Report: Patriots Re-Sign Long Snapper Danny Aiken

The New England Patriots have re-signed their first of thirteen total free agents, coming to a contract agreement with restricted free agent long snapper Danny Aiken, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston. As a restricted free agent, it was unlikely that the Patriots would have tendered him at even the lowest level ($1.43 million). The team's most likely course of action would have been to non-tender him and allow him to become a restricted free agent. By re-signing him now, Aiken likely gains a pay raise over last year, and the team avoids having to search for a new long snapper. Aiken has snapped in every game for the team since 2011. With the move, the Patriots are now set to bring back all three specialists from 2013 (Aiken, punter Ryan Allen, kicker Stephen Gostkowski). Terms of the deal are not yet known although Reiss reported that the deal is for one year.