FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots and defensive tackle Alan Branch have agreed on a two-year contract extension, sources tell ESPN. This continues the team's positive momentum in the early parts of free agency.
Grade: A. Branch was the team's best defensive tackle in 2016 and had arguably the best season of his 10-year career, playing 60.1 percent of the defensive snaps, which was a credit to his stamina at 6-foot-6 and 350 pounds. While he is entering his 11th NFL season and just turned 32 in December, there is no reason to think he shouldn't be able to duplicate that performance over the next two years with the same work ethic, overall approach and good health.