The New England Patriots’ busy day continues. After signing free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a reported five-year contract and exploring a trade of fellow corner Malcolm Butler for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cools, the team might make another move to solidify its defensive secondary.
According to Ian Rapoport, the Patriots are expected to bring back free safety Duron Harmon:
Source: The #Patriots are working on a deal to bring back versatile DB Duron Harmon. It’s expected to happen. More secondary action.
Harmon has been the Patriots’ number three safety since getting selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft. The 26-year old has mostly been used as a deep centerfielder, which in turn allowed New England to get creative with fellow safeties Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung. Displaying a knack for the big play, Harmon has played almost 50% of defensive snaps in 2016.
While details on how a potential contract would look like have not yet emerged, Harmon’s price tag was expected to be around $5.0 million to $6.0 million per year. Once the deal becomes official, the number will be made public - and show how big a piece of their secondary Harmon will be over the next few years.