With the Patriots adding Trent Brown to the roster today, it only makes it more likely that the era of Joe Thuney is over.
If David Andrews returns, the Patriots will have 7 solid Offensive Lineman not including Thuney – Cannon, Brown, Wynn, Andrews, Mason, Onwenu, and Herron. The Patriots are not going to Franchise Tag Thuney, after they tagged him last year, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Therefore, Thuney is currently an unrestriced free agent.
Thuney, 28, is without a doubt the best O-Lineman in Free Agency, and is likely to cash in on the open market. Without a doubt he will get paid in Free Agency.
Thuney, the 6-5 308 pound lineman has been with the Patriots since 2016, and has played in every game since then. He’s won two super bowls in New England, and has made a big impact ever since he’s been on the field with the Patriots.
While the Patriots can afford a Thuney pay day, as they entered the offseason with $66M in cap space, now with $55M after the restructured contract of Trent Brown, it’s probably not what they want to spend a large chunk of the cap space on. Especially at a position where they have depth, and when there’s other positions at need to fill.
Here is a look at what the Patriots O-Line would look like, if David Andrews returns:
LT: Isaiah Wynn
LG: Mike Onwenu
C: David Andrews
RG: Shaq Mason
RT: Trent Brown
While Joe Thuney can play almost anywhere on the line, they have pretty much every position filled now fairly well, and it wouldn’t make sense to pay a guy at a position that’s not at need.
Marcus Cannon is also expected to be cut, and it would save the Patriots $6.3M in cap space. The addition of Brown even makes this much more likely as well.