Could a member of the New England Patriots offensive line be on the move? According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, the Patriots are currently not close to a long-term deal with guard Joe Thuney.
In Reiss’ notes on the Patriots’ draft plans, he notes that the Patriots are struggling with salary cap space. They currently only have $1 million to work with. Thuney signed a franchise tag with the organization at a clip of $14.78 million in March.
Reiss notes that if a team is willing to get rid of a second or high third-round pick, New England could seriously consider moving him. Because of Thuney’s expensive franchise tag, that is where he holds the leverage over the Patriots.
Thuney certainly has been a staple of the New England offensive line since he was drafted in 2016. Taken with the 78th pick overall, he has blossomed into a stabilizing force for New England on their line. He was named a Second-team All-Pro in 2019 as well as being named to the PWFA All-Rookie Team in 2016.
In four seasons of work, he has played 64 games, starting all of them. He perhaps did his best work in Super Bowl LII when he helped New England’s offensive line neutralize Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald.
With New England looking to restructure their organization, this is a move that certainly could happen. This would give the Patriots more draft capital heading into what is a crucial week for the organization.
