The Patriots plan to bring back key special teams presence Nate Ebner, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter). It’s a two-year deal for the fifth-year defensive back, Tom Curran of CSNNE.com tweets.
Terms of the deal are not yet disclosed. The team sought to keep Ebner, a sixth-round selection in 2012, on an accord worth around the veteran minimum.
Ebner’s played in at least 15 regular-season games in three of his four seasons with the Patriots. His 11 special teams tackles last season ranked third on the Patriots, behind Pro Bowler Matt Slater‘s 17 and Brandon King‘s 12.