Patriots, OT Marcus Cannon Agree to Five-Year Contract Extension
New England Patriots offensive lineman Marcus Cannon is being rewarded with a long-term contract
After Sebastian Vollmer went down with a hip injury in the preseason, Marcus Cannon stepped up and became a stud on the Patriots offensive line. Now, New England is thanking Cannon in a big way.
Cannon, who was a pending free agent following the 2016 season, has reportedly agreed to a five-year contract extension with the New England Patriots.
Selected in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of TCU, Cannon has started every game for New England this season for the first time in his career. Entering the season, the offensive lineman had only started 19 games in the NFL.
Per @FieldYates and me, Patriots and OT Marcus Cannon have agreed to a five-year contract extension.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) November 29, 2016
Pro Football Focus ranks Cannon the 17th best offensive tackle this season, and the fifth-best run-blocking offensive tackle in the league.
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New England has several major contributors heading towards free agency after this season. After securing Cannon and trading linebacker Jamie Collins to Cleveland, starters Logan Ryan, Dont’a Hightower, Jaabal Sheard, and Alan Branch will be available for any team to sign.
Other key contributors on offense such as Brandon Bolden and Martellus Bennett will need to be negotiated with.
The injured Vollmer will also become available this offseason, but the status of his hip injury is still unknown at this point.
Hightower is expected to be the team’s franchise tag recipient should a contract not be agreed upon. However, Bill Belichick does not favor signing players to massive contracts. This was evident with the sudden trade of Collins to the Browns at the deadline.