The Patriots made two key signings Sunday evening, 17 hours before the NFL’s negotiation period for free agency is set to begin.
The team agreed to terms with outside linebacker Harold Landry and tight end Austin Hooper, a league source confirmed. Landry’s contract is for three years and $43.5 million with $26 million in guaranteed money, while Hooper’s is for one year and $5 million.
Per NFL Players Association records, Hooper’s deal has $4 million fully guaranteed. He also has an offseason workout bonus of $150,000, per-game roster bonuses totaling $850,000 ($50,000 per game active), and up to $2 million in incentives based on play time and receptions.
The signings are the team’s first big moves since hiring coach Mike Vrabel in January.
The Patriots entered the offseason with the most salary cap space in the league, approximately $125 million, so the expectation was that the team would be busy come March.
Landry, a 6-foot-2-inch, 251-pounder, will help rejuvenate New England’s pass rush, which was rendered ineffective for the majority of last season. He played all 17 games for the Titans last season, registering 9 sacks, 15 quarterback hits, and 4 passes defensed.
The signing reunites Landry with Vrabel, his coach for six seasons in Tennessee, and also brings him back to Massachusetts, where he played football for four seasons at Boston College. Vrabel was on staff when the Titans traded up to draft Landry with the 41st overall pick in 2018.
Landry spent his entire career in Tennessee, missing the 2022 season with a torn ACL. He earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2021, when he finished with 12 sacks and 22 quarterback hits while playing 89.5 percent of Tennessee’s defensive snaps.
The Titans granted Landry permission to seek a trade on Feb. 26, before releasing him Friday to create cap space. The release allowed the Patriots to sign him prior to Monday’s negotiation period opening.
Edge rusher was a major need for the Patriots headed into this offseason. Landry will join a defense anchored by cornerback Christian Gonzalez, defensive end Keion White, linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley, and safety Kyle Dugger. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore, whose future remains unclear as a result of blood clots, will also play an important role if available.
Landry will turn 29 in June.
Hooper, meanwhile, is back in New England after a productive 2024 season.
Hooper was one of the few fruitful free agent acquisitions made by executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf last offseason. He finished the year with 45 catches on 59 targets for 476 yards and three touchdowns.
Almost three-quarters of his yardage came in the second half of the season, when Hooper emerged as a popular target for quarterback Drake Maye. He caught 88.2 percent of his targets from Weeks 9-18, as tight end emerged as New England’s most reliable position.
Retaining Hooper maintains continuity in the tight end room, as Hunter Henry is under contract through 2026 and Jaheim Bell through 2027.
Entering Monday, New England’s top needs are offensive tackle, wide receiver, defensive tackle, and cornerback.
Ben Volin of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
Nicole Yang can be reached at [email protected] her @nicolecyang.
