Should the New England Patriots trade Nate Solder this summer?

The New England Patriots drafted two possible replacements at left tackle for Nate Solder. Could they look to trade him this summer?

It seems crazy at first to think of the New England Patriots trading their starting left tackle as Tom Brady nears age 40, but it could happen.

Dieter Kurtenbach has me sold on the idea after his piece on “9 NFL players who could be traded before the start of the 2017 season“.

Nate Solder is in the final year of his contract, and while every other lineman has been extended he has not. Solder will be the only offensive starters other than Julian Edelman who is playing in the final year of his contract in 2017. Even center David Andrews was extended recently.

The Patriots would still have Marcus Cannon and Cameron Fleming on the roster to bolster the two starting offensive tackle slots. They also drafted Antonio Garcia and Conor McDermott. If either rookie has a strong camp, Solder could be sent packing.

It seems like New England is already preparing for post-Solder life, so why not trade him and acquire some value before he departs for big money as a free agent next season.

One team that could be interested is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The two sides are familiar with each other, seeing as we sent Logan Mankins there previously.

Pro Football Focus named left tackle as the Bucs biggest need following the NFL Draft. Here’s what they had to say.

"Donovan Smith continued to struggle as he showed very little improvement from 2015 to 2016, grading at 37.1 and 42.0, respectively. While he flashed more potential as a run-blocker, Smith was still very inconsistent game to game and allowed more total pressures in his second season. With Jameis Winston looking to cash in on a year-three leap with more weapons in addition to WR Mike Evans, he’ll need solid protection from his offensive line and especially his left tackle. If Smith is unable to make dramatic improvements, Winston and the Buccaneers could very well miss the playoffs once again."

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Tampa Bay is looking to compete as one of the top teams in the NFC, and their hole at left tackle could drag them down.

In 2014 when Mankins was dealt to the Buccaneers the Patriots received tight end Tim Wright and a 4th round draft pick. Mankins had been a Pro Bowl player six times up to that point, while Solder has yet to be there once. Still, there is more value placed on offensive tackles than there is on guards.

Solder was ranked 18th overall for all starting left tackles in 2016 by Pro Football Focus. While that’s not great, it certainly would be an improvement for the Bucs. I believe they’d be willing to give up another player and 4th round pick for Solder.

The Patriots could look to acquire safet Keith Tandy in the deal. He would add competition in camp and would solidify the depth of the secondary. Tandy has played in plenty of games for Tampa Bay, but he’s rarely a starter.

Next: How much longer will Tom Brady play?

So, do you still think it would be crazy to trade Solder before the start of the 2017 season?

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