In an offseason full of consternation regarding free agent departures, the Patriots took a major step toward ensuring their future success on Wednesday by signing Richard Seymour to a contract extension.
The deal had yet to be announced officially but it's believed to be a four-year extension that will keep the three-time All-Pro defensive end in a Patriots uniform through 2009. Seymour was entering the final season of his six-year rookie deal and was set to earn a base salary of $2.02 million in 2006. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Seymour received a raise in salary following a brief contract holdout last summer, and according to a section of the collective bargaining agreement, a player cannot receive another raise for a full calendar year. So the big money portion of Seymour's extension will likely begin in 2007.
