Special teams captain Matthew Slater has agreed to a two-year contract extension with the New England Patriots, according to an ESPN report.

Slater is coming off one of his best seasons in 2019, when he was selected to his eighth Pro Bowl. According to the report, the deal is similar the last one he signed in 2018, which averaged $2.6 million.

The extension takes the 34-year-old Slater through the 2021 season. He has played his entire career with the Patriots since being selected in the fifth round of the 2008 Draft out of UCLA.

It’s the first free agent domino to drop for the Patriots. With the doors to free agency scheduled to open on Wednesday, the Patriots will try to lock up as many of their own players as possible.

All eyes, of course, will be on what happens with Tom Brady, but there are other notable Patriots free agents including Devin McCourty, Kyle Van Noy, Joe Thuney, Jamie Collins Elandon Roberts and Nate Ebner.

BRONCOS: Denver placed the franchise tag on safety Justin Simmons and also picked up the 2020 contract options on star pass rusher Von Miller, linebacker Todd Davis and kicker Brandon McManus.

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The tag on Simmons is worth $11.545 million, although chances are good the fifth-year safety will sign a long-term deal averaging more than $14 million a season before the July 15 deadline.

LIONS: Detroit has re-signed long snapper Don Muhlbach, who became the first player in franchise history to appear in all 160 games in a decade by playing in 16 games each season from 2010-19.

Muhlbach, entering his 17th NFL season, is second on Detroit’s career list with 244 games played. He originally entered the NFL in 2004 as an undrafted free agent with the Baltimore Ravens, but he’s never appeared in a game for anyone but the Lions.

BEARS: Chicago re-signed veteran inside linebacker Danny Trevathan to a three-year contract extension through the 2022 season.

Trevathan has 327 tackles in four seasons with Bears and 602 overall in eight years with Chicago and Denver. He played on a Super Bowl champion with the Broncos.

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