In the Indiana Convention Center, Mike Vrabel was asked how the Patriots could help Drake Maye. Heading into the 2025 offseason, the continued development of this young quarterback is paramount for the franchise’s success.
Speaking at the NFL Combine, the new Patriots coach was clear about what the team wanted to do this offseason.
“You always talk about being able to protect him,” Vrabel said last month. “You have to be able to have some guys that can help him on the edges.”
That didn’t happen last fall. For Patriots quarterback, adequate pass protection hasn’t happened since the 2021 season. Quarterbacks in New England were sacked 52 times last season. That number has steadily risen over the last three years – 41 sacks allowed in 2022, 48 allowed in 2023, and then 52 in 2024.
The inability to protect their quarterbacks has made fixing this offensive line a priority. That’s why the team’s inability to find proven offensive line starters in the first part of free agency has been surprising and disappointing given the stated goal.
After releasing David Andrews on Thursday, the Patriots lack proven starters at left tackle, left guard, and center.
It’s not from a lack of trying – but a lack of decisiveness and willingness to dole out guaranteed money in free agency. The team didn’t have that issue with several defensive targets – Milton Williams, Carlton Davis, Harold Landry, and Robert Spillane – but have whiffed on multiple top offensive line targets other than veteran right tackle Morgan Moses.
The Patriots coveted Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley, but the veteran turned down more money to re-sign with Baltimore before free agency officially began on Monday. They were in on Dan Moore, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, but were outbid by Tennessee’s 4-year, $84 million offer. Sources also told MassLive the Patriots were also outbid for tackle Jaylon Moore, who signed a 2-year, $30 million deal with Kansas City.
At guard, a source told MassLive the Patriots were also involved in Patrick Mekari, who signed a 3-year, $37.5 million deal with Jacksonville. Breer reported the team was also involved with free agent guard Will Fries (who signed a 5-year, $88 million deal with Minnesota) and center Drew Dalman (who signed a 3-year, $42 million contract with Chicago).
That’s a lot of swings and misses on veteran offensive line free agents.
According to Overthecap, the Patriots still lead all teams in cap space with a little over $103 million. The team needs to act decisively to fix their biggest need of the offseason and at this point, options are running out.
At left tackle, Cam Robinson, 29, is the best available. There is interest there with the Patriots, according to a source. Other options are not guaranteed to be upgrades. That includes Tyron Smith, 34, Jedrick Wills, 25, D.J. Humphries, 31, Kelvin Beachum, 35, Kendall Lamm, 32, and Joseph Noteboom, 29.
If the Patriots don’t add a veteran, and even if they do at this point, the answer will likely come within the 2024 NFL Draft. The top option isn’t without controversy.
LSU’s Will Campbell is the best offensive line prospect available. His shorter arm length and wingspan have some teams earmarking him as a guard. There are multiple people inside Gillette Stadium, however, who view Campbell as a left tackle – and a really, really good one. There’s Missouri’s Armand Membou, another first-round prospect, but he’s a career right tackle whose shorter stature (6’4) has some teams also thinking guard.
At the center position, the Patriots have four options on their roster – Cole Strange, Ben Brown, Lecitus Smith, and Jake Andrews. Top free agent options are all off the board at this point – and not necessarily upgrades. The Patriots could try to trade for a veteran such as Minnesota’s Garrett Bradbury after the Vikings signed free agent center Ryan Kelly.
At left guard, the best available free agent is Teven Jenkins. Other veterans available include Dillon Radunz, Dalton Risner, and Shane Lemieux. Layden Robinson finished last season as the Patriots left guard. They also have Sidy Sow and Tyrese Robinson on the roster. If the team doesn’t want Strange to play center, he did start at left guard for two full seasons.
Whether the answer comes in free agency, via trade, or in the draft, the Patriots need to do right by Maye and protect him.
At this moment, it’s not clear how they’re going to accomplish that.
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