James Ihedigbo wants to return to New England
Ihedigbo, a special teams extraordinaire previously with the Jets, joined the Patriots for depth purposes in 2011. The UMass product’s role expanded over the course of the year, as Brandon Meriweather and James Sanders were released and Patrick Chung and Josh Barrett were hit with injuries. As the season progressed, Ihedigbo was the one constant presence at safety.
So, where is Ihedigbo now? A source indicated he’s still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, and he’s still not back to 100 percent. Ihedigbo, a five-year veteran, should have his shoulder back up to speed soon, according to the source, who also indicated Ihedigbo would love to return to the Patriots.
Ihedigbo was probably brought onto the team last year with special teams in mind, however, he became a leader and consistent player in that secondary as the season went on starting alongside Patrick Chung.
I would expect Ihedigbo will get signed and have a chance to make this team again. However, he'll have some solid competition - notably second round pick Tavon Wilson and former Charger Steve Gregory. We all know how important depth is in the NFL and if Ihedigbo is healthy and signed by the team, I'd expect him to slide in right behind Chung, Wilson and Gregory on the depth chart.
