Mike Onwenu re-signing with Patriots on three-year contract

BOSTON -- Mike Onwenu is staying in Foxboro.

The offensive lineman -- who's played at three spots along the line in his career -- is re-signing with the Patriots. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said it's a three-year deal worth up to $57 million, with $38 million guaranteed.

Onwenu fired his agent in February, opting to represent himself in free agency. 

The 26-year-old Onwenu was a sixth-round pick out of Michigan for the Patriots in 2020. He's played in 64 of a possible 67 games over the past four seasons, starting 56 of those games. He's spent significant time playing both guard positions as well as right tackle, and that versatility made him a highly sought-after free agent this year.

Monday, the start to the legal tampering period, saw several offensive linemen sign some big deals around the league. That included Kevin Dotson with the Rams ($32 million guaranteed), Jonah Jackson with the Rams ($34 million guaranteed), Tyler Biadasz with Washington ($30 million guaranteed) and Lloyd Cushenberry with the Titans ($30 million guaranteed).

The Patriots still need another tackle -- or two, if Onwenu shifts back inside to guard -- but re-signing Onwenu provides some much needed stability moving forward. Eliot Wolf, in his first year running New England's front office, said at the combine that the team was going to try its best to keep both Onwenu and safety Kyle Dugger. The team used the transition tag to keep Dugger and then paid a top-of-the-market deal to keep Onwenu.