With Joe Thuney leaving Tuesday without a contract extension, the New England Patriots used the franchise tag on a player for the first time since 2015. The last player to play out the franchise tag was Stephen Gostkowski — and it was Wes Welker in 2012 before then.
The deadline ended at 4 p.m. and it locked in a $14.78 million cap hit against the Patriots for this season. Thuney, 27, was the top interior lineman to hit free agency this offseason and he’ll likely carry the same appeal heading into the 2021 offseason. He was drafted by New England in 2016 and has played more snaps than any other Patriot during that time.
If the Patriots didn’t settle grievances with Antonio Brown and Aaron Hernandez earlier this week, then this would be a tough to swallow move. But, they went from roughly $500 thousand to nearly $8 million in cap space overnight. New England now has freedom to make roster moves throughout the season and remain flexible.
The Patriots would’ve be able to allocate money to different seasons and also lock down their most reliable offensive lineman if they had reached a long-term deal. The current situation keeps a high price tag for the 2020 season and no long-term security. But, because of the sudden boost in cash, the Patriots can survive with both of those circumstances.
Looking at Thuney and his value for the team — it’s going to be pivotal that he remains healthy and on the field. Tom Brady is gone and New England will select between Cam Newton or Jarrett Stidham for the starting role.
Newton has dealt with injuries over the past two seasons and always had a shaky offensive line, so he’ll be expecting some protection at the age of 31. Stidham’s entering his second season and for obvious reasons, he’ll need as much security in the pocket as he can get.
According to Pro Football Focus, Thuney has played 1,497 blocking snaps over the past two seasons and he’s only allowed one sack — that’s elite. He was also one of three linemen last season who were on the field for 600-plus snaps without committing a penalty. He’s a top-tier guard that will be pivotal in the team’s transition to a new quarterback next season.
Thuney will be accompanied on the offensive line by Isaiah Wynn, David Andrews, Shaq Mason and Marcus Cannon. New England’s offensive line sits among the NFL’s best this season and they have four capable running backs who’ll rely on them.
The Patriots don’t have long-term security and will pay a hefty price tag to keep Thuney around this season, but it’ll be entirely worth it.
