Well, it's not Tom Brady or Logan Mankins, but today, the New England Patriots made a solid move by signing inside linebacker Gary Guyton to a contract extension that will run through 2011.
Guyton, who was due just $470,000 as an exclusive rights free agent this year. By signing a two year pact, Guyton, who is receiving a $650,000 signing bonus as part of the deal, will avoid restricted free agency by signing the extension. As part of the deal, Guyton will receive $1 million in 2011.
Overall, this seems like a solid deal for both sides. While Guyton might not necessarily be the full-time starter now that Tyrone McKenzie and Brandon Spikes are in the mix, he is a solid special teams player and great on passing downs. He is also effective on delayed blitzes. Whether or not he starts, the cost of this deal is certainly reasonable.
For Guyton, it gives him some financial security with the potential of a lockout in 2011. He also gets a nice pay raise, that wasn't really required from the Patriots' point of view.