With an aging Morgan Moses and Will Campbell missing time due to injury, adding depth to the offensive line was one of the top priorities for the New England Patriots this offseason. The need became even more crucial once Vederian Lowe left the team in free agency, signing with the San Francisco 49ers.
Since the Patriots let Lowe go, it felt obvious that they were going to re-sign Thayer Munford Jr.
Last season, Munford played a critical role as the Patriots’ swing tackle and jumbo tight end in short-yardage situations. Although he only appeared in 143 snaps, Munford did a solid job in this role, allowing just one pressure in 40 pass-blocking snaps.
There were additional reasons for a return. Munford was drafted by offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels during his tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders, and his projected cheap price tag – which Spotrac estimates to be $1.3 million – made a reunion feel inevitable.
However, this has yet to materialize. According to ESPN’s Patriots Reporter Mike Reiss, Munford also underwent offseason surgery on his injured knee, which could explain why he hasn’t been re-signed. Additionally, the Patriots' recent signing of James Hudson III may have closed the door.
Thayer Munford Jr.'s Time with Patriots Appears to Be Over
New England opting to sign with Hudson was an interesting move to say the least. He’s coming off a horrific year with the New York Giants, where he started at left tackle in place of Andrew Thomas.
Hudson’s stint as a starter was brought to an abrupt end after committing four penalties in one drive in their Week 2 loss against the Dallas Cowboys. After that, he appeared in just one offensive snap over the team’s final 15 games.
It’s hard to justify why the Patriots chose to sign him over re-signing Munford. You could point to his connection with head coach Mike Vrabel during his tenure with the Cleveland Browns as the reason, but that shouldn’t excuse his poor play.
Even before last season, Hudson hasn’t proven to be a dependable backup. In his four-year stint with the Browns, Hudson allowed nine sacks and 52 hurries across 49 games, making starts in 17 of them. Meanwhile, Munford has started in 20 games across his four-year career, allowing 10 sacks and 29 hurries.
Now with Hudson in the fold, the Patriots are crowded with depth at tackle, with Marcus Bryant, Lorenz Metz, and Sebastian Gutierrez also serving as backup tackles. Despite this, the Patriots are expected to add another tackle in the draft, as they are without a successor to Moses. While Bryant has shown flashes, he, along with Metz and Gutierrez, lacks experience, as the trio has combined for just 21 career snaps.
That's without mentioning how more depth options could be added through the 2026 NFL draft next month.
Despite Munford being a serviceable depth piece last year, it’s evident that the Patriots’ plan in addressing their offensive line depth doesn’t include him. Even though the door isn’t fully closed on a return, there’s no point in carrying too many backup tackles for New England.