Patriots sign 6 players to futures contracts, including wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson

With their 2021 season over, the New England Patriots have signed six players to reserve/futures contracts.

New England will retain wide receivers Kristian Wilkerson, Tre Nixon and Malcolm Perry, as well as running back Devine Ozigbo, offensive lineman William Sherman and place kicker Quinn Nordin. All but Perry ended the season on the team’s practice squad.

Wilkerson, 25, enters his third year with the Patriots. Despite spending the entire 2021 season on New England’s developmental roster, the second-year wide receiver did see some in-game action. Wilkerson was a standard elevation four times, playing a combined 67 offensive snaps over three games. He caught four passes for 42 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Nixon, 23, originally arrived in New England as a seventh-round draft choice last spring. Hand-picked by since-retired research director Ernie Adams, the UCF product did not appear in a game this season.

Perry, 24, was claimed by the Patriots off waivers in early September. The former Miami Dolphins seventh-round pick who played quarterback at Navy did not sed the field during his second year in the NFL. Perry spent time on New England’s injured reserve list and the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad. He touched the ball 12 times for 97 yards and a touchdown as a rookie in 2020.

Ozigbo, 25, is coming off his third NFL season — one he spent in New Orleans, Jacksonville and New England. The Nebraska product joined the Patriots’ practice squad in late November, and was a standard elevation in Week 15. However, he did not see the field despite making the game-day roster.

Sherman, 22, was drafted in the sixth round by the Patriots in May. The Colorado product appeared in one game during his rookie season: Sherman played six special teams snaps in Week 5 against the Houston Texans.

Nordin, 23, was the lone member of New England’s undrafted rookie class last spring. Losing out to veteran Nick Folk in the place kicker battle, the Michigan product was signed to the practice squad after his release. He spent the entire season there.

New England ended the 2021 season with 17 players on either its practice squad or practice squad injured reserve list. As of Monday, 12 of them remain unaccounted for heading into the offseason; it would not be surprising if some of them will officially be brought back at a later point.