New England Patriots: Who Is Next in Line for an Extension?

The New England Patriots have not only locked up the NFL's best tight end, they're even paying him like it. Rob Gronkowski is now the proud owner of a deal that could potentially keep him in New England into his 30s.

At 23 years old and with an eight-year deal worth $55.1 million, Gronkowski shatters the mold of normal contract negotiations in Foxboro. The Patriots clearly saw the benefit in an extension and came to the table ready to get a deal done.

But Gronkowski isn't the only young and promising talent on the roster in need of a new contract. Here's a look at six more players the franchise will need to address in the very near future.

Aaron Hernandez

Selected two rounds after Gronkowski in the 2010 draft, Aaron Hernandez's star has burnt just as bright over his first two seasons.

Gronk has totaled just eight more receptions than Hernandez, illustrating the immense value of both players. Logic would suggest that a logjam of talent would limit the production of two talented receivers, but the opposite appears true in New England. 

Hernandez and Gronkowski operate out of highly specialized and refined roles, allowing them to create mismatches in coverage and thus open up opportunities for one another. The Tiger formation, as it's dubbed in the college ranks, has seen so much success over the course of the past two seasons that many other teams are now implementing their own version. 

If the Patriots would like to retain theirs long-term, Hernandez will need to be extended soon. He's not the red zone or blocking threat that Gronkowski is and that does hurt his value. But Hernandez showed last year that he can utilized as a chain-mover and despite his drop in average, he's got great ability after the catch.

A contract in the neighborhood of Jason Witten's five-year, $37 million deal may be a good place to start off considering the similarities of their stat lines. 

Patrick Chung

Patrick Chung's 2012 season will mark the conclusion of his rookie contract.

After he was selected in the second round of the 2009 draft, he was essentially acquired in the Matt Cassel/Mike Vrabel deal and makes the trade look better and better from a Patriots perspective every season.

Still, he's missed a lot of time which has led many to question whether the 5'11'' safety has long-term durability concerns. There's no question the New England defense is better with him on the field. ESPN's Stats and Information blog identified this fact with some heavy-duty number crunching.

Pat Chung	On field	Off field
Plays	661	553
Yds per att	7.7	9.8
Att per TD	25.5	10.0
Rush per TD	36.4	18.8

Chung knows he's in for a make or break year and undoubtedly wants an extension, but he's saying all the right things at this stage. 

“You can’t think about that stuff now,” Chung said in comments reported by the Boston Herald. “That’s when you make mistakes. You’ve got to go into every season like everything is the same and nothing has changed.”

If he can maintain his health in 2012, the Patriots are very likely to change the amount of zeros in his paycheck.

Sebastian Vollmer

Sebastian Vollmer finds himself in the same boat as Chung, and "S.S. Health Needed" is set for launch in 2012. 

Vollmer's a proven All-Pro talent, but his ability to stay on the field is nowhere as steady as his potential. 2011 was largely a wash for the big man and he's sitting out of OTAs for "precautionary reasons" after undergoing surgery on his ankle, per the Boston Globe.

He also dealt with a nagging back injury throughout last year, but it's the ankle that appears to be the biggest concern moving forward.

Like Chung and the defense, New England's offense is much better served with Vollmer healthy and on the field contributing. 

If he can achieve that status in 2012, he'll be in a Patriots uniform much beyond that. 

Kyle Love

You kind of have to feel a little bad for a guy like Kyle Love who played way above his salary in 2011 only to sign another bargain, basement deal for 2012. He's the victim of his entrance into the league as an undrafted free agent and thus New England holds all of the leverage and then some when it comes to negotiating. 

Love will play out 2012 under a $540,000 salary and will again hit restricted free agency next year. The team could continue playing hardball with the 25-year-old, or choose to reimburse the run stuffer with a respectable contract. 

The defensive line rotation figures to be a lot different this year with the additions of Trevor Scott, Jonathan Fanene, Chandler Jones and Jake Bequette, but Love graded very well last year as a plug in the middle. There's no reason to think he won't be given that opportunity to shine again. 

Kyle Arrington

Let's talk about Kyle Arrington for a little bit. You seriously may not understand how productive this kid was last season. 

He led the league in picks, led the the team with 13 passes defended, was charged with only three missed tackles in 930 snaps and had the fifth best tackle efficiency in all of football (among cornerbacks). 

Arrington's potential is clearly not capped yet and the 25-year-old, former undrafted free agent is hurdling towards unrestricted free agency with a lot of earning power. He's set to make $1.8 million in 2012, and it'll be mighty interesting to see if the Patriots have enough cap space and interest to make a long-term agreement come to fruition.