The New England Patriots have had a decent amount of turnover this offseason. A lot of their coaching staff, including defensive coordinator Brian Flores, left to join the Miami Dolphins. They also let some big name free agents like Trent Brown and Trey Flowers walk to other clubs.
The Patriots haven't made any major additions yet, but they're at least keeping one of their own. The Patriots officially picked up their 2019 option on Matthew Slater, according to Field Yates of ESPN. Slater was due a $400K roster bonus today, and the Patriots weren't going to let him go anywhere.
Slater, the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame member Jackie Slater, has been with the team since they drafted him in the fifth round back in 2008. Slater is technically a receiver, but functions only as a special teams ace. He hasn't actually caught a pass since the 2011 season.
Slater has always been somewhat of a utility player for the Patriots, willing to do whatever they need. He even played extensively on defense during the 2011 season and started three games at safety. The one thing he's always been, is one of the best special teams players in the league.
He's made the Pro Bowl seven times for special teams and has become a captain and one of the leaders in the locker room. He's been intensely loyal to the Patriots, and they've been loyal to him as well. The UCLA product will make a base salary of $1.6 million in 2019, the final year of his deal. The Patriots are more than happy to pay it.
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