FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The first day of free agency for the New England Patriots on Thursday was highlighted by their surprising $65 million big splash with former Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

On Friday’s Day 2, the focus now turns to arguably their most important in-house free agent, linebacker Dont'a Hightower.

The five-year veteran figured to have his situation wrapped up pretty quickly in free agency, the initial idea being that he could explore the market, see if there was a can’t-turn-it-down-offer, and then circle back to the Patriots.

The fact he wasn’t reported to have made a Day 1 free-agent visit could be perceived as good news for New England.

Late Thursday night, Jason La Canfora tweeted about the Patriots making a concerted effort to re-sign Hightower. Two hours before the official start of free agency, but two days after the legal tampering period began, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network relayed that the sides were having “good communication.”

Meanwhile, when Hightower was a guest on Adam Schefter’s ESPN “Know Them From Adam” podcast in February, he had said, “I love what I have in New England. ... I just want to be respected and loved.”

That respect and love comes in the form of a contract, and the indications Thursday were that the Patriots were right there in the mix on a deal that projects to be close to the top of the linebacker market. The Tennessee Titans also were talking with Hightower, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder. The Titans could have appeal to Hightower because they are closest to where he grew up in Lewisburg, Tennessee.

More clarity on Hightower’s status should be on the way shortly.