The Patriots have continued to bring back some of their own free agents, re-signing safety Brandon McGowan and linebacker Tracy White to undisclosed contracts. The team also released rookie free agent linebacker Anthony Leonard.
Personally, I'm a fan of both of these re-signings. Tracy White is a top special teams player. The Patriots acquired him from the Eagles before the start of the 2010 season, and he immediately stepped in as an impact special teams player. While a rookie like Jeff Tarpinian could potentially challenge White for his spot, I would expect White to make the roster as a special teams leader this season. I think most fans expected White to be back in the fold.
The re-signing of Brandon McGowan isn't surprising, but wasn't necessarily an expected move. McGowan had a very strong start in 2009, supplanting James Sanders as starting free safety and becoming a tackling machine. However, he sort of fell off the ledge late that year and missed the entire 2010 season due to injury. However, many young Patriots have cited McGowan as a leader for them, and I think he could be the fourth safety this season for the Patriots (or possibly competing with James Sanders for one roster spot). McGowan's re-signing could also signal the end of the Jarrad Page era in New England, although the Patriots do value his services.
Both McGowan and White will have to wait until August 4th to practice, under the new CBA rules.