The New England Patriots are expected to be among the most active teams in NFL free agency this offseason. Not only do they have holes all over their roster and several crucial areas that need to be addressed, they also have vast resources to play with: New England is tops in the league with over $130 million in salary cap space available.
It would not come as a surprise to see parts of that money be invested in the interior offensive line. While the club does have strength in numbers at the moment, the quality and fit with what the new coaching staff wants are question marks at the moment.
Patriots’ current interior offensive line situation
Heading into the offseason, only one position along the Patriots’ interior offensive line was locked down. Well, sort of.
On paper, Michael Onwenu is the clear starter at right guard. However, the versatile veteran remains a candidate to move back out to right tackle if called upon to do so. That said, for the time being we’re going to treat him as New England’s RG1. Who will join him in the starting lineup in 2025 remains to be seen.
At the moment, one of Cole Strange or Layden Robinson appears to be the top option at left guard. The center spot should still be held down by long-time team captain David Andrews, but Strange and Ben Brown also could fill in after spending the latter two thirds of the 2024 season as the starting centers in place of the injured veteran.
In addition, Jake Andrews, Lecitus Smith and Tyrese Robinson are also part of the mix. Lester Cotton, another backup in 2024, is a restricted free agent.
Patriots free agency targets along interior offensive line
Given the uncertainty along the interior as well as their coaching staff and available resources, the Patriots might take a long, hard look at the center and guard prospects available in free agency.
Mekhi Becton (UFA): Originally a first-round tackle with the New York Jets, Becton moved to right guard upon joining the Philadelphia Eagles and played possibly the best football of his career. For New England, adding the 6-foot-7, 363-pound behemoth would be a classic case of bringing in as many talented players as possible and figuring it out from there. His versatility is a definitive plus, and would give the team more options to mix and match combinations.
Nick Harris (UFA): Mike Vrabel spent the 2024 season as a consultant in Cleveland, spending extensive time with the offensive line group in particular. Harris, who started two games as a backup center, was part of that group. While it remains to be seen whether or not he would be suitable for a role that extends beyond second-string status, he would be a familiar acquisition to bolster the depth behind David Andrews at a relatively low cost.
Teven Jenkins (UFA): The Chicago Bears just traded for a pair of new starting guards, meaning that Jenkins seems to be headed elsewhere. Originally a tackle, the 2021 second-round draft pick has since developed into a versatile starting guard — one who spent last year under ex-Bears interim offensive coordinator and now-Patriots assistant Thomas Brown. Add that connection to his experience and positional flexibility, and you get a player who makes sense as a target for New England.
Patrick Mekari (UFA): Could the Patriots try to rebuild the Baltimore Ravens’ left side of the line? Tackle Ronnie Stanley is a candidate to be pursued, as is guard Patrick Mekari. A highly versatile player who has logged 600-plus career snaps at four out of five spots up front — left tackle, left guard, center, right tackle — the 28-year-old would be another “bring him in and figure it out from there” player.
Dillon Radunz (UFA): A second-round draft pick by the Mike Vrabel-led Tennessee Titans in 2021, Radunz can be characterized as “Patrick Mekari Light”: while lacking the snap totals of his fellow free agent, he has started games at left tackle, left guard, right guard and right tackle over the course of his career. He projects as an interior player, but his experience and 6-foot-6 frame suggest he might also be a candidate to return to tackle.
It goes without saying that there are plenty of other suitable free agents out there for the Patriots to go after if they so choose. With those as with the five names listed above, though, a lot will depend on how the team views the players it already has on its roster.
If New England’s coaching staff feels confident that Cole Strange/Layden Robinson, David Andrews and Michael Onwenu can be a suitable starting group, investments up front would likely focus primarily at the tackle spot rather than the inside. The early indication is that that is not the case, though, and that the team is actively looking to upgrade all across the line.
As a consequence, the Patriots adding some starter-caliber interior linemen could very well happen. And if so, the players above make the most sense out of a group that offers better depth overall than other positions in this year’s free agency.