The New England Patriots were busy on the first day of the 2026 NFL league year. While most of the attention naturally fell on their unrestricted free agent signings and departures, the team also made some more under-the-radar decisions regarding their restricted and exclusive rights free agents.
One of the players not tendered, cornerback Alex Austin, subsequently signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins. Meanwhile, linebacker Jack Gibbens, defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy and running back Deneric Prince are all on the open market now after going untendered.
Let’s try to make some sense of it all.
LB Jack Gibbens: Not tendered
Linebacker depth in the spotlight: Gibbens finished the 2025 season with 10 combined starts among his 21 games played and was on the field for just under half of New England’s defensive snaps, ranking 11th on that side of the ball overall. He also registered the fourth-most tackles on the roster as the third option at his position and primary backup to starter Robert Spillane.
With him not getting tendered, however, the Patriots leave themselves vulnerable to more change at a position that currently looks like this:
Linebacker (7): Robert Spillane (14), Christian Elliss (53), K.J. Britt (—), Marte Mapu (15), Chad Muma (49), Otis Reese (54), Amari Gainer (99)
The Patriots are in a solid shape in terms of numbers, but they lack established defenders behind Spillane and Christian Elliss. Gibbens and Jahlani Tavai, whose release was made official on Wednesday, provided that in 2025.
Special teams considerations: A core four player regularly appearing on all of the return and coverage units, Gibbens held a prominent role in the kicking game for much of the 2025 season and finished third on the Patriots roster with 357 snaps in the game’s third phase. He also was tied for fifth with 10 tackles.
Needless to say that a departure would be felt in that part of the game, even though recently-signed K.J. Britt would project as a replacement: Britt was a core special teamer during his time with the Dolphins.
Return not off the table: The Patriots declining to extend a qualifying tender offer to Gibbens, which would have cost of at least $3.52 million, was not entirely unexpected. Neither would be him eventually ending back in New England. While he is now on the open market and able to weigh his options, the Patriots might still see value in him under a more financially flexible setting.
CB Alex Austin: Signed by Dolphins
Writing on the wall: The Patriots already decided to not tender Austin as a restricted free agent earlier this month, which in turn set him up to enter the market on Wednesday. The decision paired with his up-and-down performance and decline in role during the 2025 season already pointed at a return being unlikely. Him leaving New England after three seasons was therefore not an entirely unexpected outcome.
Cornerback depth a need: Even though Austin did not play a single defensive snap from Week 5 on and finished last season as the fifth cornerback in the pecking order behind Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Marcus Marcus Jones and Charles Woods, he still provided experienced emergency depth at the position. With that now gone, the group’s overall lack of depth is worrisome.
No compensatory impact: While Austin has left the Patriots as a free agent, he will have no impact on the team’s compensatory draft picks formula. Restricted free agents whose tenders were not picked up by their respective teams do not qualify. As it stands, New England is therefore still projected to finish without any extra picks for a fourth year in a row.
Other tender decisions
Before entering Wednesday, the Patriots had already opted not to tender offensive tackle Yasir Durant and defensive tackle Isaiah Iton as well as the aforementioned Alex Austin. Meanwhile, quarterback Tommy DeVito (RFA) signed a two-year, $4.4 million extension and fullback Jack Westover (ERFA) was extended a tender offer. Besides those and Jack Gibbens, they also declined two other tenders.
RB Deneric Prince (ERFA): The least surprising of all decisions, probably. Prince, after all, was not even listed on the Patriots’ online roster entering the week, which all but suggested he would be headed out the door. There also is the fact that he was waived with an injury designation last summer before he even was able to appear in one practice for the team.
DT Jaquelin Roy (RFA): Roy had some promising moments for the Patriots in 2024, but ended that season and the next on injured reserve. As with Gibbens, there is a chance he is ultimately retained on a lower-cost deal to provide depth in the aftermath of Khyiris Tonga’s free agency departure. However, with currently seven interior defensive linemen under contract, New England can afford to be patient filling out its roster at the spot.