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Patriots reportedly re-signing Mike Onwenu to 3-year deal
Mike Onwenu helped stabilize New England's O-line last season after moving to right tackle.
The Patriots are reportedly retaining one of their top free agents and a key cog on their offensive line.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, New England is re-signing offensive lineman Mike Onwenu to a three-year, $57 million contract — with $38 million guaranteed. Onwenu, 26, is also reportedly getting a $22.5 million signing bonus as part of his new deal in Foxborough.
The versatile lineman stood as one of New England’s top offseason priorities this spring, especially given the state of the Patriots’ porous offensive line. A sixth-round selection by New England in the 2020 NFL Draft, Onwenu stabilized the Patriots’ O-line late last season after making the switch from right guard to right tackle.
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Even though guard might be Onwenu’s strongest position, his versatility gives New England options — especially if Sidy Sow can carve out a regular role at right guard moving forward.
Considering that the Patriots still have a vacancy at left tackle, re-signing Onwenu stood as a key objective in New England’s offseason plans, even after signing former Steelers tackle Chukwuma Okorafor as added depth last week.
While Monday kicked off the start of NFL free agency with the opening of the league’s legal tampering window, the Patriots have been busy retaining some of their top contributors this offseason.
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Along with Onwenu, New England is also reportedly re-signing wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and tight end Hunter Henry to three-year deals. The Patriots also placed a transition tag on safety Kyle Dugger last week.
Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month, Jerod Mayo stressed that re-signing Onwenu and Dugger were priorities for the Patriots this offseason.
“I love those guys,” Mayo told the local media. “I love Big Mike. I think he has the versatility to play guard or tackle. Look, one of those guys when he’s going, he’s dominant. With Dugger, I would say last year going into the season, there were some questions about can he communicate and all those things. He squashed all of that last year. He did a fantastic job in his new role without having Devin there.
“You definitely want those pieces to stay. Going back to what I talked about earlier, you develop through the draft, so if those guys say, obviously, they’ve been raised here and they can help push the culture forward.”
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