Will Vince Wilfork restructure his contract again?

A group that was pushed around at the beginning of the season stepped up late, following Vince Wilfork's lead the whole way.

The midseason addition of Alan Branch helped against the run, as did the return of Sealver Siliga, who missed Weeks 4-12 while on short-term IR with a foot injury.

The Patriots' pass rush took a hit when Chandler Jones suffered a hip injury in Week 7, but Akeem Ayers filled in nicely and made timely plays in Jones' absence.

A full breakdown of the Patriots defensive line going forward:

VINCE WILFORK: The big fella re-structured his contract a year ago when he was coming off a torn Achilles. Wilfork rebounded with a strong 2014, playing 73.6 percent of the Patriots' defensive snaps.

But Wilfork, 33, may be asked to restructure again. He carries a cap hit of $8.4 million next season, according to The Boston Herald. Wilfork is due to collect a $4 million roster bonus on March 10, the first day of the new league year, so there exists the small possibility that the Patriots cut ties with him before then.

It seems more than likely that the two sides will try to reach a new deal that lowers Wilfork's cap hit. He is the unquestioned leader of New England's defense.


(masslive.com)