The Patriots made move to retain some depth in their secondary – for the time being.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported first on Tuesday that New England had tendered restricted free-agent cornerback Myles Bryant a one-year contract worth $2.6 million with right of first refusal.
That means other teams can negotiate contracts with Bryant and sign him to an offer sheet if they choose to, but the Patriots could match the deal to keep him in town. Unlike second-round or original-round tenders, the team would not receive any draft compensation for Bryant if he left to another team.
If no team offers, Bryant will become an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
A former undrafted free agent out of Washington, Bryant has filled in all over the secondary during his three seasons in New England, playing heavily at slot corner as a reserve in 2021 and a starter in 2022 while also playing some snaps at free safety.
He additionally returned punts to start 2022 until Marcus Jones was ready to take over the job.
Bryant has struggled in coverage both due to his lack of size (5-9, 185) and exceptional speed. He has yet to post a coverage grade of 60 or better in three seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. As such, one would hope Marcus Jones or another corner is up to the task of manning the slot full-time in 2023.
But the fourth-year pro is a capable tackler and run defender in a reserve role, is a core special teams piece on coverage units and can help manage the void left behind on the back end with Devin McCourty heading into retirement.
Once again, the Patriots are moving to take care of their own – with the exception of Jakobi Meyers – first in free agency before getting into the external market so far this off-season.