If the first part of NFL free agency beginning in March was a tidal wave for the Patriots, the second part is more of a stream. It's a steady, consistent flow of news instead of an onslaught and frenzy.

Over the last few weeks after the NFL Draft, the Patriots have brought in even more players, including a few familiar names. Now that we know their numbers, let's get to know the new guys off the field.

Tyler Gaffney makes his return to the Patriots after a stint that included two Super Bowl wins. Gaffney was drafted by the Panthers and signed with the Patriots in 2016 and was part of the Super Bowl XLIX and LI winning teams.

Since then, Gaffney has had an interesting ride. He was waived by the Jaguars before the start of the 2017 season. Because of his injuries, Gaffney announced his retirement in early 2018, but he wasn't done competing professionally.

Instead of football, Gaffney pursued a career in baseball. And it wasn't the first time he chased his diamond dreams either.

Gaffney played three years of baseball and football at Stanford before he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012. After a season, he returned to Stanford to finish out his collegiate football career. In 2018, he joined the Pirates farm system again, bouncing between High-A and Double-A baseball.  

After retiring from baseball in 2019, he fought his way back onto an NFL roster, signing with the 49ers in December 2020. It's been a long strange trip for Gaffney, but he's back where his football career hit its stride.

Gaffney isn't the only player hitting his second stint with the Patriots. Harvey Langi rejoins the team that drafted him in 2017 after spending three seasons with the Jets.

While his first time with the Patriots was short, there was one day in particular that changed his life. Langi and his wife, Cassidy, were rear-ended at a red light and seriously injured in October 2017. His football career could have been over before it truly had a chance to begin, but in an interview with NewYorkJets.com, Langi said it changed him fundamentally.

"Once I knew I was all right, that I could move my arms and move my feet, I said I'm going to overcome this, do everything to get back on the field. Now before every game, I take a deep breath and say, man, I can't believe I'm playing this game again," Langi said. "It's awesome and I'm super-blessed to be on this field again. I can't just sit back and let this opportunity slip away."

Adrian Colbert comes to the Patriots from the Giants, but he already has a relationship with at least one person in the Patriots locker room: Kyle Van Noy.

Colbert and Van Noy both joined XSet, a gaming company based in Boston. They both host livestreams and create content for the organization, and recently, Colbert used the platform to talk about his mental health. He encouraged fellow gamers to take care of themselves and confide in friends and professionals.

Aside from gaming, Colbert has plenty of hobbies outside of football. He golfs, fishes, spins, and loves and adventure. He even went shark diving off the coast of Florida this offseason.

Next up is LaRoy Reynolds, who comes to Foxborough from the Atlanta Falcons. While last season was his second stint with the Falcons, Reynolds was a part of a Super Bowl appearing team. Yes, he was a part of Super Bowl LI.

Before entering the league, Reynolds played college football at Virginia, and according to his bio, he was a multi-position player in high school. He played wide receiver, tailback, quarterback, safety and linebacker.

Outside of football, Reynolds is a proud "girl dad," and that reflects in the causes he champions. For My Cause, My Cleats, Reynolds chose an organization in Atlanta, Parents Prosper, which dismantles oppressive systems to support and help parents thrive.

Coming to the Patriots after spending part of two seasons with the Broncos and Dolphins is Wes Farnsworth. The long snapper came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019.

Farnsworth was born and raised in Nevada, and he is clearly proud to represent the Silver State. Not only did he choose to stay close to home in college, opting to attend the University of Nevada in spite of offers from Ohio State and Washington. He even got a tattoo of the state on his arm.

Alex Redmond joins the Patriots from the Bengals, but his roots are in California. He grew up in a Los Alamitos, and in high school he lettered in wrestling. He went on to go to UCLA, but declared for the NFL Draft after three years to financially support his daughter, who was six months old at the time.