The Patriots are getting a bounce begin on free company by signing ex-Steelers offensive sort out Chukwuma Okorafor, a supply informed the Herald.
Okorafor was launched by the Steelers late final month after he had signed a three-year, $29.25 million contract extension in 2022.
Okorafor, 26, began seven of 14 video games final season for the Steelers at proper sort out. The Nigerian-born offensive lineman began 59 of 77 video games at proper sort out since getting into the NFL in 2018 as a third-round select of Western Michigan.
He joins Calvin Anderson, Vederian Lowe, Conor McDermott, Andrew Stueber, and Tyrone Wheatley Jr. — who is predicted to re-sign as an exclusive-rights free agent, in response to a supply — at sort out on the Patriots’ 90-man roster. Mike Onwenu, Trent Brown and Riley Reiff are set to hit free company subsequent week.
Okorafor offers the Patriots flexibility in free company and the draft at sort out, since he’s seen by the workforce as a possible starter, in response to a supply. At the very least, he can elevate the Patriots’ flooring at swing sort out, the place Anderson, Lowe and McDermott had been thrust into motion final season.
He was benched halfway by final season for reportedly criticizing the Steelers’ offensive playcalling.
“I talked to Coach [Mike Tomlin] and he said it has nothing to do with my play on the field,” Okorafor mentioned in November. “It was something that happened last week towards the end of the game. I wasn’t sure what’s going to happen, but we’ll see what happens next week. Hopefully, I’ll be back out there. I have no idea yet. … I kind of said stuff I shouldn’t have said. Being in Year 6 I can’t act out how I was acting out.”
Tomlin mentioned on the time that the workforce wanted a spark, so he inserted rookie Broderick Jones.
Source: www.bostonherald.com