The Patriots entered the offseason with a group of so-called "Big Three" free agents. It looks like two of those three will return.
The Boston Herald is reporting the team is expected to finalize a four-year contract with Sebastian Vollmer, meaning the right tackle and cornerbackAqib Talib will remain in New England while slot receiver Wes Welker was lost to Denver. The paper cites a source who believes the deal will be finalized today.
Vollmer's return means the starting offensive line from 2012 will be back, and it alleviates a potential void on the right side. Marcus Cannon will now remain the backup and veteran Will Svitek, a recent free agent addition, will also vie for a role as a swing tackle.
The only possibly downfall of the reported agreement would be Vollmer's health. He only missed one game in 2012 but back and knee injuries have caused problems for the 6-8, 320-pounder periodically during his four years in New England. He also underwent knee surgery earlier this offseason.
The Patriots obviously were willing to commit to Vollmer nonetheless. There were reports that the team expressed interest in free agent tackle Eric Winston but apparently a meeting with Vollmer's agent, Ben Dogra, at the recently completely league meetings was enough to get the ball rolling and lead to a deal.
