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3 Underrated Patriots Who Have Earned Contract Extensions

As the New England Patriots navigate through the NFL offseason, these three underrated players are more than deserving of contract extensions.

By Devon Platana

DT Christian Barmore deserves a contract extension this offseason.
DT Christian Barmore deserves a contract extension this offseason. / Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
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New England Patriots fans are dying to see what the offseason has in store for the franchise. After all, this is the first offseason in forever without Bill Belichick at the helm. Jerod Mayo is the new head coach in town and with April's third-overall selection in their possession, the future looks bright for the Patriots.

There's been a lot of focus on the Pats' expiring contracts due to free agency beginning in March, but it's important to think about the future, too. Several New England players are looking for contract extensions this season. While some of those players are obvious names, others might be flying under the radar when it comes to Patriots supporters and non-fans alike.

Here are three underrated Patriots who deserve contract extensions this offseason.

1. DT Christian Barmore — 2024 Salary: $2,711,623

It isn't too surprising that a lot of NFL fans aren't familiar with Christian Barmore's name. Although the former Alabama defender has appeared in 44 games over the last three seasons, he's only made 11 starts and has only averaged 559 defensive snaps per year.

Nevertheless, Barmore proved in 2023 that he doesn't need to be an everyday starter to make an impact. The 24-year-old had a career year last season, setting new personal bests when it came to solo tackles (39), sacks (8.5), and defended passes (6) with a forced fumble across 17 games (6 starts).

If a fan isn't into analytics, they'd also miss the fact that Barmore was Pro Football Focus' No. 7-graded player against the pass rush (84.9) and No. 8 in terms of total defense (83.8) when it comes to eligible interior defenders.

Now that his third NFL season is in the books, Barmore is more than deserving of a contract extension. WithMassLive's Mark Daniels recently indicating that Barmore "is in line for a massive contract extension," it might not be much longer before an extension is signed.

It's in the Patriots' best interest to extend the Philadelphia, PA native before his asking price inevitably goes up once the football world begins to pay him more respect.

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