Patriots’ Desire To Retain Top Internal Free Agents ‘No Secret’

The Patriots have plenty of holes on their roster that will need to be filled over the coming months and could see even more start to crop up if they don’t start taking preventative measures.

That’s why New England appears to be keen on keeping some top internal free agents.

Mike Onwenu and Kyle Dugger, specifically, are scheduled to hit the open market this offseason. New England will be working with some new people in trying to retain the pair, however. Onwenu “terminated his prior relationship” with his representation, and it looks like he’ll be representing himself in negotiations. Dugger also has new representation, hiring a new agency following the conclusion of the season.

Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf, knowing how valuable those two have been to the franchise, made it clear he’d like to retain them no matter their representation in his media availability at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

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“Mike’s a core player for us,” Wolf said, per team-provided video. “It’s no secret that we want to try and keep Mike. It’ll just be a little bit of a wrinkle dealing with him. Mike’s really smart, he’s introspective, he’s thoughtful and he knows what he wants, which is always great when you’re dealing with a player. He’s certainly someone that we view as a cornerstone for us.

“… I would say that all options are on the table. We definitely want to keep Mike and Kyle, and we’re hopeful to continue to work with Kyle’s agent and Mike to make that happen.”

Onwenu’s return might be the most important of any internal free agent, as his and Trent Brown’s potential departures would open up both tackle spots. In retaining Onwenu, New England would prevent itself from having to find two bookends this offseason. Dugger is perhaps the most versatile member of a defense that prides itself on versatility and was a rare starter from the day he stepped foot in Foxboro, Mass.

It’s paramount that one, if not both, find their way back to the Patriots.

The Patriots likely won’t have to worry about money, either, as they could have up to nine figures worth of cap space when the new league year opens on March 13. They also have an advance on the negotiation period, as both players technically are still under contract. Wolf and company just have to lock it down.