Christian Barmore

The standout defensive tackle is entering the final season of his four-year rookie deal, becoming extension-eligible this offseason.

Because of that, Barmore really couldn’t have picked a better time to play the best football of his career. He recorded 37 total tackles and 5.5 sacks in the final seven games of the 2023 season, adding 23 pressures and 22 run stops over that stretch, per Pro Football Focus.

As Barmore’s production has increased with his snap count, he’ll likely want a contract that reflects that. The Boston Herald‘s Andrew Callahan recently projected that a three-year, $41.5 million deal with $23 million guaranteed would make sense for Barmore, using the framework of the deal Davon Hamilton received from the Jaguars this offseason (3/$34.5 million) as the two players have a similar background.

However, it isn’t unreasonable to think Barmore could want a bit more money than that. Christian Wilkins received a $110 million deal from the Raiders this offseason while Justin Madubuike re-signed with the Ravens on a four-year, $98 million deal following a breakout season in 2023. Barmore hasn’t been as productive as those two, but it’s feasible to think he could continue to progress in a contract year and command a similar contract.

Jerod Mayo told reporters that the team has had extension discussions with Barmore at the NFL’s league meetings in late March. He didn’t share how far along they were in those talks.

Matthew Judon

The star edge rusher still has one more season left on the four-year deal he signed to join the Patriots in 2021. But if last year is any indication, Judon’s contract might need to be reworked before then.

Judon didn’t participate in drills during training camp last season until the Patriots bumped his pay for the 2023 season, increasing his guaranteed money from $2 million to $14 million for the year. By doing that, Judon’s base salary for the 2024 season shrunk to $6.5 million.

That’s a relatively modest number for an edge rusher who’s been a Pro Bowler in each of his last four healthy seasons. But it’s also a pretty tricky situation. Judon turns 32 in August and is coming off a bicep tear that sidelined him for the final 13 games of last season.

The Patriots’ decision to retain the vast majority of their top free agents this offseason would seem to indicate that they want to build some continuity. Re-signing Judon or restructuring his contract would obviously fit that mold.

That seems to be something Judon is interested in, too.

“I think with the contract stuff, if it happens it happens,” Judon told WEEI’s Mike Kadlick earlier in April. “If we can get a new contract worked out to where I try to end my career in Boston, that’d be great.”

Rhamondre Stevenson

As players from the 2021 NFL Draft class become extension-eligible this offseason, Stevenson is the only other reasonable extension candidate from the group after Barmore.

Stevenson was arguably the Patriots’ best player in 2022, rushing for 1,040 yards on five yards per carry with 421 receiving yards and six total touchdowns. But last year was a bit shaky for him, finishing the year with 619 yards on four yards per carry and 238 receiving yards as his season ended after 12 games due to an ankle injury.

In this day and age, running backs have had a hard time getting extended. There haven’t been any reports of the Patriots negotiating an extension with Stevenson, either.

That doesn’t mean it can’t happen, though. The Patriots extended James White as he entered the final year of his rookie deal in 2017.

However, it sounds like Stevenson wants to build his value as much as possible in 2024.

“I want to be the featured back for the Patriots,” Stevenson bluntly told The Boston Globe‘s Nicole Yang in February.

The Patriots signed Antonio Gibson to a three-year deal this offseason.

David Andrews

The longtime Patriots center is entering the final year of his contract. There were some questions though that Andrews could retire this offseason, leaving the door open that he could walk away.

Andrews hasn’t announced anything. But the 31-year-old only has a $4.5 million base salary for next season.

Jabrill Peppers

The safety had a strong year after signing a two-year deal to remain in New England last offseason, recording 78 total tackles, two interceptions, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

Even though Peppers is eighth season, he’s still a candidate to receive a multi-year deal if he continues to play at the level he did in 2023 as he’s only 28. But Dugger’s extension might have thrown a wrench in his long-term future in New England as 2023 third-round pick Marte Mapu is also in the equation at safety.

Other looming contract situations

Defensive standouts and leaders Jonathan Jones and Davon Godchaux are also entering the final year of their respective deals.

Jones, 30, has spent his entire career in New England and has shifted to playing more boundary cornerback over the last two seasons. He’s put up some fine numbers in that role, recording four interceptions in 2022. That helped him earn a two-year deal last offseason As the Patriots don’t have too much depth at corner, Jones could be in-line to get another deal from the Patriots.

Godchaux, meanwhile, has earned two sizable deals with the Patriots, first when he joined the team in 2021 and again when he received a two-year extension in 2022. Belichick said at the time of Godchaux’s extension that he’s “one of the best defensive linemen in the league.” That isn’t the case, but he’s played the majority of the Patriots’ defensive snaps since he joined the team, recording at least 55 combined tackles each year.