Veteran Defender Happy About New Chapter In New England

The New England Patriots have made some moves to improve their roster. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick added veteran defender Chris Board to the roster and he is more than excited about his new role in New England.

Board took to his Twitter account to share his excitement with his fans.

According to Spotrac, Board is signing a two-year deal worth $5 million. About $2.6 million of these is guaranteed. The Patriots offered him a $995,000 signing bonus and $1.7 million in incentives.

Board has secured the next two years and his arrival in New England could make things easier for everyone. The Patriots received a versatile player and they didn’t even have to spend too much money.

The defender carries a modest cap hit of $2.1 million. New England has $12.3 million in cap space which is more than enough for them to get some quality players.

Board agreed to a deal with the Patriots on March 17, but the transaction became official on March 23.

The veteran defender will get the best of his time in New England

The 27-year-old played football all over the nation. He played high school football in Florida and then traveled to North Dakota State to play college football. Board joined the NFL in 2018 as an undrafted free agent. The Baltimore Ravens gave him a chance and Board spent four seasons on their roster. He was a regular on the field and the Ravens ended up giving him a big role on the defense.

Board did well and his defensive snap percentage improved over the years. In 2018, Board’s defensive snap percentage was 1%. It went all the way up and the veteran’s defensive snap percentage reached 22% in 2022.

The Ravens used Board on special teams, too. He played 72% of ST snaps during his time with the team.

Board didn’t play his best football in 2021 and ended up playing with the Detroit Lions. Detroit got a decent performance from him and Board was able to help them improve their record.

Will Board fit in New England? Head coach Belichick is an optimist.