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The New England Patriots have been hard at work extending some of their expiring contracts over the last couple of days.
On Wednesday, the team announced they had agreed to sign veteran wide receiver DeVante Parker to a new three-year deal, and on Thursday, they locked up highly-touted linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley for two years,
Some have been worried that the two extensions would impact the Patriots’ chances of signing five-time All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins, but even after doing right by their own, the team is reportedly still very much in the hunt to land Hopkins.
If anything, the recent moves might help their chances of making such a signing even easier.
“Per source, the Bentley and Parker deals will clear more money on the Patriots 2023 salary cap. The moves could help them in the pursuit of another veteran such as DeAndre Hopkins or another deal this summer,” MassLive’s Mark Daniels posted on Twitter.
Per source, the Bentley and Parker deals will clear more money on the Patriots 2023 salary cap. The moves could help them in the pursuit of another veteran such as DeAndre Hopkins or another deal this summer.
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) June 29, 2023
This means the Patriots should be in a much better spot to go after an elite playmaker like Hopkins and/or running back Dalvin Cook. The timing is also interesting with both Hopkins and Cook expected to make their decisions around the start of training camp.
While it doesn’t guarantee anything, the Patriots could be positioning themselves for a big move this summer.
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