Reports: Nick Caserio, Patriots Agree to Contract Extension

The Patriots lock up director of player personnel Nick Caserio months before he was set to be a free agent.

The New England Patriots and director of player personnel Nick Caserio have agreed to a multi-year contract extension, according to The MMQB's Albert Breer and Ben Volin of The Boston Globe.

Source: Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio has agreed to stay with the team, sides are working out a multi-year contract now.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 12, 2020

Caserio's contract with the Patriots was set to expire after the 2020 NFL Draft, which is why it was vital for New England to lock him up prior to then. 

When the offseason began for the Patriots, there was talk that Caserio and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels could be joining other teams. Instead, both of them remain in New England, meanwhile, special teams coordinator and receivers coach Joe Judge has become the Giants' new head coach, and defensive line coach Bret Bielema has joined his staff. The Patriots were able to come out of the head-coaching/front-office search that swept the NFL over the final weeks of January with two key members of their coaching staff and front-office in-tact. 

With college scouting director Monti Ossenfort's contract also set to expire in May, New England would have had two big holes to fill in their front-office had both Ossenfort and Caserio left to join other organizations this offseason. But Caserio's contract extension prevents that from happening. Now, at worst, Ossenfort could leave. 

Ossenfort interviewed for the Browns' general manager job after Kevin Stefanksi was hired as the new head coach back in January. However, Cleveland opted to go with Andrew Berry as their new GM, who was formerly the vice president of football operations for the Eagles. There is the potential for an organization to hire Ossenfort after the draft, though.