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Patriots Football Daily: Four Patriots Players Remain Free Agents

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New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) warms up before an NFL football game against the New York Jets on Sunday Sept. 24, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

With free agent signings slowing down, there are still four members of the 2023 New England Patriots looking for new homes. This does not include players who were released (Lawrence Guy Sr., Adrian Phillips, J.C. Jackson), non-tendered (Tre Nixon), or not signed to a future deal from the practice squad (Matt Sokol, etc.). The list does not include Kyle Dugger either, who was designated with the transition tag by the Patriots, but has yet to sign with New England or an offer sheet elsewhere.

A look at the four Patriots still available in NFL free agency.

Ezekiel Elliott

Running back Ezekiel Elliott was one of the few bright spots on last year’s offense. He played hard, which is not something everybody appeared to be doing. Elliott rushed for 642 yards and caught 51 passes for 313 yards. Elliott scored five touchdowns. He may opt to parlay his solid season into joining a contender (perhaps even a return to Dallas) but New England could certainly do worse than bringing back Elliott to join Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gipson in the backfield.

Myles Bryant

Bryant is a versatile defensive back. He is a cornerback who also saw snaps at safety last season. Slot cornerback is still his primary position. Myles Bryant has occasionally caught the ire of New England Patriots fans, but 2023 was his best season. He is a solid depth cornerback. He might not be high on the Patriots’ priority list for free agency, but he is certainly capable of being on an NFL roster and is already familiar with the system. Bryant finished 2023 with career highs in defensive snaps (851) and tackles (65).

Cody Davis

It is hard to tell how much of a role core special teams players will have with the New England Patriots in the post-Belichick Era. Davis began 2023 on PUP, was moved to IR, but ended up appearing in 11 games. Davis tied a career-low with five tackles on the season. He has only played one defensive snap in four seasons with the Patriots, so the idea of a “special teams only” player (beyond Brenden Schooler) might be tested here. Chris Board has already gone elsewhere this offseason.

Riley Reiff

Expected to fight for the starting right tackle spot, Riley Reiff struggled in camp and was moved to right guard. He struggled just to get on the field, however, playing one game all season before returning to injured reserve. Retirement seems more likely than a return for Reiff at this point.

Also in today’s Patriots Daily…

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NFL Draft

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Patriots Football Now – New England Patriots seven round mock draft

The Dynasty

Patriots Football Now – Kelley: Why I couldn’t stand Apple TV’s “The Dynasty”

Patriots Football Now – McCourty, Harrison unimpressed with “The Dynasty”

AFC East News

CBS Sports – Mike Williams signs with Jets, explains why New York is a great fit

Pro Football Network – What would the Dolphins offense look like with Odell Beckham Jr.?

ESSPN– Bills add to secondary with ex-Chiefs safety

NFL News

NFL.com – Cardinals GM will listen to offers for No. 4 in the NFL Draft

Pro Football Network – Who will sign Jamal Adams in free agency?

Yardbarker – Dan Orlovsky on Caleb Williams Pro Day: “Underwhelming”

Patriots Football Now – NFL rule proposal: NFLPA disapproves of hip-drop tackle ban

Boston Bruins

Go to our sibling site Boston Hockey Now to check out the great Boston Bruins coverage from Jimmy Murphy and the BHN team. The NHL season is underway and plenty is happening in the Bruins 100 Anniversary season.

Boston Hockey Now – Bruins continue to solidify goalie depth, extend DiPiero

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Football Fun Fact of the Day

Steve McMichael is entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024. He is one of nine members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to be drafted by the Patriots, although Ron Mix (1960) was also drafted by the NFL’s Baltimore Colts that year and never played for the Patriots. The other seven: are Nick Buoniconti, John Hannah, Mike Haynes, Andre Tippett, Curtis Martin, Ty Law, and Richard Seymour.

Post of the Day

Today’s post is from Pro Football Network. Since New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas has announced he is switching his uniform number from 83 to 3, which he wore in college, a throwback highlight to Douglas playing for the Liberty Flames…