The New England Patriots reportedly have their eye on Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Patrick Robinson as the start of NFL free agency nears.
A source told Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal on Tuesday night that the Patriots “have shown interest” in Robinson, who had one of the best seasons of his career in 2017 at age 30.
Manning the slot for the Super Bowl LII champions, Robinson tallied 47 tackles, four interceptions and 18 pass breakups during the regular season and had a 50-yard pick-six during the NFC Championship Game.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday morning the Eagles were nearing an agreement with Robinson on a new contract that was expected to be completed before the NFL’s legal tampering window opened. But as of Tuesday night, no such deal had been reported.
Robinson, who will turn 31 in September, is entering his ninth NFL season. He played five with the New Orleans Saints, one with the San Diego Chargers and one with the Indianapolis Colts before signing a one-year contract with Philadelphia last offseason.
With Malcolm Butler reportedly agreeing to a five-year, $61 million deal with the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday, the Patriots have a need at cornerback, as their lack a clear-cut second starter to pair with Stephon Gilmore. Eric Rowe, Jonathan Jones, Cyrus Jones, Ryan Lewis and Jomal Wiltz round out their current depth chart at corner.
Several other cornerbacks around the league reportedly have agreed to contracts with new teams this week, including Trumaine Johnson (New York Jets), Bashaud Breeland (Carolina Panthers) and Aaron Colvin (Houston Texans).
