The New England Patriots could tear down their offensive tackle position and opt for a complete rebuild, or they might simply move some pieces around and hope for improvement with a better coaching staff.
And it all starts with Trent Brown.
The veteran tackle had an up-and-down season, and he’ll be turning 30 years old in April. With eight seasons already under his belt, there’s a good approximation of what Brown’s ceiling is as a player.
However, whatever decision the Patriots ultimately make needs to come in by March 16, when they’ll be on the books to pay him $3 million in guaranteed money.
“The great thing is we will find very quickly where they feel about it because $3 million of [Trent Brown’s] salary is guaranteed as of March 16—right at the beginning of free agency,” NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran said, when appearing on Gresh and Fauria. “So it’s as if the Patriots wrote that into the contract saying, ‘We’re not sure where we’re going to want to go with you in 2023. So we’ll be making a decision right there at the start of free agency. You can hit the market, or we can move on depending upon what we decide to do.”
Patriots left tackle Isaiah Wynn, who was moved to right tackle during the season, is a pending free agent and potentially on his way out of New England.
So it might be smarter for the Patriots to hold on to Brown and use a first-round draft pick to address the other tackle position in April. There’s also the option of freeing up cap space and saving money by cutting Brown altogether.
Conor McDermott is a serviceable backup at the position, and the team could opt to go after a veteran tackle in free agency as well. All options remain on the table at this point.
