Under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo, the New England Patriots are starting a new era with some fresh faces, but they have also suffered a significant loss at a crucial position of need. Trent Brown, a former starting left tackle, signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday, bringing with him a wealth of experience and skill at the position.
With the ability to play both right and left tackle, Brown remains one of the best players in the NFL when healthy. Despite being injured and only playing in 11 games in 2023, the former Florida Gator (via Georgia Military) started eight games and played 585 offensive snaps. Pro Football Focus gave Brown a pass-blocking rating of 76.4, but he gave up a negative run-block grade percentage of 11.7. He should fit in well protecting Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow because of his ability to muffle opposition pass rushers and seal the edge to allow for run blocking.
While Brown’s absence will create a notable void for the Patriots to fill, the task of repairing a line which ranked in the lower half of the league in several key metrics will be daunting. Within this context, here is a look at how New England may look to compensate for Brown’s departure.
OPTION 1: DRAFT
The Patriots are anticipated to address their obvious quarterback need with the third pick in the April draft. But there’s value in starting again with an offensive lineman who can provide stability. Luckily for the Patriots, there is a lot of quality at the position in this year’s class as well. The Pats’ top targets in case they decide to trade down in order to increase their draft capital are Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga, Penn State’s Olu Fashanu, and Notre Dame’s Joe Alt.
OPTION 2: FREE AGENCY
In an ironic twist, New England’s top two free agent options at offensive tackle wore Patriot blue last season: soon-to-be fifth-year tackle Mike Onwenu and Brown, himself. Unlike the latter, Onwenu was re-signed to a three-year, $57 million deal by the Pats at the outset of free agency. As such, they will maintain stability on the right side. However, the well of free agent left tackles continues to dry. Though some notable free agent tackles such as former Green Bay Packers lineman David Bakhtiari and ex-New York Jets tackle Mekhi Becton remain available, both age and physical logistics may preclude the Pats from making such moves. If the Patriots pursue their future franchise quarterback in this year’s draft, the presence of a starting-caliber left tackle on the field will play a major role in said “QB1’s” success.
OPTION 3: PROMOTE FROM WITHIN
In light of New England’s dismal showing along the line last season, the Patriots are unlikely to entertain this option. Riley Reiff, acquired during last offseason, spent the majority of 2023 on injured reserve and remains on the free agent market. Calvin Anderson was sidelined due to a non-football illness, making his status for 2024 uncertain. Both Sow and fellow second-year lineman Atonio Mafi have show far more promise at guard than at tackle, while Jake Andrews appears to be the hair apparent to David Andrews (no relation) at center. Accordingly, New England’s options for an in-house solution may be a freshly-minted free agent signing.
