It was obvious that the New England Patriots had a glaring issue last season. They lacked talent on the offensive line, and it wasn’t all their fault. Doctors found blood clots in David Andrews’ lungs, which cost him the entire 2019 season. Left tackle Isaiah Wynn missed half the season with a toe injury. That put Marshall Newhouse, a below-average veteran tackle, and Ted Karras, an unproven backup, into starting roles.
While Wynn returned later last season and Andrews seems to be trending towards playing in 2020, the Patriots will have another thing to worry about on the line. Joe Thuney, who started all 64 possible games in his career, is set to hit the market and get paid handsomely. It’s unlikely New England matches the offers that will come, especially if they’re around the $15 million per year that’s been estimated.
Karras is also expected to get some money as he hits free agency as well. In the same report as Thuney’s $15 million, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported that Karras could see upwards of $10 million annually. New England won’t come close to that. Oh, and don’t forget that long-time offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia retired in January.
The Patriots will likely need to find a new left guard and some more depth without arguably the greatest positional coach in NFL history. Here are five offensive linemen that the Patriots could bring in through free agency.
Michael Schofield, guard
Schofield was selected in the third round of the 2014 draft by the Denver Broncos. He was in Denver for three seasons where he started at both tackle and guard. Before the 2017 regular season, Schofield was waived and claimed by the Chargers. Once he became a full-time guard in 2018, his play really jumped. He went from a below-average tackle to a competent guard following that change.
His athleticism has made the difference at the guard spot. He could make a very athletic guard duo with Shaq Mason on the right side. Like Spain, Schofield’s versatility to play tackle in emergency situations may help out as well. The most important part is that his contract won’t be a killer, either.