The New England Patriots followed a familiar route through free agency this year: they entered it patiently and with an eye on value rather than star power. One player that perfectly falls into this category is defensive tackle Mike Pennel, who the Patriots signed to a two-year, $5.0 million contract on the second official day of free agency to fill the void created by the departure of former first-round draft pick Malcom Brown.
While Pennel does not have the same draft day pedigree as the 32nd overall pick of the 2015 draft, his impact on New England’s defense could very well exceed that of Brown: while the neo-New Orleans Saint had a solid four-year stint with the Patriots, he never quite lived up to the natural expectations of getting selected in the first round.