Henry happy to be part of ‘new start’
Tight end decided to not hit the open market
FOXBORO >> Days before free agency opened last month, the Patriots scratched a major item off their offseason todo list.
Re-sign Hunter Henry. The veteran tight end inked a three-year, $27 million deal before he was scheduled to hit the open market as the best player available at his position. Henry expounded on the decision Tuesday during a press conference at Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots opened their voluntary offseason program this week.
“I’m excited for this new start, and to be a part of that is exciting. I have a lot of pride in this organization, too,” Henry said. “They brought me here three years ago now, and I’m just excited. I think it’s going to be cool to be part of the new era here with (head coach) Jerod (Mayo). Like I said, I always admired him as a coach, as a person, and honestly as a player, too. So I’m excited to hopefully be a part of that change.”
Henry was named a captain for the first time last season, one of the worst statistical years of his career. Despite his struggles, he was expected to have multiple suitors in free agency once the Texans re-signed their own free-agent tight end, Dalton Schultz. Henry, 29, will instead continue with the Patriots, who originally signed him as a free agent in 2021.
“It’s fun to be here. I’m excited,” he said. “I love this locker room, love this area, love this fan base, love this organization. And I’ll just keep reiterating I wanted to be a part of this. I didn’t like how last year went — how the last two years have been — and I wanted to be a part of that change.”
Henry described the team’s ongoing offseason as a time for players to look in the mirror and identify areas for improvement. The first two weeks of NFL offseason programs are limited to strength and conditioning work and meetings with coaches. Henry will be working under his fourth offensive coordinator in four years this season, with the arrival of new playcaller Alex Van Pelt.
He will also catch passes from a new quarterback, be it veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett or a rookie draft pick. Henry and Brissett both had significant workout bonuses built into their contracts to incentivize them to participate in the offseason program, a time when Mayo and his assistants are aiming to install a new culture in New England.
“Obviously, we are all excited to be in the building and get to work. But we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Henry said. “I know we’re all focused on that. It’s a time to try to grow, time to reevaluate and kind of reestablish ourselves.”
Slater back in new role
You wouldn’t know Patriots special-teams legend Matthew Slater had retired based on attendance at the team’s offseason workout program, which began this week.
Slater was photographed walking into the facility next to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on Monday.
So, what’s his role?
“It said advisor,” Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers said Monday. “I’m not really sure what that means. …
“I didn’t think he was done anyway. I think this is his way to stay engaged but take the load off his body and get some more time with the family but also still be a part of the organization.”
Slater retired as a threetime Super Bowl champion, eight-time All-Pro and 10time Pro Bowl selection.
Peppers happy with Dugger’s return
Peppers enjoyed a career year playing alongside Kyle Dugger.
Together, they formed arguably the most physical safety duo in the league and backboned one of the NFL’s best defenses. So naturally, as Dugger’s free agency threatened to pull them apart this offseason, Peppers hoped his teammate would return.
Then finally, over the weekend, Dugger re-signed on a four-year, $58 million deal, giving both halves of the Patriots’ starting safety tandem exactly what they wanted.
“Much deserved. I said all last year, I think he’s one of the better safeties — if not the best safety — in the league,” Peppers told reporters Tuesday. “Anything you ask him to do, you know he does at a high level. So I definitely think it’s much appreciated. I’m happy he’s back, and hopefully we can put together another good year together.”
Despite being drafted three years apart, both players are both entering their age-28 seasons. Peppers posted 78 tackles, a career-high two interceptions, a forced fumble and one sack last year. While Dugger’s turnover production took a hit compared to his 2022 stats, the newly resigned veteran posted a career best 109 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Gonzalez now No. 0
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez will be the first Patriots player to wear No. 0 since the number was reinstituted by the NFL prior to last season.
Gonzalez will switch from No. 6 to 0, the team announced on social media Tuesday afternoon.
Here are the rest of the new numbers, as announced in Tuesday’s video.
K.J. Osborn: 2, Demario Douglas: 3, Jacoby Brissett: 14, Sione Takitaki: 16, Antonio Gibson: 21, Jaylinn Hawkins: 32, Nick Leverett: 51, Michael Jordan: 74, Chukwuma Okorafor: 77, Austin Hooper: 81, Kawaan Baker: 86 and Armon Watts: 94.
Gonzalez and Douglas are the only number switches announced. The rest of the players listed above are newcomers to the Patriots.
Gonzalez wore No. 0 in college at Oregon. He wore No. 19 last summer during the preseason before switching to No. 6 during the regular season.
The 2023 first-round pick showed star potential before suffering a season-ending torn labrum in Week 4. Internally, the team is high on Gonzalez for Year 2.
Extra points
Cornerback Logan Ryan, who won two Super Bowls with the Patriots, announced his retirement on Tuesday. Ryan was a third-round pick out of Rutgers in 2013 and patrolled the secondary for years next to college teammates Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon … Peppers praised new head coach Jerod Mayo and said he was glad the team didn’t lose him this offseason. He also saved praise for former head coach Bill Belichick. “I’m thankful for Bill. That’s a guy I have a lot of admiration and respect for. … I’ll always be forever indebted to Bill. But at the end of the day, it’s a business,” he said.
Peppers said he doesn’t believe Belichick is done coaching … The veteran safety also spoke openly about the NFL’s new rule banning swivel hip-drop tackles. “I don’t like it. I don’t know how you officiate it. It’s a 15yard penalty, is it a personal foul? So if someone does it twice, do they get eliminated from the game? I just have a lot of questions about it like what are they looking for? What draws the flag? Because it’s just going to be how it is when we hit a guy really hard and the optics of it rather than some sort of protocol that they have for when the throw the flag. We don’t know. I’m sure we’ll figure it out in preseason.”