NFL Free Agency: Mack Wilson signs one-year contract with New England Patriots

NFL free agency is well underway as the 2023 league calendar kicks off. Linebacker Mack Wilson is just the latest to receive a contract, signing back with the New England Patriots, according to Tom Pelissero. A fourth-year player coming out of Alabama, Wilson will be playing on a one-year deal worth up to $2.2 million.

Wilson was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns, being a fifth-round pick. He was then traded to the New England Patriots prior to the 2022 season. An impact has been made with both AFC teams and made himself desirable on the open market.

In 60 career games played, Wilson has started in 31. He has recorded 199 tackles and recorded 2.5 sacks. The linebacker even does well out in coverage, having 10 passes defended and an interception. Not too bad for somebody in Wilson’s role.

Wilson spent his college days at Alabama, being one of the many linebackers to get drafted out of Tuscaloosa. He was a five-star prospect coming out of high school as well, always being thought highly of as a player. A second contract for Wilson is well deserved.

More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2023 calendar year is set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on March 15 when contracts running through 2022 will officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7. Beginning March 13 through March 15 teams will be allowed a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 21 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets while April 26 marks the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets. 722 players are slated to become free agents in 2023.

More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents

Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.