The New England Patriots need to strengthen their offensive line once again this offseason, both within the starting five and for depth. It can be done in free agency by signing veteran offensive lineman Braxton Jones. In his first offseason as head coach, Mike Vrabel added three veteran offensive linemen, and he should be interested in doing the same thing this offseason.
Jones has been a starting tackle in the NFL since 2022, when the Chicago Bears drafted him in the fifth round. He played in 100 percent of the snaps and was one of the best performers on the offensive line. Since then, however, Jones’ production and availability have declined every year, mostly due to injuries throughout his career.
With Chicago also working to improve its team under new head coach Ben Johnson in his second season, there’s reason to believe that Jones might not be part of the Bears’ future next season, even after starting 2025 as the Week 1 starter for the revamped Bears offense.
Jones was named the Week 1 starter at left tackle despite having offseason ankle surgery and not playing like himself throughout the preseason. He struggled so much that he played in only six games with four starts before being benched. Then, he was placed on injured reserve after a Week 7 knee injury left him with another setback in the 2025 season.
Patriots Should Target Veteran Free Agent OL Braxton Jones
So, why should the Patriots target Jones after the season he just had?
First and foremost, it’s all about the money. Jones will be a free agent for the first time in his career, which would typically put him in line for a big payday as a versatile starting offensive lineman. However, he’s unlikely to receive that type of salary increase this offseason after how last season went for him.
Secondly, at 6-foot-5 and 303 lbs., Jones is incredibly athletic and has a quick first step off the line of scrimmage. He has a 35 ⅜” arm length, which is among the longest in his draft class and in the NFL. That said, Jones has the same arm length as Morgan Moses, who currently holds the longest arm length of all Patriots' offensive linemen.
One of the aforementioned veterans that Vrabel signed last offseason was the 34-year-old, 11-year veteran. However, Moses suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in the 2024 season, which he played through, but it required an offseason cleanup procedure. Moses went on to start in every game the following year for the Patriots, playing 94 percent of the offensive snaps.
Jones is entering his fifth season at 27 years old. These are his prime years, and he still has a lot left in the tank to offer a team in the second chapter of his career. Do not let his recent injuries dissuade potential, as I believe he’d be a great addition, whether as depth or an eventual starter. We just saw Moses have a great season following an offseason procedure, giving reason to believe the younger Jones could do the same.
It’s worth noting that 45 offensive linemen were drafted in 2022, and Jones is only one of eight players to become a primary starter for his team. In addition, he is the only fifth-round draft pick to accomplish that in that draft class. He has played significantly more than four first-round picks that were drafted well ahead of him.
Whether he is on New England's radar remains to be seen, but the Patriots could do a whole lot worse than giving Jones a long, hard look this offseason.