“He can coexist with everyone because he plays everywhere,” we wrote at the time.
Instead, with Stephon Gilmore sidelined by an injury and contract dispute, the Patriots installed Mills as a starting outside corner opposite J.C. Jackson, then kept him there in 2022 after Jackson left to sign with the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Patriots have lingering questions at that spot, but Mills’ tweets spotlight the fact that he could now be part of New England’s plan to replace Devin McCourty, who announced his retirement last week.
McCourty has started every Patriots game at free safety since late in the 2015 season — and played nearly every defensive snap during that span — and New England has no obvious in-house successor on its roster.