Patriots reportedly agree to terms with Stephen Gostkowski
Gostkowski was 27 for 32 on field goal attempts in 2018 and 49 of 50 on extra points.
The Patriots have all their key special teamers locked up.
New England re-signed kicker Stephen Gostkowski to a two-year deal Tuesday, according to ESPN. Gostkowski was an unrestricted free agent who lingered on the market past the first several waves of signings.
It always seemed likely that Gostkowski, who has been in New England since 2006, would re-sign, and the wait was due in part to the Patriots’ salary cap situation before a handful of cuts, restructures, and Rob Gronkowski’s retirement cleared some space.
So Gostkowski returns, as does punter Ryan Allen, who also was an unrestricted free agent, on a one-year deal he signed last month. They, along with long snapper Joe Cardona, make up an experienced trio on kicking plays.
Gostkowski was 27 for 32 on field goal attempts in 2018 and 49 of 50 on extra points. He has a career 87.4 field goal percentage in 13 seasons in New England.
Preseason slate
The Patriots preseason schedule, announced Tuesday, likely makes Bill Belichick happy, as the coach got his wish for games against teams coached by some of his friends.
The Patriots travel to Detroit to play Matt Patricia’s Lions in Week 1 of the preseason, then stay on the road for Week 2 when they visit Mike Vrabel’s Titans.
Week 3 is at home against the Panthers and Week 4 is at home against the Giants, making this the 15th straight year the Patriots will play the Giants in the preseason finale. New England played at Carolina last preseason, too.
Games against the Lions and Titans provide opportunity for joint practices, something Belichick has viewed positively in the past. According to ESPN, New England put in a request with the NFL for teams led by former Patriots to be on the preseason schedule, something that’s fairly common, especially when programs have joint practices in mind.
With Brian Flores’s Dolphins in the AFC East and Bill O’Brien’s Houston Texans on the schedule for 2019, games against Detroit and Tennessee were likely the Patriots’ ideal scenario. Having two home games to end the preseason is probably welcome as well.
Exact dates and times have not been announced, but Week 1 games will fall between Aug. 8-12, Week 2 between Aug. 15-19, Week 3 between Aug. 22-25, and Week 4 between Aug. 29-30.
The question that remains is whether the Patriots will schedule joint practices with any of the teams, particularly for Weeks 1 or 2. It’s likely, given that they were invested enough in getting the Lions and Titans matchups to make the request to the league. It’s also something that could cut into the number of practices open to the public in Foxborough during training camp.
Last thing to keep an eye on: It’s unlikely, given that other candidates such as the Raiders and 49ers are buzzier, but the Lions are in play for HBO’s “Hard Knocks’’ documentary series this season. What we wouldn’t give for a Patriots cameo if joint practices do take place.
German player added
The AFC East was chosen to participate in the NFL’s International Player Pathway program this upcoming season, so the Patriots will have German fullback/tight end Jakob Johnson with them at least through training camp.
Johnson, 24, played tight end for the Stuttgart Scorpions, his hometown team, in the German Football League last season. The 6-foot-5-inch, 285-pounder caught 43 passes for 474 yards and four touchdowns last season.
He played for the University of Tennessee from 2014-17. Johnson was recruited as a linebacker and played there as a freshman before moving to tight end for his sophomore season.
At the conclusion of training camp, the Patriots will have the option to carry Johnson on their practice squad using an international player exemption, which grants them an 11th spot. If they use this exemption, the international player is ineligible to be activated during the 2019 season.
Clayborn back to Atlanta
Former Patriots defensive end Adrian Clayborn is going back to Atlanta, signing a one-year deal with the Falcons Tuesday.
Clayborn was one of New England’s top free agent acquisitions last offseason, but was released last month. He played 14 games in the 2018 regular season, providing 2½ sacks mostly as a situational pass rusher.
Clayborn played for the Falcons from 2015-17, putting up 9½ sacks in his 2017 contract year before signing with New England. According to the NFL Network, Clayborn’s deal is worth up to $4 million.
Because the Patriots released Clayborn, he will not factor into the compensatory-pick formula for next year.
