Reports: Patriots pick up WR Britt's option, to decline DT Branch's
Veteran wide receiver Kenny Britt will be more than a rental for the New England Patriots.
The 29-year-old was informed by the Patriots that his option for 2018 has been picked up, according to a report from NFL Network. Britt will carry a cap hit of approximately $1.5 million next season, with the chance to earn up to $2 million in incentives.
Britt finished last season with the Patriots after being released by the Cleveland Browns in early December. He caught two passes for 23 yards in three games played with New England after totaling 18 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns in nine games with Cleveland.
Britt was in the first season of a four-year, $32.5 million contract with the Browns before his release.
With the Patriots next year, Britt is expected to have a bigger role in the offense, according to the report. Danny Amendola is expected to become a free agent while Julian Edelman will be returning from an ACL injury and tight end Rob Gronkowski's playing future is still up in the air.
Britt had a 1,000-yard season as recently as 2016 with the Los Angeles Rams. For his career, he has 329 catches for 5,137 yards and 32 touchdowns across nine seasons.
Meanwhile, the Patriots are not expected to pick up defensive tackle Alan Branch's option for 2018, according to a NESN report, making him a free agent on March 14.
Branch was set to count more than $4.5 million against the cap in 2018, which will instead drop to a $1 million charge in dead money.
The 33-year-old has spent the last four seasons with the Patriots, but he lost his starting role during the 2017 season and was a healthy scratch for all three of the team's playoff games. In 12 NFL seasons, Branch has 10.5 sacks, 15 passes defensed and 279 tackles across 146 games (85 starts).
He said last month that he doesn't plan to retire this offseason.
"I love playing football," Branch said on WEEI radio. "As long as they keep paying me money, I'm going to try to do it."
--Field Level Media
