Wolf, Patriots not waiting until the start of free agency to make moves

Heading into free agency, the Patriots had only one tight end signed, and I forgot that guy was still on the roster (La'Michael Pettway). This means they were in need of some serious help. That help has arrived, even before the legal tampering period kicks off.

Per league sources, the team has agreed to a three-year deal with Hunter Henry. The contract is worth $27 million and can max out at $30 million, with $16 in total guarantees. 

Re-upping Henry made sense for so many reasons, not the least of which is the strong likelihood the Pats will add a rookie quarterback to the mix. Henry immediately becomes a calming presence/security blanket, one that Mac Jones leaned on quite a bit during his successful first season with the club (50 rec/603 yds/9 TDs)

Henry's production has fallen off some from that first year in New England, but he, too, has suffered from system changes, poor offensive line, and quarterback play. Even this past season, despite missing the final three games with a lower leg injury, Henry still finished with 41 receptions and six touchdowns. He was also a team captain and, as I've written here numerous times, one of the first faces/voices we heard from postgame week after week as the year went down the toilet.

Henry turns 30 in December.

In other news, the Pats added a swing tackle, signing former Pittsburgh Steeler Chukwuma Okorafor. The deal is worth up to $8 million with playtime incentives.

Okorafor began last year as the Steelers' starting right tackle, but after criticizing the playcalling, he lost his gig after week 7. He did appear in another seven games but never again as a starter.

"I kind of said stuff I shouldn't have said," Okorafor admitted. "Being in Year 6, I can't act out how I was acting out."

Okorafor gives the Pats plenty of experience, having started 59 games at right tackle since being selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. That should give him a leg up on Calvin Anderson, who was inked a year ago to be a spot starter/swing tackle but then dealt with health issues that erased a large part of his season.