NFL
By Steve Atkinson
Joe Thuney was considered too expensive for the Patriots after he was traded from the Chiefs to the Bears for a fourth-round pick in 2026. The Bears, who also have a struggling offensive line, decided to trade for a Super Bowl-winning offensive lineman to support their second-year quarterback, Caleb Williams. However, the Patriots felt this was too high a price and announced to reporters that they’ll be aggressive this offseason. While the legal tampering period begins on Monday, their efforts to assist Drake Maye have not gotten off to a strong start.
The Patriots Couldn’t Afford Joe Thuney
They should have signed Thuney. They could have also pursued Deebo Samuel, but they decided he doesn’t fit their scheme. DeAndre Hopkins is unlikely to join since DeVante Adams wants to play on the West Coast and D.K. Metcalf is not interested in coming to New England. This leaves the Patriots with a lot of tier-two offensive linemen and wide receivers. We will see what happens in the upcoming week; hopefully, they can land some tier-one players instead of just a bunch of patchwork signings who will be shuffled around to different positions.
Joe Thuney Was Available and The Patriots Past
Last season, the Patriots didn’t even have a left tackle. They signed a washed-up Steelers player who didn’t last the entire season and is now out of the league. Why did the Krafts get rid of Mayo and hire Vrabel if they are just going to be cheap? The cap space shouldn’t be an issue; the owners are billionaires and can afford top-tier talent for Drake Maye. The real question is whether they will act on it.
In 2021, they spent money on what turned out to be mostly tier-two talent in free agency to support Mac Jones. Only Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, and Matt Judon made significant impacts; the rest were underwhelming.
Last year’s draft, aside from Drake Maye, also fell short of expectations. You have Matt Groh, a Belichick protégé, scouting Travis Hunter. However, this is the same Matt Groh who after drafting Tyquan Thornton insisted that if you need speed, you should go for fast players. Thornton now finds himself on the Chiefs’ practice squad. I don’t trust Groh to scout players effectively; he should probably go to North Carolina and work with Belichick.
The Patriots aren’t likely to make the Super Bowl, but fans just want them to be competitive. Joe Thuney is available, yet the team won’t trade for him because he’s too expensive? What does this mean for the upcoming week?
Get ready for potential signings like Chris Godwin and Jakobi Meyers, which I would support, but neither is a number-one wide receiver. They are tier-two wide receivers at best. Big names like Cooper Kupp, Brandon Aiyuk, Stefon Diggs, or DeAndre Hopkins are unrealistic; they are simply too expensive. It doesn’t matter what the Krafts tell the media about being willing to spend and be aggressive. The Patriots will likely sign some tier-two offensive linemen or left tackles and convert them into right tackles because it’s cheaper. Expect tier-two wide receiver talent and defensive linemen to follow.
