The New England Patriots are agreeing to terms with everybody under the sun to open up the legal tampering period. On Monday, New England agreed to a four-year contract worth $24 million with Eagles defensive back Jalen Mills, according to multiple reports. The deal includes $9 million in guarantees.
This signing comes after the additions of tight end Jonnu Smith, nose tackle Devon Godchaux, and edge rusher Matthew Judon. Three of those four new Patriots (with Judon being the exception) are represented by Drew Rosenhaus, who the Patriots have had a great relationship with over the years.
Mills, who helped beat the Patriots in Super Bowl 52, joins an extremely talented group of experienced veterans in New England’s secondary.
More for the Patriots: Former Eagles DB Jalen Mills to the Patriots on a 4-year, $24 million deal including $9M guaranteed, @DrewJRosenhaus tells ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2021
Mills was selected by Philadelphia in the seventh round of the 2016 draft out of LSU. Originally brought in as a cornerback, Mills’ snaps have been all over the place.
Mills played everywhere last year in Philly, per @PFF
DLine: 39 snaps
Box:329 snaps
Slot CB: 182 snaps
Wide CB: 227 snaps
Free Safety: 236 snaps— Mark Daniels (@MarkDanielsPJ) March 15, 2021
This move is somewhat interesting with Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Kyle Dugger, and Adrian Phillips all expected to get significant playtime at the safety positions. However, with how often the Patriots have six defensive backs on the field, it wouldn’t be surprising to see all of these guys on the field with Mills at the same time.
The signing isn’t official just yet, but we can expect that announcement to come after the start of the league year on Wednesday.
