Leading up to the start of the 2023 NFL Free Agency, Kevin and Eric will preview the top 5 free agents at different positions of need for the Patriots. Here’s a look at the other positions previewed already:
By Kevin
Throughout the season we all knew that the Patriots offensive line was a disaster. False starts, holds, sacks, QBs getting murdered, the whole shebang. So going into this offseason, offensive line is a no brainer right? Well, maybe not as much as your gut may initially think. A lot of the problems with the line can go back to two major things. The first one is a little obvious…
Not to kick a man when he’s down but the offensive line coaching situation was a major problem and I don’t blame Matt completely for how it went down because he was put in a terrible situation. Offensive line coach is one of the harder units to coach and requires constant attention. That is pretty much impossible when you’re main responsibility is to coordinate the offense as well. Also the blocking assignment changes were a major problem and hopefully they revert back to the old changes at the line that used to happen. If Andrews was allowed to make changes at the line it would have eliminated probably roughly 50% of the pressures/sacks we saw.
The other issue was the right tackle situation. Isaiah Wynn was an unmitigated disaster and so were his replacements when he was not healthy. Looking back at Trent Brown, he actually was not that bad and PFF agrees. He only allowed 31 total QB pressures and 6.5 stuffed runs in 17 games which is actually pretty good for a LT and his two worst games were the ones when he was sick and played through.
With Trent Brown under contract for 1 more year at a $12.5 million cap hit (which is very reasonable for a LT) he should be back and if anything may be up for some type of extension to lower his 2023 cap number. Knowing this the Patriots really only need to fill the RT position and I would rather do that via the draft if they can to acquire someone younger, more affordable and have them be a cornerstone piece for this offense as well as draft a developmental piece to replace Brown when his time comes to an end.
In the event that the Belichick does not agree with this approach and would either rather not be desperate in the draft or would like to attack another position here are 5 potential free agents the Patriots may target at tackle.
1. Orlando Brown Jr (Chiefs)
Orlando Brown Jr many expected to get franchised by the Chiefs for a second consecutive year however he did not and is set to reach free agency at 26 years old. Brown is easily the top tackle on the market and one of the top tackles in the league expecting to get paid north of $20 million per year. That’s a price I don’t foresee the Patriots willing to pay. Looking back on the Patriots past tackles the majority have come internally and Bill has never been willing to pay from the outside at this position. With Trent Brown still under contract, I wouldn’t use most of my resources here as well and would look for a cheaper alternative.
2. Mike McGlinchey (49ers)
Mike McGlinchey is the clear 1b offensive tackle available in this year’s free agent class. McGlinchey was drafted 9 overall in the 2018 draft and has been a beast with the 49ers with the exception of the 2021 season where he was sidelined for 9 games with a torn quad. His contract projects are a little more manageable than Brown’s at a guess of 4 year $60 million by Sportac. The two big questions when deciding on targeting him would be 1) What type of blocking system are the Patriots going to utilize? 2) If they go back to their old blocking scheme, how would he fit in since he’s run the Shanahan zone blocking scheme? Depending on how these questions are answered would tell you on whether or not they should pursue him. If they think he could fit in regardless or if they wanted to go to that scheme then by all means I would try and grab him.
3. Taylor Lewan (Titans)
Taylor Lewan is probably the most intriguing and possibly the most likely option the Patriots may pursue. He was one of the recent cap casualties of the Titans and has battled injuries, most recently a knee issue having him miss 15 games last year in 2022 and since 2019 he’s only played in about 48% of games. However, when healthy he was one of the top tackles in the league and a 3 time Pro Bowler. At 31, it’s not a given that he may be able to return to his old self after some of these injuries, but he is the perfect candidate for either an incentive laden contract or a 1 year prove it deal which both scenarios scream Patriots. If I had to bet on a FA tackle to be signed it would be Lewan.
4. Jawaan Taylor (Jaguars)
Jawaan Taylor is another young option out there who is only 25 years old. He’s got good size and length and has been pretty durable for the Jaguars. Taylor was a second-round pick in 2019 and struggled his first few years in the league. He improved last year and was a solid pass protector for the Jaguars but was still a liability in the running game. With the Patriots heavy emphasis on both the pass and run protections/blocking I don’t foresee the Patriots going this direction unless they think this is something fixable in his game.
5. Kaleb McGary (Falcons)
Kaleb McGary is sort of the opposite of Jawaan Taylor in that he’s an excellent run blocker and has issues with pass protection. PFF only had Trent Williams ranked ahead of McGary in ru blocking so that says something about how good of a run blocked he is. McGary was a 2019 first round draft pick and Atlanta did not end up picking up his fifth-year option. The biggest question on him, like Taylor, is can he improve as a pass protector? If no, then he’s not worth it and at best he is a right tackle where you don’t need to spend as much money on as you would a LT.
