Through the first few days of the free agency period, the New England Patriots have been on a short end of the stick with a few of their own free agents. It has seen a few notable names decides to sign elsewhere on the open market.

The Patriots have begun to make a concerted effort to keep a few of their key players in the mix for the next few seasons. According to Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network, veteran safety Patrick Chung has reportedly agreed to a new extension with New England.

Prior to this development, the 30-year-old was scheduled to be under contract for the 2018 season for $3.8 million and could have hit the free agent market next offseason. However, the team has likely tacked on a couple more years on his deal to keep him aboard.

Chung has been a mainstay in the Patriots' secondary throughout his career spending eight of his first nine seasons with the team. He has provided consistent production while tallying more than 80 tackles in each of the last four seasons since returning to New England after a one-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The front office has made it clear that they want to keep their “Big Three” safety trio of Chung, Devin McCourty, and Duron Harmon together for the next few seasons. Chung has proven to be a valuable asset with his ability to defend effectively in coverage while also being a factor against the run.

This move comes shortly after the Patriots had added former Atlanta Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn to help provide more a presence in pass rush situations. The front office will likely look to add a few more pieces to the puzzle on defense in free agency with there still being several impact players still available. Prior to this deal with Chung, the team had just over $18.3 million in salary cap space at their disposal this offseason.