Pats look to ’19 with UConn’s Melifonwu
Defensive back could figure into plans as Rowe, McCourty enter free agency
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Patriots signed former Raiders 2017 second-round pick Obi Melifonwu this week to bolster their secondary and special teams units for the rest of the season.
But the signing was also about next year, too. The Patriots signed Melifonwu to a two-year deal with $100,000 guaranteed for next season, according to NFL Players Association records.
Melifonwu, a 6-foot-4 defensive back with elite athleticism, will be with the Patriots during next offseason and training camp, with a chance to make the team. With cornerbacks Eric Rowe and Jason McCourty set to be free agents, Melifonwu could potentially give the Patriots another big, athletic cornerback to pair with Stephon Gilmore. Melifonwu could also be used at strong safety to cover tight ends.
A London native who grew up in Grafton, Mass., and starred at UConn, Melifonwu was a highly rated prospect in the 2017 draft after putting together an impres- sive workout at the NFLcombine. But a hip injury limited him to just five games and seven tackles as a rookie, and this season he never suited up for the Raiders, leading to his release last month.
Melifonwu signed with the Patriots on Tuesday, and the Patriots sweetened the contract to ensure they got him. While Melifonwu will make minimum base salaries for the rest of 2018 (a
prorated $550,000) and 2019 ($645,000), the Patriots guaranteed him $100,000 of his 2019 salary, and added a $25,000 offseason workout bonus, $30,000 bonus for making the team in Week 1, and $125,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($7,812.50 for each game active).
Melifonwu can make up to $825,000 next year, and his salary cap number is $795,000.
Melifonwu would have been an exclusive rights free agent after the 2018 season, meaning whichever team signed him would hold his rights for next year at a minimum salary. The fact that the Patriots added a few sweeteners to his deal shows that they value Melifonwu and had competition from other teams to sign him. But with only $100,000 guaranteed, he certainly has to earn a roster spot next training camp.
Belichick speak: Patriots coach Bill Belichick had a lot to say during his team's 31-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night.
The latest episode of Showtime's “Inside of the NFL” captured some of Belichick's candid moments on the sidelines, including his congratulatory messages to running back James White after he rushed 8 yards for New England's first touchdown of the game — “That's the way to get it in, bud, that's the way to get it in” — and to quarterback Tom Brady after the Patriots took the lead in the fourth quarter —“Good job, Tommy.”
WhenBrady connected with wide receiver Josh Gordon for a 55-yard touchdown to give the Patriots a two-possession lead midway through the fourth, his pass looked like it could have been intended for either Gordon or wide receiver Julian Edelman. So, Belichick asked him point blank: “Who were you throwing that to?” Brady said, “Josh,” and Belichick sought Gordon out to shake his hand and tell him, “Nice job.”
“Did you need something down there, coach?” the referee asked.
“I was maybe going to call a timeout,” Belichick said.
As the referee started to explain why his positioning may have been problematic, Belichick cut him off.
“No, I get this every week,” he said. “If you need a timeout, come on down and call it. So I came down here, I didn't take it, and I moved back. I mean, come on, fellas.”
“I would have told you if I needed it, but I wanted to see what the formation was, and it was a [expletive] key play in the game,” Belichick continued. “All right? I'm not going to [expletive] get down there and get in the way.”
Other highlights from the episode included Belichick's energized pump-up speech about the importance of pass rush; his pre-game interactions with Red Sox manager Alex Cora and with 102-year-old World War II veteran Norman Taché, who served as New England's honorary captain for the night; and his short exchange with quarterback Aaron Rodgers after the game.
“Great job,” Belichick said. “Good luck the rest of the way, man.”
Burkhead practices: Running back Rex Burkhead, who suffered a neck injury in Week 3 at Detroit and was placed on injured reserve, was back at Patriots practice on Thursday. The earliest he could return is Dec. 2, a home game against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Pats have now used its two injured reserve return spots on Burkhead and rookie cornerback Duke Dawson. Everyone else on IR from here on out is done for the season, including cornerback Eric Rowe and rookie linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley.