field goal and extra point duties in 2022, followed by Chad Ryland in 2023 and Slye in 2024. Whether it will be Romo or somebody else, a new kicker will emerge in 2025.
A position that was once a bastion of stability in New England has turned into somewhat of a revolving door lately.
No compensatory impact: Slye is the Patriots fifth free agent to get signed by another team, joining quarterback Jacoby Brissett (to Arizona) defensive linemen Deatrich Wise Jr. (to Washington) and Daniel Ekuale (to Pittsburgh), as well as cornerback Jonathan Jones (to Washington). All five of them factor into the NFL’s compensatory draft picks formula for 2026.
However, New England will not get any extra selections out of that process. The team is still in the deep red compared to its qualifying free agency signings: 10 of their 13 total pickups are CFAs, meaning that the Patriots will go three years in a row without receiving any comp picks.