The New England Patriots have had an underwhelming start to NFL free agency, but Saturday's move suggests there's more to come.
Defensive lineman Henry Anderson has agreed to a reworked contract with the Patriots in 2022 that shaves $1.25 million off his base salary and saves the team the same amount in cap space for the 2022 season, ESPN's Field Yates reports.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Anderson, who came over from the New York Jets last offseason on a two-year, $7 million deal, played just 35 defensive snaps over four games for the Patriots in 2021 before going on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle after Week 4.
According to Patriots salary cap expert Miguel Benzan, New England now has about $12.4 million in cap space after saving $1.25 million on Anderson's deal, although that number doesn't factor in the Patriots adding running back/wide receiver Ty Montgomery on a two-year deal worth up to $4 million and agreeing to terms with linebacker Ju'Whaun Bentley on a two-year pact with a maximum value of $9 million.
Curran: Can the Patriots keep up in NFL's skill-position arms race?
What they do with that cap space remains to be seen. New England could spend part of that money on a field-stretching wide receiver like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but the team also has needs at offensive tackle, linebacker and cornerback.
New England Patriots
Anderson's reworked deal is a reminder that the Patriots have the flexibility to create extra cap space without releasing more players. But restless fans would probably like to see New England spend that money sooner than later to upgrade its roster.