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The New England Patriots are obviously not done adding players to their roster. On Friday, they hosted veteran free-agent NT Darius Kilgo.
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Darius Kilgo Has Been Around, But He’s a Scheme-Fit for the Patriots
The 6’3″ 320-pounder out of Maryland has been with the Patriots in the past, and according to cap expert Miguel Bezan, Kilgo may have been the only practice squad player in team history to have guaranteed money on his contract.
Nevertheless, he has bounced around a bit since entering the league in 2015. Kilgo began his career in 2015 with the Denver Broncos. That team won the Super Bowl behind a stellar defense, but Kilgo only appeared in nine games.
From there, he went to the Patriots the following year and New England won it all. He’s proven to be something of a Lombardi Trophy magnet though he hasn’t played major roles on the two Super Bowl-winning teams he’s played on during his career.
In 2017, Kilgo didn’t play in the NFL, but he returned in 2018 with the Tenessee Titans where he played in 11 games. Last season, Kilgo was picked up by former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who is now the head coach of the Detroit Lions. However, Kilgo spent the entire 2019 campaign on injured reserve.
He’s now apparently healthy and looking to catch on with one of his former teams where his run-stuffing capabilities can be best utilized.
Patriots’ Depth at NT
With the departure of Danny Shelton in free agency, there were questions about the team’s depth at NT. The Patriots signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneer and Philadelphia Eagles NT Beau Allen. While Allen could be an upgrade over Shelton overall, there is still some question about depth. This would be the case heading into a normal season. It’s even more of a factor in 2020.
Injuries are always a concern in the NFL, but there is now the extra-added possibility that COVID-19 could quickly sideline a player, there is even more reason to add depth at every spot.
Free-agent tight end Jordan Leggette was also into Foxborough for a free-agent visit. It doesn’t seem as though the Patriots would go through the trouble of having players come in if there wasn’t a high probability they would be signed. Based on that and the surplus of salary cap space the Patriots have, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kilgo and perhaps even Leggette officially signed before the end of the weekend.