5 Patriots Fans Will Be Sad to See Leave in Free Agency

2. Trent Brown, OT

Trent Brown has had quite the tenure in New England. He first arrived in town when the Patriots acquired him from the San Francisco 49ers at the 2018 NFL Draft. The exchange worked in the Pats' favor as the Albany, GA native played a key role in the franchise going on to win Super Bowl LIII.

But rather than stick around, Brown bolted to the then-Oakland Raiders on a massive four-year, $66 million deal. His stay with the Raiders didn't last long, though, as the veteran blocker was shipped back to New England (along with a seventh-round pick) for a 2022 fifth-rounder.

Brown's second stint has been a mixed bag, to say the least. On one hand, he's one of the best offensive tackles when he's healthy. He's been given an offensive Pro Football Focus grade of at least 79.3 in two of the last three campaigns while his mark of 80.3 in 2023 was good enough to rank him as the No. 11 offensive tackle out of 81 eligible players.

On the other hand, some fans are frustrated by Brown. His outspoken nature has been deemed a distraction by some on top of the fact that he's also missed 14 games over the last three seasons.

But even then, some fans will be sad if Brown leaves in free agency. His personality may rub some the wrong way, but he's one of the best OTs in the league when he's healthy. If the Patriots want their next QB to excel, having someone like Brown patrolling the O-line is key to their success.