New England Patriots straight up stole David Andrews

The New England Patriots have had a very good offseason, that much is clear. Usually, there are ebbs and flows for every team at this time of year, and it’s no different for the Patriots as standout guard Joe Thuney is now a Kansas City Chief after signing a massive five-year contract worth $80 million.

That seems like a small price to pay for all of the additions the team has made, but it felt like they were on the verge of losing yet another key piece to the offensive line when starting center David Andrews hit free agency as well.

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The Patriots signed a familiar face in Ted Karras to a one-year deal worth up to four million dollars, which felt like the final nail in the coffin in terms of bringing Andrews back. There were rumors swirling that the Miami Dolphins were making a strong push to bring him in. However, just a couple days later it was announced that Andrews would be staying in New England.

Anybody who watches the New England Patriots knows how valuable David Andrews is. Not only is he one of the most underrated players in football, but he has been an incredible presence in the locker room as well.

With that in mind, can anyone explain exactly what led to the Patriots only paying Andrews $19 million over four years? That just feels like robbery, doesn’t it? Especially with plenty of teams across the league in desperate need of help when it comes to the interior offensive line.

What led to Andrews staying with the New England Patriots?

I’m told that players hate playing for Bill Belichick and that being teammates with Tom Brady was the only appealing aspect of playing in New England, so this really doesn’t add up. Andrews should have realistically been offered at least eight million annually on the open market, and he took less than five to come back for a coach that, if you believe most media outlets, apparently got carried for the last two decades after getting exposed in 2020.

But alas, poor David has chosen to be stuck with Bill in the pit of misery all the way through the 2024 season. Great move by the Patriots, as an offensive line with a healthy Isaiah Wynn, Mike Onwenu, Andrews, Shaq Mason, and Trent Brown should translate to one of the top units in the NFL. Add Karas and Justin Herron into the mix in case of an injury, and they look fairly deep as well.

Just to clarify once again how much of a steal this is, Corey Linsley at 30-years-old was the top center on the free agent market and signed with the Los Angeles Chargers for $62.5 million over five years. That’s $12,500,000 per season.

Andrews, at age 28, is making $4,750,000 per season. The gap between these two players in terms of on-field impact is not that large.

The New England Patriots have overpaid on more than one occasion this offseason, but this is definitely not one of those instances. It’s great to have David Andrews back.