New England Patriots: 5 juicy rumors ahead of 2020 NFL Draft
Trading Joe Thuney
Could the New England Patriots trade guard Joe Thuney prior to the 2020 NFL Draft?
That is something to keep an eye on this week according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss as reports have surfaced that the two sides are not close on a contract extension to keep the guard in New England.
As surprising as it was that the Patriots placed a franchise tag on Thuney in the first place, it would be equally shocking if not more shocking if Bill Belichick does not trade Joe Thuney prior to the draft, especially if a guard hungry team offices a second-round pick or a high third.
Related Story. New England Patriots Rumors: 3 Joe Thuney trade scenarios to consider. light
That does two things for Belichick.
It gives him another draft pick to work with and frees up salary as that $14.78 tag number puts the team extremely tight against the cap.
In a similar situation with guard Logan Mankins back in 2014, the New England Patriots traded the All-Pro guard to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for tight end Tim Wright and a 2015 fourth-round draft pick.
Joe Thuney is not Logan Mankins, but could Bill Belichick entertain a deal in which Thuney goes to Tampa to reunite with Tom Brady in exchange for tight end O.J. Howard? Or perhaps the Patriots could get the 45th pick overall or even another third rounder back from the Buccaneers.
This rumor will only get juicier as the week progresses.