New England Patriots: 3 players who need their contracts reworked in 2022

New England Patriots restructure candidate No. 2: Isaiah Wynn

The Patriots have put themselves in a bit of a pickle in regards to Isaiah Wynn. The left tackle out of Georgia has been injury prone throughout his first four seasons, and even when he’s been on the field he hasn’t been that reliable. New England picked up Wynn’s fifth year option last offseason though, and now they are staring at a $10.4 million cap hit for their inconsistent left tackle.

Even with his inconsistencies, Wynn put together his best campaign in 2021. He missed only one game, and after a rocky start, he settled in and helped rejuvenate the Pats offense midway through the season. Even with that solid finish to the season, New England probably doesn’t want to pay Wynn upwards of $10 million for the upcoming season.

The problem is the Patriots have little to no leverage with Wynn. If they release him it doesn’t help their cap at all, although they could trade him and his salary for the upcoming season would be wiped off the books entirely. With Wynn set to hit free agency after the 2021 season though, the Pats will have a bit of urgency to get a new deal done this offseason.

The front office has to make a decision on what they want to do with Wynn first. If they see him as a part of their offensive line for the future, whether that be at left tackle or somewhere else, they should sign him to a long-term deal as soon as possible. Even a two or three year extension at a lower rate wouldn’t be bad, as it would help the salary cap and allow Wynn to hit the free agent market in a couple seasons down the line when his value might be higher.

The market for tackles has always been high, and if Wynn can live up to his potential, he’d be worth the current $10 million deal. The problem is his inconsistencies have plagued him, and he’s not worth that amount of money right now. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Patriots hand Wynn a long-term extension that pays him more like a guard (I would look for a $7 million cap hit this season) before trying to find their left tackle of the future in the upcoming draft.