Familiarity still plays an important part in bridging the eras of dominance and rebuilding. Robert Kraft and Jerod Mayo both want the New England Patriots to be back in title contention. While it may take a while for a winning record or a postseason berth, the best they can do is bring in veterans to help the young guns stay competitive. One of which is Michael Onwenu who was set to hit NFL Free Agency but that does not look like the case at all.
The Patriots are re-signing Michael Onwenu to a three-year deal, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. This contract amounts to a hefty $57 million with $38 million being guaranteed. It was clear that Robert Kraft and Jerod Mayo wanted him to stay and have put him as a priority signing in this year's NFL Free Agency. His insanely large $22.5 million signing bonus all but proves it.
Onwenu knows the Patriots system very well. He has been under Coach Bill Belichick since he entered the league back in 2020. His biggest assets are clearly his versatility and durability. Throughout his four-year stint with the Patriots, he has but started eight games. In that same span of time, Onwenu has also played the roles of right tackle, left tackle, and offensive lineman. Clearly, he knows how to block in crucial moments and give his quarterback time without the pocket collapsing.
Onwenu's minimal errors with the Patriots
The best a lineman can do is minimize the amount of mistakes that they commit such that they do not give up an unforced down. Onwenu is known as one of the more efficient people in the league at this. Throughout his four-year stay, he has only ever accrued 10 total penalties. Five of them are false starts with three of them coming from last season, which is arguably one of their worst. The other four are holding calls which has slowly been fixed. He has only committed one in the past two seasons.
Onwenu will be Mayo's extension as he brings wisdom to other young guys entering the league. Will he be able to live up to his contract?
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