Tag Archives: Joe Thuney

Future Patriots? College Players to Watch This Year

While Bill Belichick and the Patriots always seem to find a way, there should be some reason for concern with the future of this team. A bad draft next year would be detrimental to the future of this team and here is why:

In 2020 and 2021 several premiere players on the Patriots’ offense and defense will see their current contracts expire. The Patriots will have many key pending free agents coming up. Pending free agents are the last thing a team with a desperate need for a tight end wants to hear.

Tom Brady will be a pending free agent after this season and David Andrews will be in 2021
Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Notable 2020 free agents: Tom Brady, Kyle Van Noy, Joe Thuney, Devin McCourty, Josh Gordon, Jamie Collins, Ben Watson, Adam Butler, and many more

Notable 2021 free agents: David Andrews, Dont’a Hightower, James White, Michael Bennett, J.C Jackson, Duron Harmon, Lawerence Guy, Stephen Gostkowski, Rex Burkhead, Deatrich Wise and more

Some of these players will obviously be resigned, however, some will not and will go to other teams.

Safety Concerns

Honestly, McCourty’s days look numbered, and he even contemplated retirement during the week leading up to the Super Bowl.

Devin McCourty during Opening Night for Super Bowl LIII
Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

“Yeah man, if we win a Super Bowl, I don’t know what else can top that.”
Devin McCourty during Super Bowl media week

Devin McCourty has always been a key piece to this defense and the team, however, he is on the wrong side of thirty and has the second-highest cap hit among safeties this season.

Unless the then thirty-two year old safety wants to sign on to a pretty sizable cash reduction in comparison to years prior, McCourty might find himself being forced to call it quits.

The other safety up for a new contract soon is Duron Harmon. Much like McCourty, he also plays a big role in the Patriots’ secondary. Losing him would not bode well for the Patriots, and would leave a pretty large hole in the secondary (especially if McCourty is gone by this time too).

New England will try really hard to resign both players. Harmon will probably be a harder one to accomplish, as the 2021 cap might restrict the Patriots from offering a desirable deal.

The last and final thing to mention before naming the potential solution to this issue is that Chung, much like McCourty, also is aging. He is coming off shoulder surgery and a bad arm injury that he sustained in the Super Bowl. Many question marks surround his future going forward.

Solution at the Position:

Xavier McKinney of Alabama
Photo: Stuart McNair, 247Sports

Three big names to watch this season at the safety spot are Grant Delpit of LSU, Isaiah Simmons of Clemson, and Xavier McKinney of Alabama.

McKinney should be, by far, the most realistic name when the season is all set and done. Delpit currently projects to be a top ten pick and Simmons does not stand far behind.

For the sake of realism here, Xavier McKinney is the guy to look at.

Xavier McKinney: Some compare him to former Giants, now Redskins’ Landon Collins. McKinney plays strong safety for the Tide and, in some eyes, was the Tide’s top safety last year. Even over NFL draftee Deionte Thompson, who many had going in the first round, but fell out due to size concerns.

McKinney will now be the leader of that Nick Saban secondary, and his skills will be on full display. Pay close attention to his intelligence and athleticism on the field. These are traits that New England convets.

Another standout trait McKinney has is his footwork. His feet are on another level, which goes to show just how much time he puts into his game. Good footwork does not come easy ,and takes a lot of time to perfect.

McKinney’s press coverage is air tight. He is a gym rat. Only has 3% body fat (DK Metcalf’s was 1.6% for reference). His versatility and potential are also key traits of his too.

All this leads me to think that Xavier McKinney could not only play strong safety in New England, but could really fill the void of Patrick Chung’s inevitable absence in a few years.

Defensive End is Destined to be a Problem

In the 2021 offseason Deatrich Wise, Michael Bennett, and Derek Rivers will all see their current contracts expire. This will be problematic as there is no way the Patriots would be able to afford signing all three of these pass rushers.

Bennett would demand at least $4.5 million at 35 years of age.

Wise has a chance to secure the bag with good play over the next two seasons
Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

Deatrich Wise’s market is yet to be seen. The pass rusher seems set for a breakout season, and might increase his market dramatically over the next two seasons.

Derek Rivers should focus on making the team first, however, he has the potential to make somewhere around $3 million (if he actually pans out, which is a big if).

Things could really go haywire in 2021 if all three, more importantly Wise and Bennett, do not return. So who can be our pass rusher across from Chase Winovich?

Solution at the Position:

Patriots’ fans can hope and pray all they want that Iowa defensive end A.J Espensa can fall later in next year’s draft. Unfortunately, much like Grant Delpit, this seems very unlikely. Yetur Gross-Matos, right now, seems more realistic at the defensive end position and should be an extremely intriguing prospect to watch this football season.

Yetur Gross-Matos: He earned first defensive team Big-10 honors last season as a sophomore. His size is pretty prototypical for an edge defender (6-5, 265 pounds). Matos looks to become the next first round defensive lineman out of Penn State since Jared Odrick in 2010.

The most impressive skill of Gross-Matos’ is his quickness. Not too long ago, he ran a 4.52 forty-yard dash. That would have ranked third among all defensive lineman in this year’s NFL combine.

A really impressive stat from last season was his twenty tackles for a loss. Gross-Matos proved to be a disruptive force last season in University Park and will only continue to grow this season.

His jump off the ball is very nice and his change of direction skills are very solid as well.

He still hasn’t proved to be a fantastic pass-rusher, and his success really relies on how well his jump off the ball was. However, expect him to improve on those weak spots this season and keep a close eye.

Victor Dimukeje of Duke
Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

*Note: For a more mid-round prospect, watch out for Victor Dimukeje out of Duke. Pro Football Focus likes him a lot and so should you. Really good defender for Duke.

Tight End Still Pressing Need

Ben Watson, Matt LaCosse, Ryan Izzo should be good enough to get by this year. However, next season Ben Watson will probably retire again. Even if he somehow finds his way onto the roster again, tight end should be a position to address early.

Ben Watson back in Patriots’ gear for the first time since the 2009 season
Credit: Nancy Lane/Boston Herald

Naming a tight end out of this class is really hard. Almost all of the tight ends are different and have their own trademark ability.

Albert Okwuegbunam of Missouri is currently the top tight end prospect in this class. However, his ability has really been hyped up, and he might not be the top prospect come next April.

Grant Calcaterra of Oklahoma is certainly intriguing. He plays a lot like Evan Engram. Unfortunately, he blocks a lot like Evan Engram too.

This John Mackey Award candidate Jacob Breeland might be the best fit in New England Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

The most complete tight end might just be Jacob Breeland of Oregon.

Breeland is a 6’5, 248 pound deep-threat tight end with strong hands and elite athleticism.

He played receiver in high school (just as Grant Calcaterra did) and he has brought those receiver-like skills to his job as tight end of the Oregon Ducks.

With Gronk now gone, the Patriots will lose one of the greatest red-zone threats in team history. While Breeland certainly should not be expected to replace Gronk per say, a 6’5, receiver-like body would defiently help pick up the pieces in the red area.

Another thing that makes Breeland extremely valuable is his speed and size combination that can so easily create mismatches for opposing defenses. We all know that Belichick, Brady, and McDaniels are experts in this area and having a guy like that could certainly serve them well.

Breeland appears to be a much stronger blocker than both Grant Calcaterra and Albert Okwuegbunam. That really tipped the scales in his direction.

A strong season by him would really seal the deal for him being the favorite tight end target for next year’s NFL Draft.

Five things to watch at minicamp

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The Patriots will kick off their mandatory three-day minicamp on Tuesday, giving us our first extended look at the 2019 version of the team. It should provide an opportunity to see Tom Brady for the first time this spring, as well as newcomer Michael Bennett and perhaps some others who have yet to make an appearance.

While the only difference between minicamp and the OTA session the media was invited to watch two weeks ago is the mandatory element, the non-padded practices do provide an opportunity to start assessing the potential depth chart and to watch the younger players operate in the Patriots system.

With no contact it’s difficult to judge performance – and Bill Belichick often cautions against doing that anyway as he views these workouts as instructional and not for evaluations. But three days of work, plus an additional OTA practice open to the media next week, will provide a glimpse of what we’ll see come the opening of training camp in late July.

Until then, here are five things we’ll be focusing on this week.

Brady’s presence – Assuming Brady will be back in the fold, it’s always news when the quarterback is involved. For the second straight spring he’s chosen to do his prep work on his own, which is unfortunate because it would be great to watch Brady work with rookie first-round pick N’Keal Harry a bit more extensively. Still, there should be some chances for the two to connect this week and we’ll likely hear from Brady at some point as well.

Finding Wynn – So far we’ve had just one chance to watch practice (May 23) and Isaiah Wynn was not present. Instead we saw left guard Joe Thuney man the left tackle spot in place of the departed Trent Brown. Wynn continues to recover from a torn Achilles that wiped out his rookie season and offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia said several weeks ago that he hadn’t yet been cleared for full on-field work. Although it’s not with pads, it would be nice to see Wynn in uniform and working his way back into form. If not, it will be worth watching to see if Thuney remains at left tackle, a position he played at a high level while earning All-ACC honors at N.C. State.

Crowded secondary – Joejuan Williams was drafted in the second round, one year after Duke Dawson was taken in the same round. The two corners join J.C. Jackson, Jason McCourty, Jonathan Jones and Keion Crossen in a fight for playing time with No. 1 corner Stephon Gilmore. Williams’ size is intriguing as a potential matchup weapon for Belichick, who could use a rotation of corners depending on a specific opponent from week to week. Williams should get a lot of chances to lock horns with Harry in a battle of tall, physical performers. We’ll be watching those closely.

Tight quarters – The tight end position is arguably the one that has drawn the most concern among Patriots fans this offseason following Rob Gronkowski’s retirement. The former All-Pro added a measure of finality to that over the weekend when he told reporters that rumors of a possible return could be put to rest. Whether that ultimately is true or not, it’s time to figure out how the position might look without him. Benjamin Watson will miss the first four games while serving a suspension for PED use, and we’ve yet to see veteran free agent addition Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Matt LaCosse looked like a candidate to fill a pass-catching role a couple of weeks ago, albeit in shorts under far-less-than-competitive circumstances. LaCosse moves well and it will be interesting to see what if any work he gets to do with Brady.

Bennett Brothers 2.0 – Michael Bennett has yet to make an appearance during practice but is expected to be in Foxborough this week. He ostensibly replaces Trey Flowers, and while at 33 he may not be able to handle the full workload, he possesses more explosiveness as a pass rusher. Again, shorts and T-shirts work will only tell so much but Bennett is an interesting character very much in the mold of his brother Martellus, who had a couple of stints as a Patriot. Bennett will be worth a look as well as a listen.

Original content from Patriots.com

Rounds 4-7: Scouting Reports on Patriots Later Round Picks

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Now let’s take a look at some of the later round picks by the Patriots. These picks, although not as flashy, solidified some positions with question marks.

The Patriots certainly solidified the offensive line, at least for now. With Cajuste and Frohodlt, the Patriots now could very well contend for one of the best offensive lines in the league. Even with Trent Brown leaving for Oakland.

101. YONDY CAJUSTE, OT

WEST VIRGINIA

Yondy Cajuste said in interviews that West Virginia ran some Patriots plays in their offense. That might be one reason Belichick liked him so much. With Marcus Cannon getting older by the day, Trent Brown leaving, and Isaiah Wynn rehabbing from a gruesome achilles injury, it is no secret the Patriots needed to address the tackle position early. Cajuste is the quintessential Trent Brown replacement pick. He is a large man who will play the swing tackle role that we saw Trent play last year. This pick and the selection of Hjalte Froholdt indicates to me that if Isaiah Wynn’s achilles looks good to go, the Patriots will trade Joe Thuney or Marcus Cannon with no hesitation. Thuney is in the last year of his contract and Cannon is probably in the last year the Patriots could trade him. If Cajuste is solid and Wynn impresses, Patriots could flip either one at their max value for a defensive lineman or tight end.

What he does right:

-Wins with his length

-Balanced, well-framed stance

-Good hand technique

-Very powerful player, overwhelms rushers at times

-Good body awareness

-Does little things really well

-Displays strong football IQ

-Good functional athleticism

-Scrappy, angry player, is a bully on the line

-Strong effort and hustle

Some nuances in his game:

-Can look flat-footed against faster rushers on the edge

-Too many gaps of time of sliding feet in protection

-Not bendy, not flexible

-Struggles immensely at lateral redirection

-Has been ejected for some fights

Pro comparison: Jermon Bushrod

Instant impact: Will fight for starting tackle job, depends on Wynn’s health

Grade: B

118, HJALTE FROHOLDT, OG

ARKANSAS

This pick spells out Joe Thuney insurance. As mentioned before, Joe Thuney is in the last year of his contract and he will get paid big bucks. Hjalte is by no mistake one of the better guards in this year’s draft. Belichick figures he will draft Thuney’s replacement now and then get another third round comp pick for letting Joe leave. Hjalte will not have an immediate impact on this team unless one of our guards or David Andrews gets hurt. He will spend year one mostly learning from his colleagues and coach Scar. He will probably compete with Ted Karras for that swing guard role.

What he does right:

-Very solid in pass protection

-Good footwork, suitable for both guard and center

-Sturdy, wide base

-Can anchor vs power

-Sees twists and blitzes from mile away

-Under control on the move

-Effective puller

-Flexibility

-Moves well at 6’5, 300

-Good athlete

Some nuances in his game:

-Hand placement needs lots of work

-Leverage and drive can improve

-Not overly physical

-Never creates movement at point of attack

-Lacks power and tenacity

-Poor mental processing

Pro comparison: Sean Harlow

Instant impact: Will compete with Ted Karras for swing guard spot

Grade: B

133. JARRETT STIDHAM, QB

AUBURN

Well, I personally wanted the Patriots to draft Brett Rypien, but after doing some more investigating Jarrett Stidham’s game grew on me a little more. A very solid quarterback when he has the time to throw, he throws a great ball. Jarrett received a bad rap at Auburn for their terrible offense, but the people he had around him were really to fault for their poor performance and production. If Jarrett had some better guys around him, he would have been in the conversation with Haskins, Jones, and Grier. While I do not think Stidham is the answer in a post-Brady world, he might be able to develop himself into a starting quarterback in the NFL. This, however, would take a lot of work.

What he does right:

-Good decision-maker when given the opportunity

-One of the best in class at going through progressions

-Can run the option game, RPOs

-Nice display of anticipation, more at Baylor than Auburn (was previously at Baylor)

-Great touch on his footballs

-Looks off safeties, pump fakes

–Low interception numbers, safe with football

-Good footwork

-Strong in play-action game

Some nuances in his game:

–Ran a very prototypical college offensive scheme, will need to adjust to Patriots scheme and make more complex reads at next level. Year one might just be studying film and the playbook.

-Never asked to throw into tight windows, all routes and plays were simplified under offensive scheme

-Struggled when throwing into those tight windows, which was every blue moon

-He folds under pressure, which was frequent at Auburn

-Had limited opportunities to impress scouts, failed when had the opportunities

-Average arm

-Not prepared for NFL, although sitting behind Brady is exactly what he needs, according to scouts

-Hard evaluation because both offenses (Baylor and Auburn) did not put all his skills on display

-Loses accuracy when putting any force on his balls

-Not great poise

Pro comparison: Matthew Stafford

Instant impact: A year or two learning playbook, watching film, listening, and intense 1 on 1 work

Grade: C

159. BYRON COWART, DL

MARYLAND

Byron could play either play defensive end or defensive tackle, which is why he is listed as a DL. Many evaluators believe he will play more on the interior than on the edge at the pro level. Belichick loves defensive lineman who can move all over. Trey Flowers moved all over the line, Michael Bennett does that as well. Cowart by no means appears to be an answer to any big questions surrounding this line but he does posses some skills and flashes of ability that would indicate that he can be a contributor to this line. Much like Stidham, Cowart is another player who requires a lot more coaching and being placed into this system is the best news for him.

What he does right:

–Explosive for a man of his dimensions

-Powerful

-High ceiling

-Shows promise as a 3-technique player

-Good lateral ability, nice quick movement for a big man

-Violent tackler

-Powerhouse, stout

-Sheds blocks well

-Has potential to be a solid bull-rusher

-Good pad level

Some nuances in his game:

-Consistency, flash in the pan type player, technique holds him back from more consistent play

-Technique is very weak

-Football IQ is lacking

-Low floor

-Needs a lot more coaching

-Struggles at coming hard off the edge

-Attacking with hands can become more consistent

-Underachiever, was a number one prospect coming out of high school

-Has had it rough, apparently had off the field family issues during time at Auburn, ugly transfer

-Tight hips

Pro comparison: Willie Henry

Instant impact: Depth player, mostly developmental project

Grade: C

163. JAKE BAILEY, P

STANFORD

So, fans were infuriated with this pick. The reality is that Ryan Allen is a pricey punter on a one year deal, and any opportunity to save some money for close to the same production is something Belichick jumps on. Will Bailey beat Allen out for the job? Eh, we don’t really know. However, this right footed punter is very talented and could very well take Allen’s place next year.

What he does right:

-Very strong leg, had an 84 yard punt last year

-Flips the field

-Great hang time, lead NCAA with hang time in 2018

-Good direction

-Can handle kickoff duties as well

Some nuances in his game:

-Touch

-Can sometimes put too much on his kicks, high number of touchbacks

Pro comparison: Andy Lee

Instant impact: Practice squad for year one

Grade: B

252. KEN WEBSTER, CB

OLE MISS

This pick is very much similar to the selection of Keion Crossen last year. Similar skill set, falling down draft boards for similar reasons, and getting drafted in a similar spot to the same team. Webster got off to a great start at Ole Miss, but injuries plagued his college career. He never really was the same player at Ole Miss, but if he could encompass some of what he had there in the pros, he can be a solid contributor in the NFL that much like Crossen is put in for different specific assignments. He will certainly be someone to keep your eyes on during camp.

What he does right:

-Great speed and explosiveness

-Physical

-Redirects receivers in man and zone coverage

-Handsy player

-Great at coming up and covering the run

-Athletic

-Recovery speed

-Aggressive, gritty

-Upper body strength

Some nuances in his game:

-He is impatient in press coverage, press is not a strong suit

-Spacing

-Field awareness

-Football IQ is below average, pays price for mistakes rooted out of lack of awareness and understanding

-Inconsistent technique, especially at line of scrimmage

-Struggles to stay square

Pro comparison: Keion Crossen

Instant impact: Will battle to make team, could contend with Crossen for last cornerback spot

Grade: C+

Offensive Lineman: Post-Cut Looks

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With the uncertainty of roster cut day behind us, we now turn towards prepping for Week 1. The Patriots are a team that believes in churning the bottom of the roster. The cuts and the signings are all about improving the team. There are several reasons for this. They have certain needs that change from week to week. Players don’t progress as expected. Injuries cause vulnerabilities at various positions. Players become available that the coaching staff views as an upgrade.

With the Texans game coming up in a few short days the coaching staff is working furiously to quickly evaluate all the names that have become available across the NFL. Taking a quick look at the New England roster I noticed one major need. The offensive line has just seven members remaining. Marcus Cannon, Trent Brown and LaAdrian Waddle are the tackles and Joe Thuney, David Andrews, Shaq Mason, and Ted Karras fill up the interior. This is slightly thin given past history. The Patriots normally carry 8 on the roster and activate 6 or 7 for game day. An injury or two to this group will compromise the offense and endanger Tom Brady.

The Patriots will undoubtedly seek to get some of their own cuts onto their practice squad. Cole Croston, Matt Tobin and James Ferentz have provided depth in the past and I expect them to get first look at the beginning of the season. The Patriots may be turning towards veterans that are on the free agent market or waiver pickups.

Interior options

This isn’t as pressing of a need as Thuney, Mason and Andrews seem to be healthy and ready to go this season. Ted Karras has been an intriguing option for previous seasons and seems to have the trust of the coaching staff.

Zane Beadles

Zane Beadles – a 6 ft 4 inch veteran entering his 9th season. He has played for the Broncos, Jaguars, and 49ers. Primarily a guard, he has filled in at tackle and that versatility could intrigue the coaching staff. He last played in San Francisco with Trent Brown and could provide some leadership and familiarity.

Travis Swanson – A center/guard player who last played for the NY Jets. He would be an option to provide depth for Andrews. Being a former member of the Jets can only help as well. He is a little lighter at 6 ft 5 in and 312 pounds and has had trouble staying healthy.

Jeremiah Poutasi – Another guard with tackle experience. He is a little younger so they will have to claim him on waivers or sign him if he makes it through. He spent the offseason with the Denver Broncos and is 6 ft 5 and 330 pounds.

Nico Siragusa – One of my favorite prospects in the 2017 draft. The Ravens selected him in the 4th round and he suffered a knee injury in his rookie season. He’s worked his way back and may still need some time but has good speed and movement at 6 ft 4 in and 330 pounds

Tackle options

Austin Howard

Austin Howard – He should be on everyone’s radar, if only to see why he played so poorly. He was a sought after free agent when he signed with the Colts. He is a big guy at 6 ft 7 in and 330 pounds and could provide depth and competition for Waddle.

Antonio Garcia – Perhaps a year away with another team could have renewed the Patriot’s interest in Garcia. The team has been primarily concerned with his health and weight following his cut after his rookie season. New England could reconsider and see if he has improved with a claim.

Cyrus Kouandjio – Still 25 years young despite having 4 seasons under his belt. He was drafted by the Bills in the 2014 draft. He is 6 ft 7 in and 325 pounds. Cyrus could provide some size and speed behind the starters.

Chad Wheeler – Despite being and undrafted free agent and on the smaller side. He managed to play his way onto a bad NY Giants offensive line last season. The 6 ft 7 in Tackle prospect could get looks despite being sub 310 pounds.

With the Patriots coaching staff scouring the roster cuts and waiver wires they will be looking at more than just these names. Hopefully whoever they pick up will be able to help the team this season and beyond. Championship teams are built many ways, and the Patriots have mastered all of them.

All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise.

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Eye of the Tiger: Part 2 of Patriots Training Camp

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This is Part 2 of the 10 Patriots with the most to prove heading into training camp. To read the first five Patriots visit Part 1.

Who’s got the eye of the tiger?

The thrill of the fight…

Heading into the 2018 training camp for the New England Patriots, there are 90 hungry young men vying for 53 roster spots. Who wants it most? Which player will fight off challengers for a roster spot? Training camp is the place to find answers to these questions. The quest for a sixth championship begins with the start of the regular season. There is lots of work to be done in that time.

For your pre-training camp look at which Patriots have the most to prove, we have dived deep into the roster and dissected position depth, contract details, and likelihood of making the roster. Of course, we will apply the highly scientific Shakeup Factor to let you know the potential impact if these players do not make the team.

Elandon Roberts, LB

Roberts has performed admirably for a sixth round pick. He has started for the bulk of two years with the Patriots and won a Super Bowl while playing in another. However, his limited coverage abilities have been exposed and the Patriots may be looking for younger, better replacements.

Shakeup Factor: 4.8

He has definitely fallen short of being the “best linebacker in the Draft.” But Roberts has made a very positive impact and replacing his snaps will have to come from Hightower or some of the unproven players on the team.

Mike Gillislee, RB

When the Patriots signed the restricted free agent from Buffalo, many thought that he would turn into the next big thing at running back. It didn’t quite work out that way. In fact, he was not even active for a good portion of the later part of the season. With just under 2.2 million in cap space, it seems unlikely that the team will allow the Gillislee experiment to continue.

Shakeup Factor: 5.2

The SF number takes into account the likelihood that Jeremy Hill will get cut as well. It seems logical that the two big backs are battling for one roster spot. If Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead, and James White are ready to shoulder the load, then it could be that the Patriots don’t keep another RB at all. This logic is surprising, but not unthinkable.

Phillip Dorsett, WR

Trading away a young, cost-controlled quarterback that had already shown he can win games as a rookie would normally result in shockwaves. The Patriots trading Jacoby Brissett for a lackluster Phillip Dorsett was only the second highest QB trade they completed last season. After a year of limited impact, Dorsett has a good foundation and could make more noise this year in the crowded group of receivers. But it will be a dogfight for the speedster to make the team.

Shakeup Factor: 5.5

Trading away a quality QB prospect for a single season of poor production from a wide receiver would be considered a bad deal by any team out there. Dorsett getting cut before the year starts would go down as one of the poorer evaluations from Bill Belichick.

Dwayne Allen, TE

Despite his lack of quantifiable production in 2017, Dwayne Allen made a big impact that didn’t necessarily show up on the stats sheet. As the second tight end on the depth chart, his blocking abilities were surely underestimated. Will that be enough for the Pats to keep him, especially with a 13.4 million cap hit and no dead money over the next two seasons? It doesn’t seem likely.

Shakeup Factor: 7.3

Allen has competition at the tight end spot. The Patriots signed Troy Niklas and Will Tye as veterans and reports on Jacob Hollister have been just short of glowing. Allen will have to turn in his playbook if someone steps up and shows they can block as well as be productive in the passing game. That 5 million cap space could probably be used more resourcefully than for a blocking pylon.

Joe Thuney, OG

The story of Joe Thuney is a compelling one; he was a third round offensive line prospect that won the starting job as a rookie and has started every game since. The current chapter may be coming to an end.

Thuney has struggled at times. Alongside the smaller David Andrews at center, struggles between the two can contribute to breakdowns on the offensive line. Still, there are a lot of questions to be answered. Does Trent Brown win the starting left tackle job? If Isaiah Wynn plays guard this season, do the Patriots value Thuney as a backup?

Shakeup Factor: 8.2

The Patriots have always been relatively unconventional with their offensive line. O-line savant Dante Scarnecchia has surely gained the right to make the risky roster decisions. If Thuney is the best option, he will play. If they can get good value for him, he will get a second chance somewhere else. Regardless, the offensive line should be better for the 2018 season and help the Patriots back to the Super Bowl.

Training camp will shake the tree and the nuts will tell the story. Stay tuned.

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The State of the New England Patriots Offensive Line

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There may not be a more important unit in football than the offensive line. A good and a bad offensive line oftentimes are the difference between wins and losses. The Patriots offensive line is in something of a flux this off-season after Nate Solder signed with the New York Giants. Fortunately, the Patriots offensive line situation clarified itself after New England re-signed tackle LaAdrian Waddle. With the draft less than a month away, let’s take a look at the state of the New England Patriots offensive line.

The New England Patriots Offensive Line Situation

Right Tackle: Marcus Cannon

Starting right tackle Marcus Cannon has had one of the more interesting careers on the Patriots. Selected in the fifth-round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Cannon played sparingly as a swing tackle until 2015. Injuries forced him into the starting lineup, and he did not play well. His worst game of the season came in the 2015 AFC Championship Game, when Von Miller blew by him on seemingly every snap.

However, despite that poor season, Cannon has gone on to establish himself as one of the better right tackles in football. Thanks to the return of offensive line coach Dante Scarneccia, Cannon had a great 2016 season, culminating in a Super Bowl title.

Cannon began 2017 where his 2016 left off. He played like one of the best right tackles in the league through seven games. Unfortunately, an ankle injury prematurely ended his season. If Cannon can fend off injuries, he’s one of the best right tackles in the league. However, that’s a big if. Throughout Cannon’s career, he’s only played one full 16-game season, and that was when he was a backup. 2016 saw him start in 18 of a possible 19 games, but he’s no guarantee to stay healthy.

Right Guard: Shaq Mason

Right guard Shaq Mason has evolved into one of the best guards in the league

Image credit: The Tennessean

While Cannon carries upside with injury risk, right guard Shaq Mason only carries upside. Mason has been a phenomenal run blocker ever since entering the league, and has steadily improved as a pass blocker. Between Cannon and Mason, the Patriots should be able to run to the right with great success. Mason is easily the best guard to enter Foxborough since longtime star Logan Mankins. The right guard position is nothing to worry about so long as Mason stays healthy.

Center: David Andrews

Andrews was one of the best surprises of the 2017 season. He was a league average center his first two years in the league, and earned a modest three-year, 11.7 million dollar contract. The deal clearly made him the Patriots center of the future, and he spent 2017 earning every penny.

Andrews 2017 season was easily the best of his career. The third-year center was one of the best in the league at his position, constantly winning the tough fights in the trenches. New England’s offensive line ranked as the best run blocking unit in the league, and Andrews was a big reason for that.

Additionally, Andrews has stayed remarkably healthy over his career. Andrews has played in all but four games in his career, and only missed two due to injury. Just as with the right guard position, there’s no need to worry about the guy lining up at center.

Left Guard: Joe Thuney

The weak link on the 2017 offensive line was the left guard, but that says more about the rest of the line than it does Thuney. While the rest of the line was above average to great, Thuney was just solid. That’s not to say he was bad – far from it – but he was only a serviceable player.

However, there’s plenty of reasons to believe Thuney is the long term answer at guard. Thuney has been a starter ever since entering the league in 2016, and has improved in every season. He’s undersized for a guard and probably won’t ever become a top-ten player at his position. However, he’s further along than Andrews was last season, and it’s not unrealistic to expect a similar third-year jump out of Thuney.

Left Tackle: LaAdrian Waddle

LaAdrian Waddle projects as the 2018 starting left tackle

Image credit: MassLive.com

This is where things get interesting. After losing Nate Solder to the Giants, New England turned to his longtime understudy to fill the starting role. While there are worse tackles than Waddle, there’s certainly room for improvement.

He’s below average as both a pass blocker and a run blocker, but he’s not so bad that he’s an active liability. Additionally, there’s reason to believe in his pass blocking. After struggling in 2015 and hardly playing in 2016, Waddle had an encouraging 2017. Filling in for Marcus Cannon, Waddle didn’t allow a single sack all season, per Pro Football Focus. It’s unrealistic to expect him not to allow a sack in 2018, but there is hope that his development as a pass blocker is still improving.

Much like with Cannon, injuries have plagued Waddle’s career. The former Detroit Lion has never played in more than 12 games in a season, either due to injury or being benched. With the injury history of both Waddle and Cannon, the chances of both players starting all 16 games are incredibly slim. The organizational depth will likely be tested.

Tackle Depth

With so many questions with the starting tackles, it goes without saying that the depth is questionable at best. Currently, the only other tackles on the roster are underwhelming options such as Andrew Jelks, Matt Tobin, Cole Croston, and Antonio Garcia.

All the aforementioned players either lack experience or success at the NFL level. However, of this bunch, Garcia has the highest ceiling. The second-year Patriot was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, but lost his entire rookie season to blood clots. He was recently cleared to play, but it’s anyone’s guess how effective he will be.

In summary, the interior of the Patriots offensive line should be one of the best in the league. Mason and Andrews are two of the best at their positions, and Thuney should only get better as his career goes on. If this group can stay healthy, as they have throughout their careers, then New England should have nothing to worry about.

The tackle issue, however, is a problem. Cannon is an above average starter, while Waddle is just serviceable. However, both have injury problems and the depth behind them is less than inspiring. Heading into the draft, the Patriots will need to address this issue.

Cover image courtesy of Football Scoop.