Ekuale (biceps) is participating in the Patriots' organized team activities, Steven Senne of the Idaho State Journal reports.
Ekuale's season ended in September of last year after the Patriots placed him on injured reserve with a torn biceps. His participation at OTAs indicates his health is back up to par. The veteran defensive tackle is projected to provide depth on New England's interior defensive line this season.
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Patriots' Matthew Judon: Back to full health
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Judon (biceps) is back to full health and expected to be at the Patriots' mandatory minicamp in June, Karen Guregian of The Springfield Republican reports.
Judon tore his biceps early in the 2023 season and subsequently underwent season-ending surgery. It appears his recovery has gone well, and he will be ready to participate in New England's offseason program. Barring any setbacks with his health, the 31-year-old -- who racked up 15.5 sacks in 2022 -- is expected to start at outside linebacker, where he'll reprise his role as a key pass rusher for the team.
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Patriots' Christian Gonzalez: Returns to field
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Gonzalez (shoulder) practiced during OTAs on Monday, Mike Dussault of the Patriots' official site reports.
Gonzalez suffered a season-ending torn labrum in Week 4 against the Cowboys last season and was originally uncertain for OTAs. However, the second-year-pro appeared to be a full participant, which is good news for New England's secondary.
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Patriots' Isaiah Bolden: Will be competing for depth role
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Bolden (concussion) will take part in OTAs this week, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.
Bolden missed the entirety of his rookie season due to a concussion that placed him on IR. The Jackson State product is now healthy though, and will be competing against several other names for a roster spot behind Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones at cornerback.
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Patriots' Marcus Jones: Back to full health
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Jones (shoulder) is ready to get back on the field during OTAs, Danny Jaillet of USA Today reports.
Jones suffered a torn labrum in Week 2 last season and then spent the rest of the 2023 campaign on injured reserve. His ability to return to the field, and be ready for the 2024 campaign is great news for New England, who dealt with multiple injuries in their secondary last year.
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Patriots' Christian Gonzalez: Recovering well, unsure for OTAs
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Gonzalez (shoulder) said Tuesday he feels "healthy" but is unsure how much he'll participate in OTAs, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.
Gonzalez, a 2023 first-round pick, had a strong start to his career before suffering a season-ending right torn labrum in just Week 4. Per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, Gonzalez is still rehabbing and focusing on strengthening his shoulder, so it sounds like he may be a limited participant at best when OTAs kick off May 20. Barring any setbacks, there are no concerns about Gonzalez gaining full medical clearance in advance of the 2024 regular season, and returning to a starting role at cornerback.
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Patriots' Christian Barmore: Lands big extension in New England
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New England signed Barmore to a four-year, $92 million extension Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The deal contains $41.8 million guaranteed, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. It's the largest non-Tom Brady contract handed out in Patriots history. A second-round pick in 2021, Barmore recorded a career-best 8.5 sacks last season after totaling just four across his first two years in the league. Barmore is a foundational piece along New England's defensive front.
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Patriots' Marcellas Dial: New England lands in sixth round
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The Patriots selected Dial in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 180th overall.
Dial didn't have much hype as a prospect but he's a three-year starter from a strong South Carolina pass defense, and at 6-feet, 190 pounds he has very good athletic traits. Dial's 4.47-second 40-yard dash is solid, but when you account for his reach (32-inch arms) and jumps (40.5-inch vertical, 129-inch broad jump), it's clear that Dial is one of the toolsiest corners in the draft. The Patriots will hope to refine those tools and presumably look to turn Dial into a press-heavy corner on the boundary.
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Patriots' Kyle Dugger: Gets long-term deal
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Dugger and the Patriots agreed Sunday on a four-year, $58 million deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
According to Rapoport, Dugger's contract is worth up to $66 million and contains $32.5 million guaranteed. Earlier in the offseason, New England placed its transition tag on Dugger, but the tag merely served as a placeholder until the 28-year-old safety was able to work out a longer-team deal with the Patriots. Dugger turned in his best season yet in 2023, appearing in all 17 of the Patriots' games while logging 109 tackles, 1.5 sacks, seven passes defensed, two interceptions and one forced fumble.
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Cody Davis: Hangs up cleats
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Davis announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday, Chris Mason of Masslive.com reports.
Davis played 11 NFL seasons, spending five years with the Rams, two with the Jaguars and the final four of his career with the Patriots. The 34-year-old primarily played on special teams and hadn't played a defensive snap since 2020. He'll finish his career with 118 combined tackles, two interceptions and three fumbles recovered.
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Texans' Myles Bryant: Finds new opportunity
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Bryant signed a contract with the Texans on Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Bryant will suit up for a new franchise in 2024 after spending the first four years of his career in New England. The Washington product appeared in all 17 games last season, recording 77 tackles (65 solo), including 1.0 sacks, while also forcing two fumbles and grabbing an interception. The 26-year-old should have the opportunity to bolster the depth in Houston's secondary in the upcoming campaign.
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Patriots' Jaylinn Hawkins: Bolsters New England's safety corps
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Hawkins has agreed to a one-year deal with the Patriots, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
Hawkins split the 2023 regular season with the Falcons (six games) and Chargers (10 games) en route to combining for 14 tackles in that span. The 2020 fourth-rounder did rack up 84 tackles and two picks for Atlanta in 2022, but with the Patriots, Hawkins figures to serve as a depth safety behind Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger.
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Ravens' Chris Board: Back with Baltimore
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Board agreed to a contract with the Ravens on Tuesday, Ryan Mink of the team's official site reports.
Board, who spent his first four NFL campaigns with the Ravens after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2018, is coming off a 2023 regular season in which he recorded 10 tackles with the Patriots. In his looming return to Baltimore, the 28-year-old will bolster the depth of the team's linebacking corps while also maintaining his role as a core special-teams contributor.
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Chris Board: Gets cut loose
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Board was released by the Patriots on Thursday.
Board joined New England on a two-year contract last offseason, but he'll now make his exit from the team a year early. The 28-year-old was strictly a special-teams contributor last season, recording 10 combined tackles in 17 games.
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Patriots' Anfernee Jennings: Re-ups with Patriots
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Jennings has agreed to a three-year contract with the Patriots, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Jennings will remain in New England, where the 2020 third-round draft pick has spent his entire career up to this point. He posted 66 tackles (49 solo) across 15 appearances (14 starts) in 2023, but it remains to be seen if the linebacker will hold onto a starting role in 2024 under New England's new coaching staff.
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Patriots' Josh Uche: Returning to New England
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Uche has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Patriots, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Uche reportedly had bigger offers elsewhere, but he opted to return to Foxborough for less. The 2020 second-round pick has played four seasons with the Pats and was both a depth defender and special teams contributor last season. He currently projects to start opposite Matthew Judon (biceps) at outside linebacker in 2024.
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Giants' Jalen Mills: Signing one-year pact with G-Men
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The Giants are slated to sign Mills to a one-year contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Mills turns 30 next month and is coming off a three-year stint with the Patriots after spending the first five years of his career in Philly. Mills appeared in all 17 games last season, making eight starts, and finishing with 45 tackles (26 solo), one pass breakup and one forced fumble on 40 percent of the defensive snaps. Mills figures to compete for the starting safety job alongside Jason Pinnock.
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Cardinals' Mack Wilson: Set to sign with Arizona
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Wilson and the Cardinals have agreed to a three-year, $12.75 million deal that could go as high as $15 million, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The linebacker has played more snaps on special teams than defense in each of the last three seasons. Wilson logged 960 defensive snaps and 82 tackles as a rookie with the Browns in 2019, but he has yet to come close to those numbers since. As a member of the Patriots the last two seasons, Wilson recorded 37 and 36 tackles, respectively.
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Patriots' Alex Austin: Staying in New England
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The Patriots re-signed Austin on Thursday, Zack Cox of New England Sports Network reports.
There's no specifics on the 22-year-old cornerback's deal just yet, but he's headed back to New England. The 2023 seventh-round pick spent time with the Bills, Texans and Patriots throughout his rookie year, appearing in seven games. In those outings, Austin tallied seven total tackles and two passes defended, including one interception. Expect the young corner to compete for a depth spot in the Patriots' secondary as the offseason progresses.
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Patriots' Kyle Dugger: Will receive transition tag
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The Patriots will place the transition tag on Dugger, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.
Per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, by placing the transition tag (worth $13.81 million) on Dugger, the Patriots retain the right to match any free agent offers the starting safety might receive. In 17 games during the 2023 regular season, the 2020 second-rounder recorded a career-high 109 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, to go along with two interceptions.
