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Rivers for 2

The contract that TE Marcellus Rivers signed with the Patriots is a two-year package. The deal includes minimum base salaries of $595,000 in 2007 and $605,000 in 2008. There is no signing bonus.

By locking up Rivers for a second season, the Patriots took a similar approach to how they handled the recent in-season signings of Jabar Gaffney (2006) and Chris Hanson (2007), as both of those players signed for two years.

While the signing of a two-year contract might seem inconsequential, Gaffney's case reflects how it can be important.

When the Patriots signed Gaffney on Oct. 9, 2006, he had little value around the league after missing the first quarter of the season. While he probably would have preferred a one-year contract, which could have given him a chance to have a solid season and then make more money in free agency, he was willing to take the two-year package for the chance to revive his career while playing with Tom Brady.

Meanwhile, the Patriots ultimately benefitted from having Gaffney return this season with a $595,000 salary. That's a reasonable figure, and in today's NFL with salary cap restrictions, every team needs productive players like Gaffney who don't take up too much salary cap space.

So in Gaffney's case, it was a win-win scenario.

Gaffney benefitted from reviving his career when he could have slipped off the NFL radar, and also collected additional money in the form of playoff shares. He gave up a year of free agency to do so, which ultimately benefitted the Patriots as they retained his services at a reasonable salary.

Perhaps Rivers will be a similar situation. The Patriots have Benjamin Watson (2009), Kyle Brady (2008) and David Thomas (2009) under contract at tight end, and with Thomas sustaining his second foot injury this year, Rivers adds some longer-term insurance.