INDIANAPOLIS — The Patriots are not afraid to show their hand when it comes to talking about their top impending free agents.

For two days in a row now, director of scouting Eliot Wolf and head coach Jerod Mayo have made it clear that it’s a priority to re-sign offensive lineman Mike Onwenu and safety Kyle Dugger.

“Man, I love those guys,” Mayo told a group of local reporters Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I love Big Mike. I think he has the versatility to play guard or tackle. Look, one of those guys that when he’s going, he’s dominant.

“And with Dugger, I would say last year going into the season there were some questions about, ‘can he communicate and all those…’ He squashed all of that this year. He did a fantastic job in his new role without having Devin there.

“So you definitely want those pieces to stay. You develop through the draft. So if those guys stay, obviously, they’ve been raised here and they can help push the culture forward.”

Onwenu recently fired his agents but will likely be the pricier of the two players given the premium position he can play as a guard or tackle. If the Patriots don’t re-sign Onwenu, then they don’t have clear options to play left or right tackle.

Dugger led the Patriots with 1,116 defensive snaps in 2023 and also has the positional flexibility to play free safety or strong safety.

Mayo confirmed that both Onwenu and Dugger have been at Gillette Stadium since the end of the season, and that he’s touched base with both players.

“It hasn’t really been about football. It’s really just been about you know how you’re doing,” Mayo said. “And those guys are excited to go through the (free agency) process, which I think it is important for those guys to go to the process. But hopefully at the end of the day they come back to New England.”

The Patriots could use a franchise or transition tag on Onwenu or Dugger, but it sounds like Mayo and the team would prefer a long-term deal.

The franchise ($20,985,000) or transition ($19,040,000) tag is a pricy option for Onwenu. It would be more affordable to use the franchise ($17,123,000) or transition ($13,815,000) tag on Dugger.

“That’s always an option. But at the same time with guys like that, you want those guys to be happy,” Mayo said. “You want them to be here for the long term. So that’s the plan.”