The NFL’s first day of negotiations did not go by without the New England Patriots creating a stir; on Monday night, they signed offensive tackle Michael Onwenu to a three-year, $57 million contract.
But what are the Patriots’ long-term implications of keeping their best internal free agent? Let’s investigate.
Should you tackle or guard?
Throughout his career, Onwenu has shown himself to be a flexible option for the offensive line in New England. Onwenu started the same number of games (24) at tackle over his four-year career, despite entering the league as a guard.
Jerod Mayo, Alex Van Pelt, and offensive line coach Scott Peters must decide where he fits in best now that he’s back for three more years. Onwenu still performs best, in our opinion, as a guard, particularly when it comes to Van Pelt’s zone running scheme.
Positional perspective
The coaching staff in New England should respond to the aforementioned query first. Their response could have a significant impact on how they proceed with team building in the future.
The squad plans to bring Cole Strange and Sidy Sow back along the inside as well, if they regard Onwenu as a guard. Strange and Sow, who had a strong rookie campaign, are in battle for the left guard position with Onwenu likely locked onto the right side.
The Patriots would probably need to sign another tackle before the draft even if keeping Onwenu inside would strengthen the inside. Due to Monday’s sluggish trading, Tyron Smith and Jonah Williams are still available in free agency.
Keeping Onwenu outside at tackle, on the other hand, might force New England to look inside for more depth. If Strange is not well, Sow would be the front-runner for the right guard position, leaving Atonio Mafi as the primary interior backup.
Create, grow, and expand
Eliot Wolf said during his speech at the NFL Combine that his approach to team building is similar to the Green Bay Packers’ strategy, which prioritized drafting, developing, and then extending your best players.
