Tag: Joe Thuney

Joe Thuney can fix Chiefs’ revolving door at LG during Andy Reid era

Why did the Chiefs go out and spend a bunch of money to get Joe Thuney? Just look at their recent history at the left guard position.

If you’re wondering why the Kansas City Chiefs went out and spent money to go sign free agent OL Joe Thuney, look no further than their recent history at left guard. They’ve long sought consistency at the position and they’ve failed to find it, now spanning two franchise starting quarterbacks. They’re clearly hoping that will change with Thuney, a player who has shown durability and consistency throughout his career at the left guard position.

During Andy Reid’s eight seasons as head coach in Kansas City, there hasn’t been a single player to put together a full 16-game stretch as the starter at left guard. In total, 13 players have started games at left guard for the Chiefs over the course of those eight seasons. It’s not for lack of trying either, as the Chiefs invested draft capital, free-agent dollars, attempted to develop players and made trades during that span. For whatever reason, it never worked.

Here’s a quick reminder of each of the 13 players to start at left guard since Andy Reid’s arrival:

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ reaction to Joe Thuney’s signing is all you need to know

It’s safe to say that Mahomes is happy with the Chiefs’ choice to add Joe Thuney.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have a new stud offensive lineman on the way after agreeing to terms with former New England Patriots OL Joe Thuney on a five-year deal.

The lasting image from Super Bowl LV was Chiefs star QB Patrick Mahomes running for his life behind an offensive line decimated by injuries. The team was always going to be in the market for free-agent offensive linemen this year because of that image. However, when the Chiefs released starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz it signaled that a lot of changes were coming.

We now know that one of those changes was for the team to go out and sign a blue-chip offensive guard to help protect the franchise. There was nobody more excited about this move than Mahomes and his reaction tells you everything you need to know about the signing

Mahomes probably could have added a few more grinning emojis to the mix, given that his team just signed one of the most reliable and consistent left guards in the game. That’s been a problem spot for the Chiefs for many years and now it seems they’ve got it solidified for the next five seasons.

The franchise quarterback appears to have a lot of input on the Chiefs’ plans when it comes to roster-building. Last year, Andy Reid and Brett Veach revealed that Mahomes had input on the Clyde Edwards-Helaire pick in the 2020 NFL draft. It’s safe to say that he was in their ear about getting some help on the offensive line ahead of the 2021 free agency period too.

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Patrick Mahomes was very happy to see the Chiefs are signing a former Patriots offensive lineman

Patrick Mahomes approves.

If you remember watching the Super Bowl last month then you remember seeing Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes always running away from a lot of pressure put on by the Bucs’ defense.

His offensive line wasn’t great on that night and then last week the team said goodbye to two of its longtime offense tackles, Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz.

Well, free agency began today in the NFL and the Chiefs have reportedly made a big move to help shore up that offensive line and protect its star QB.

FTW’s NFL free agency tracker

Multiple reports have Kansas City agreeing to a deal with Joe Thuney, who spent the last five years playing left guard for the Patriots. Thuney started all 16 games in each of those five seasons and won two Super Bowls.

Mahomes was very excited by the news:

Here’s why Mahomes should be happy:

 

That’s a very good move by the Chiefs.

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Bengals free-agent target Joe Thuney agrees to sign with Chiefs

The Cincinnati Bengals will have to look elsewhere for help in free agency with Joe Thuney going to the Kansas City Chiefs.

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The Joe Thuney dream for the Cincinnati Bengals is over.

Monday, hours after the legal-tampering window opened, Thuney agreed to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs, opting to join and protect Patrick Mahomes and a team that recently cut both starting tackles.

The Bengals, meanwhile, have yet to do much on the market in this initial sprint. With Thuney’s numbers checking in at $80 million, it’s clear the team wasn’t going to be in on Thuney — no matter how big the need and how much it made sense to bring an Ohio guy to town.

At that sort of price range, Cincinnati could technically find two starters in the trenches or at another position, knowing the draft will help them out in the top five.

For now, names like Trai Turner and others on our big board are fallback options with Thuney gone:

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Grading G Joe Thuney’s deal with the Kansas City Chiefs: B

The Kansas City Chiefs have reached a deal with Joe Thuney. Is he the right lineman to protect the franchise?

The Kansas City Chiefs are in the process of remaking their offensive line, with players like Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz not returning to the team next season. However, given what the team saw happen in Super Bowl LV, with Patrick Mahomes spending most of the game running for his life, the organization needed to make some moves up front.

They did that on the first day of the legal tampering period, reaching a deal with free agent offensive guard Joe Thuney:

At the outset…yes. That is a lot of money. On paper that would make Thuney the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in the NFL. Of course, the true terms of the deal might bring Thuney in below that $80 million number.

Is he worth it? Well, yes. With Brandon Scherff returning to Washington Thuney became the best player available at his position, and that is going to result in a big payday. Thuney became something of a legend in New England after he helped lock down Aaron Donald in Super Bowl LIII, and since 2018 he has been charged with allowing just three sacks.

The Patriots implement a varied run scheme, with a mix of both zone and gap/power concepts, and Thuney can handle them all. This past season the Patriots rejuvenated their rushing attack with the signing of Cam Newton, and Thuney was a piece of what they did on the ground.

Yet in today’s NFL we all know passing is king, and Thuney is stout in pass protection. He has the awareness and experience to identify twists and stunts up front, and the power, technique and lower-body strength necessary to win many one-on-one matchups. Take this example against the Baltimore Ravens:

When you have invested in a player like Mahomes, you need to be sure that he is going to be protected.  That is something that you can almost struggle to put a price on, although the Chiefs seem to have come up with a number here with the Thuney deal. Plus, depending on how this deal is structured, the Chiefs might have been able to push the bigger money years of the deal down the road a bit, when the salary cap is expected to balloon.

And if the franchise is happy, the fanbase should be as well:

EDITED TO ADD: Okay so the terms of the deal are out and, it changes things a bit.

Instead of back-loading this deal, the Chiefs front-loaded it a bit, so we have to drop the initial grade somewhat. $48 million practically guaranteed, and upfront, is a lot for an interior offensive lineman.

Report: Vikings expected to vie for G Joe Thuney, CB Shaquill Griffin in free agency

The Minnesota Vikings are reportedly expected to be in on two big free agents: guard Joe Thuney, CB Shaquill Griffin.

When the base salary cap was first announced, Minnesota did not have a lot of cap space to work with.

But since then, the Vikings have made some moves. The team has released TE Kyle Rudolph, LT Riley Reiff, K Dan Bailey and others. Minnesota has also restructured with LB Anthony Barr and P Britton Colquitt.

So the team can be somewhat of a player in free agency with the freed up space. According to Chad Graff of The Athletic, that’s what the team is doing. Graff reported that the Vikings are in on two of this year’s top free agents: guard Joe Thuney and CB Shaquill Griffin. Minnesota will have competition with those two, but the Vikings are interested, per Graff.

Both of those players fill needs for the Vikings. Minnesota struggled on the interior of the offensive line this past season, especially in pass protection. Thuney is coming off a 2020 where he had a PFF pass blocking grade of 73.1 and overall grade of 74.2. He would be a big help for the offensive line.

Griffen could also be a help. Last season, the young Vikings cornerback group made strides and improved down the stretch. That said, the group had their ups and downs and someone with more experience could help players like Cameron Dantzler and Jeff Gladney.

Report: Patriots are making last-minute effort to retain Joe Thuney

Apparently, the Patriots want to keep their best offensive lineman.

The New England Patriots don’t want guard Joe Thuney to get away in free agency, according to MMQB’s Albert Breer.

While the Patriots had been quiet with Thuney in the days leading up to the tampering window on Monday, when all 32 teams can negotiate with pending free agents, New England has made a more aggressive push to retain Thuney. He played on the franchise tag in 2020, and Patriots coach Bill Belichick has referred to him as one of the team’s best players.

Thuney plays at left guard, but has the flexibility and talent to play any position on the offensive line in a pinch. Apparently, the Patriots want to stay in the mix, even with Thuney likely to be the highest paid guard in the NFL.

Here’s what Breer wrote on the topic:

“[W]ashington taking Brandon Scherff off the market should really help New England’s Joe Thuney. It seemed the Patriots were resigned to Thuney’s 2021 departure after tagging him last March — they had very minimal discussions on a long-term deal with him thereafter, and no progress had been made right up to when the Patriots agreed to deal for Trent Brown last week. But since then, the lines of communication have reopened, and the Patriots have expressed that they’d like to keep Thuney. Whether the sides can meet on a price remains to be seen.”

New England has plenty of talent to fill in for Thuney, if he signed elsewhere. Still, the Patriots want him back.

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Reporter suggests Bengals as one of the teams ‘lining up’ for Joe Thuney

Are the Cincinnati Bengals about to get in on the Joe Thuney sweepstakes?

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The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t even make it to the legal-tampering window at noon on Monday before losing a potential free-agent target in guard Kevin Zeitler.

Zeitler ended up signing with the Baltimore Ravens, so the Bengals will face him twice per year.

But they might have sights on somebody else.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero hit the airwaves early and suggested the Bengals first and foremost when talking about teams that could have an interest in elite guard Joe Thuney:

“This first wave of free agency is going to move quickly…there are going to be teams lining up for him. The Bengals, the Vikings, the Packers, the Texans, maybe even the Seahawks. Don’t be surprised by tonight if Thuney is one of, if not the highest-paid guards in football.”

Thuney is the best guard on the market, if not the best guard in the league. He was the franchise player in New England last year for good reason and would be a superb upgrade for the Cincinnati line in front of Joe Burrow.

That said, the Bengals would have to downright shock again to land Thuney given the money he’s likely to earn on the open market. But if the Bengals are serious, a surefire franchise player of an upgrade is sitting right there as soon as tampering starts.

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Breaking down the Chargers’ options after release of Trai Turner

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez breaks down how the Los Angeles Chargers can fill the hole at right guard.

The Chargers popped up in the news on Friday after releasing their starting right guard from last season, Trai Turner. The release wasn’t all that surprising considering Turner was injured and underwhelming with his play in 2020.

His departure leaves another hole in the offensive line that Los Angeles will have to fill this offseason. With that being said, let’s take a look at a couple of options and potential suitors.

Report: Patriots not expected to franchise tag OG Joe Thuney

Perhaps Joe Thuney’s time with the Patriots is coming to an end.

The New England Patriots placed the franchise tag on guard Joe Thuney in 2020, but they will not be doing the same in 2021, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Thuney will not receive the tag, and is likely to enter free agency.

He will be one of the top offensive linemen on the market, and will likely be the most sought-after guard. The only problem for Thuney is that many NFL teams are strapped for cash in an offseason where the salary cap is likely to go down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s the only thing that would interfere with Thuney being the highest-paid guard in the NFL when he signs a new deal.

The Patriots guards for 2021 include Shaq Mason, Michael Onewnu, Justin Herron. If Thuney were to depart, Onwenu would likely take over at left guard. But that may not plug all the holes. The Patriots’ starting center, David Andrews, is also a pending free agent.

The news on Thuney comes on the same day that the Patriots agreed to terms on a trade for tackle Trent Brown.

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