New England Patriots: 5 unrestricted free agents team must re-sign in 2021
Joe Thuney was the best New England Patriots offensive player…again
The best offensive player for the New England Patriots was Joe Thuney.
When your guard is your best player, you know you have some holes to fill at the playmaker position, which is why it is hard to believe Bill Belichick would spend big bucks on Thuney when another guard in Shaq Mason already has a big contract.
But the team did slap the franchise tag on Thuney prior to the 2020 NFL season, so there must be a desire to keep him in a Patriots uniform if the two sides can agree on his value, which will undoubtedly be influenced by the free agent market and other teams interested in the All-Pro guard.
With center David Andrews also a player the team must re-sign, the only real way the New England Patriots would invest in Thuney is by possibly trading Mason to a guard hungry team. That will free up money to pay Thuney, if Belichick thinks it is worth it at that position.
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In all, it is pretty obvious Thuney will get a monster contract. The question is what team will give him an offer he can’t resist. But don’t rule out Belichick and the New England Patriots here. The offensive line will be okay without the 27-year-old guard, but he is a must sign if they want to continue building the offensive line as one of the best in the NFL.