In another no brainer, the New England Patriots will be extending a tender offer to exclusive rights free agent cornerback Justin Coleman, according to the Boston Herald's Jeff Howe.
The Patriots will tender cornerback Justin Coleman, per source. Easy call. He's an exclusive rights free agent.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) March 7, 2016
Coleman showed promise as a slot corner during his rookie season, but a broken wrist really prevented him from becoming entrenched in the defense. Coleman will join Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan as the favorites to start at cornerback in 2016.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is a fan of Coleman's promise and even mentioned how the defensive back was worth the roster spot when he was unable to play.
"When he's played he's done a good job," Belichick said before the AFC Championship game. "There were a couple of points in the season where it was a little bit of a strain to carry him to be honest with you, but in the end, we felt like this was a guy that we needed and we liked the way he played when he played."
Coleman will be a welcome face in the offseason with a full year under his belt.