Nate Solder could take on a bigger role on New England's offensive line if Matt Light retires and he flips from the right side to the left. Solder is coming off a rookie season in which he played in all 19 games (including the postseason), with 16 starts. There are rumors that Light will retire, and if that happens, Solder could get his chance to be Tom Brady's blindside protector on a full-time basis.

The Patriots have re-signed Deion Branch. Branch had 51 catches for 702 yards and five touchdowns last season. He was drafted by the Patriots in 2002, traded to the Seahawks in 2006, and re-acquired in 2010.

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis called Bill Belichick a “jerk” during an appearance on ESPN. Revis was playing a word association game on “SportsCenter” on Wednesday with Rob Gronkowski when he was asked to say what he thinks when he hears Bill Belichick’s name. “Jerk,” Revis said, before explaining, “Just some of the comments he says about the Jets.”

The Patriots have hired Chris Simms for an undisclosed role on their coaching staff. Simms was a reserve quarterback with the Broncos when New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was Denver's head coach. He is also the son of Phil Simms, who was the quarterback of the Giants when Bill Belichick was on New York's staff.

Patriots offensive tackle Matt Light is expected to retire. Light enjoyed a very successful 2011 season, but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes that he wants to walk away when he still has the power to make the decision himself.

Chad Ochocinco has agreed to restructure his contract for the coming season, lowering his base salary to $1 million, according to a league source. Ochocinco had been scheduled to make $3 million with the Patriots. The restructured deal ensures that Ochocinco will be returning to New England's training camp this summer.

Brian Hoyer has signed his restricted free agent tender to remain New England's backup quarterback. Hoyer will earn $1.92 million for 2012. A team interested in signing Hoyer would have been forced to give up a second round pick.

The Patriots reached agreement Thursday on a one-year deal with Deion Branch, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Branch, who had said after the Super Bowl that he had hoped to return to the Patriots, posted this to his Twitter account shortly after the news of his new deal broke: " It's truly an honor and a blessing to be back with #Patriots next year. Can't wait to get back in the swing of things."

Tom Brady restructured the remaining three years of his contract, helping the Patriots create $7.2M in salary cap space this year, a source confirmed. As part of the restructure, Brady had his 2012 base salary reduced from $5.75M to $950,000. The team then took the remaining $4.8M, combined it with a $6M roster bonus due to him, and gave him a $10.8M signing bonus.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis has reached an agreement with the Bengals on a three-year contract, according to a source. He is expected to replace Cedric Benson as Cincinnati's starter at running back. Benson is a free agent. Green-Ellis, 26, has not turned the ball over in a span of four NFL seasons, which covers 53 games played and 510 rushing attempts.