Self absorbed The transactions have been coming fast and furious from Foxborough over the last two days, with the Patriots releasing outside linebacker/defensive end Tully Banta-Cain on Monday and wide receiver Joey Galloway, tight end Michael Matthews and linebacker Eric Alexander today.

And according to two league sources this evening, the Patriots have re-signed the previously released Banta-Cain and Alexander to one-year deals.

There is a method to the Patriots' madness in the flood of activity.

Both Banta-Cain and Alexander were playing under one-year contracts that qualified as "minimum salary benefit" deals under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement.

Such deals can't be renegotiated or extended in any manner, according to the CBA. So, to lock up both players to longer term deals the Patriots had to release them.

Minimum salary benefit deals apply to players with four or more credited NFL seasons, who sign for the league minimum salary based on their years of service and then get no more than an additional $50,000 in compensation from the team.

That was the case for Banta-Cain, in his seventh year, and Alexander, a fifth-year player, both of whom prior to being released were on one-year contracts with $620,000 base salaries (the minimum for NFL players who entered 2009 with four to six years of experience under their belt) and then had roster and workout bonuses that totaled an additional $50,000.

The transactions have been coming fast and furious from Foxborough over the last two days, with the Patriots releasing outside linebacker/defensive end Tully Banta-Cain on Monday and wide receiver Joey Galloway, tight end Michael Matthews and linebacker Eric Alexander today.

And according to two league sources this evening, the Patriots have re-signed the previously released Banta-Cain and Alexander to one-year deals.

There is a method to the Patriots' madness in the flood of activity.

Both Banta-Cain and Alexander were playing under one-year contracts that qualified as "minimum salary benefit" deals under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement.

Such deals can't be renegotiated or extended in any manner, according to the CBA. So, to lock up both players to longer term deals the Patriots had to release them.

Minimum salary benefit deals apply to players with four or more credited NFL seasons, who sign for the league minimum salary based on their years of service and then get no more than an additional $50,000 in compensation from the team.

That was the case for Banta-Cain, in his seventh year, and Alexander, a fifth-year player, both of whom prior to being released were on one-year contracts with $620,000 base salaries (the minimum for NFL players who entered 2009 with four to six years of experience under their belt) and then had roster and workout bonuses that totaled an additional $50,000.