When Alex Marvez of Fox Sports tweeted Sunday night that the Seattle Seahawks are expected to release defensive lineman Red Bryant, it served as a reminder that the Patriots had interest in Bryant as a free agent prior to the 2012 season.
Bryant resisted a strong recruiting effort from Bill Belichick to re-sign with Seattle.
"The Patriots were interested and I definitely was listening. I thought it was a great opportunity for me, and the likelihood of me going there was high," Bryant said in October of 2012 after inking a five-year deal with a reported maximum value of $35 million, adding that family considerations were also part of keeping him in the Pacific Northwest.
After failing to land Bryant, the Patriots wound up signing former Bengals defensive tackle Jonathan Fanene, which didn't work out.
At 6-foot-4 and 323 pounds, Bryant would project to a defensive tackle role in the Patriots' scheme. The team has veterans Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly atop the depth chart, with Armond Armstead, Chris Jones, Sealver Siliga and Joe Vellano also at the position.
Whether or not the Patriots would have the same level of interest in Bryant now as they did two years ago is unclear, but it's something to keep on the radar. The market almost certainly wouldn't be at the same level it was in 2012.
If the Patriots do pursue Bryant, it makes sense to think they might be competing against a team like the Jacksonville Jaguars, which has former Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley in his second year as head coach.