New England Patriots Report

Koutouvides back in fold

March, 13, 2012

3/13/12

8:13

PM ET

By Mike Rodak | ESPNBoston.com

The Patriots have retained one of their core special teams players, re-signing veteran linebacker Niko Koutouvides to a one-year extension through the 2012 season.

Koutouvides' contract includes a base salary of $825,000. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

Following a preseason stint in 2011, Koutouvides re-joined the team on Nov. 9, playing in the final eight games of the regular season. He finished tied for fifth on the team with nine special teams tackles, according to coaches' film review.

Mike Rodak

Patriots reporter, ESPNBoston.com

Mike Rodak began covering the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com in July 2010.

You must be signed in to post a comment

You are fully responsible for the content you post. Content that includes profanity, personal attacks or antisocial behavior (such as "spamming" or "trolling"), or other inappropriate content or material will be removed. We reserve the right to block any user who violates our terms of use, including removing all content posted by that user.

ABOUT THIS BLOG

Mike Reiss

Mike Reiss first started covering the Patriots in 1997 with the team's official newspaper, Patriots Football Weekly, before moving on to the MetroWest Daily News in his hometown of Framingham. From 2005 to 2009, he covered the Patriots for The Boston Globe, while also writing on the NFL. He started his popular Patriots blog in 2004. Send any questions or comments for Mike to his mailbag. Follow him on Twitter (@MikeReiss).

Mike Rodak

Mike Rodak began covering the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com in July 2010. A native of Grafton, Mass., Mike attended Providence College. Follow him on Twitter (@mikerodak)

Field Yates

Field Yates begins his contributions to ESPNBoston.com in 2012 after having written for a number of football-related sites around the web. Field began his professional career after college with the Kansas City Chiefs, working in both the scouting and coaching departments of the franchise before redirecting his focus to a career in media. He also interned for four summers in the coaching and scouting departments with the Patriots. Follow him on Twitter (@FieldYates).