The New England Patriots made the decision to place the franchise tag on left guard Joe Thuney on Monday. The tag, which will be worth $14.781 million this upcoming season, gives the Patriots a few options going forward. They can keep him and pay him that hefty sum for the season, try and work out a long-term deal to lower his cap number for the year, or find a partner that’s willing to trade for him.
It appears that New England is looking to keep their consistent left guard for the time being.
“Joe has been a model teammate and an essential element to our success since joining our team in 2016,” the Patriots said in a statement released Monday. “Utilizing the franchise designation allows both sides more time to try to reach the goal of a long-term agreement.”
If that quote is to be believed, then the Patriots are looking to keep together an offensive line that is rock solid when healthy. That could be to protect Tom Brady or any quarterback that takes the reins.
The quote could also be viewed as bargaining, so another team feels they have to offer more to pry him away from New England. They could be using this move and statement to recoup the second-round pick the Patriots traded for Mohamed Sanu.
Thuney was a third-round pick in 2016 coming out of North Carolina State. In his four seasons, he has started every game; missing less than one percent of offensive snaps. Thuney has helped the Patriots win two Super Bowls and earned a Second-Team All-Pro nomination last season.
