gresh & fauria: Who is Patriots LB Matthew Judon recruiting now?
The Patriots are retaining two of their in-season additions from last year.
According to the cornerback himself, Alex Austin will be returning to New England in 2024.
A seventh-round pick of the Bills last April, Austin signed with the Patriots in early November after he was released by the Houston Texans. The 6-foot-1 cornerback made his debut in New England over a month later and over the final five games of the season, tallied nine tackles and an interception.
As an exclusive rights free agent with less than three accrued NFL seasons, Austin returns to the Patriots on a one-year, league-minimum deal. He returns to a cornerback room of Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, Shaun Wade, Isaiah Bolden, and Marco Wilson.
New England is also picking up OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr.'s exclusive right free agent option, according to MassLive's Mark Daniels. Wheatley was acquired by the Patriots via trade last summer when they sent running back Pierre Strong to Cleveland in exchange for the tackle. He spent much of the 2023 season on injured reserve.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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