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Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lists four pending free agents that Los Angeles should start negotiating with next week.
The NFL’s tampering period begins next week, allowing the Chargers and the rest of the league to start negotiating with free agents. While these negotiations can take place, teams can’t officially sign a player until March 17.
Los Angeles has quite a few needs to address this offseason. With that being said, here are four key free agents that the Bolts should be tampering with when the period opens up.
Thuney was originally drafted in the third round by the Patriots coming out of North Carolina State.
It’s safe to say that the Vikings drafting Laquon Treadwell with the 23rd overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft didn’t work.
In his 2016 redraft over at NFL.com, Adam Rank has the Vikings passing on Treadwell (surprise!) and instead drafting guard Joe Thuney.
Here’s what Rank wrote about the pick:
The Vikings took Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell with this pick. And look, I missed on him, too, so I won’t clown on the Vikings for that. There aren’t a lot of a great receivers to pick here, so I believe Thuney would be an excellent choice here for Minnesota.
Literally anyone but Treadwell would have been the answer here. Unfortunately, that wasn’t so clear at the time.
Thuney was originally drafted in the third round by the Patriots coming out of North Carolina State.
For a team that’s needed huge offensive line help through the years, this would have been a welcomed pick. Thuney has started every game since being drafted.
The New York Giants have needs at various positions, but guard is not high on that list. Would veteran Joe Thuney make sense anyway?
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The New York Giants have several significant areas of need they must address this offseason and none of them come inside at the guard spot. However, that may change if general manager Dave Gettleman decides to move on from Will Hernandez and/or opts to release Kevin Zeitler to create some cap space.
In the event that either of those moves happen — and even if they don’t — might the Giants consider an offensive line shuffle to help fit Joe Thuney into the fold?
Thuney’s name has been thrown around more and more in recent days with some beginning to speculate that he could be a fit for the Giants. FanSided’s Matt Lombardo is one of them.
If the NY Giants are not sold on Lemieux developing into a long-term solution at guard (and at this stage, why would they be?), Thuney makes some sense. Likewise, if the Giants move on from Kevin Zeitler and his $14.5 million cap number in 2021, Thuney would be an obvious candidate to replace him.
The New England Patriots-to-Giants pipeline is well-worn at this point, and Joe Judge’s presence as head coach makes New York a fit for Thuney. However, the Giants are currently just $920,000 under the projected salary cap, so it might take some lifting to be in position to beat Thuney’s market.
Lombardo isn’t alone. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox also believes the Giants should hone in on Thuney and find a way to get him on board.
If the Giants do generate some much-needed cap room, Patriots guard Joe Thuney could be the perfect free-agent target. He has also played tackle in New England and played at least 97 percent of the offensive snaps in each of his five pro campaigns. He allowed just two sacks over 980 snaps this past season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Adding the 28-year-old Thuney could help bolster the Giants line for the long term. This would be a major benefit as the Giants look to develop, protect and/or determine the future of quarterback Daniel Jones. To this point, protection has been an issue for the third-year pro, who has taken 83 sacks in his 27 NFL games.
The prospect of adding Thuney is an interesting one, but it would require several dominoes to fall into place. It would also come at a major expense and potentially prevent the Giants from adding the top-end playmakers they covet.
While the offensive line has been a problem for nearly a decade now, the team is much more secure at the guard spots than they are at the other positions. Head coach Joe Judge seems to like Shane Lemieux at left guard and Zeitler is easily the Giants’ most steady offensive lineman at right guard. And if the argument against him is that his contract is too rich for New York’s blood, what would that mean for Thuney who is likely to demand an even larger salary?
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With the fourth-highest cap space, the Patriots can’t even land one?
In a rare season that the New England Patriots carry the fourth-most cap space in the NFL, they’re also one of the least attractive landing spots.
After winning Super Bowl LV, Tom Brady proved he was the heartbeat of the organization while Bill Belichick struggled to put together a 7-9 season. Core veterans like Matthew Slater, Devin McCourty, Julian Edelman, Patrick Chung and Dont’a Hightower are all getting older. It’s cold in Foxborough and playing in the militant environment isn’t ideal for a lot of players without a clear path to a Super Bowl.
Another huge deterrent is the uncertainty at the quarterback position. The Patriots still don’t appear to have anything solidified at quarterback and it’s hard for free agent skill players to come in without knowing who the signal-caller is. For all these reasons, Pro Football Focus predicted landing spots for the top 50 free agents and excluded the Patriots.
They did guess that two Patriots would depart to different teams within this list — Cam Newton (Washington Football Team) and Joe Thuney (Cincinnati Bengals).
PFF on Newton’s potential landing spot.
The interest for Newton isn’t likely to be strong after how his one-year “prove-it” deal went with New England in 2020. He brought value to the run game in short-yardage situations and in the red zone, but the downfield passing was wildly inconsistent. Newton completed four or fewer passes on throws of 10-plus yards downfield in 11 of his 15 starts in 2020 and completed only 14 deep passes over 20 yards downfield on the year. Overall, the accuracy was poor from Newton, as he ranked just 28th in percentage of accurate passes thrown beyond the line of scrimmage.
Washington is in the veteran quarterback market this offseason and Football Team head coach Ron Rivera, who also coached Newton in Carolina, could reunite with the 2015 MVP and give him a shot to compete with Taylor Heinicke.
PFF on Thuney’s potential landing spot.
It’s no secret that Cincinnati’s offensive line has been among the worst in the NFL for quite some time now — they have ranked in the bottom five in PFF grade in each of the last four years. Last season, they came in at No. 30 in combined offensive line PFF grade.
Left tackle Jonah Williams and center Trey Hopkins performed quite well relative to their counterparts, but the rest of the line was a downright liability. And following the season-ending injury to Joe Burrow last year, they know they can’t afford to ignore the line in free agency.
They have the cap space to make a massive move in free agency to address that fact, and Thuney — who grew up just outside the Cincinnati area — could well be that big signing. Thuney ranks sixth among left guards in PFF grade since entering the league in 2016. He also has never ranked lower than 13th in a single season among all guards in WAR generated.
Bill Belichick will have to work harder as a general manager than he’s ever had to in his two decades with the team.
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Arizona’s offensive line did fairly well last year, but could they look to upgrade by adding Joe Thuney?
In a continued series looking at potential Arizona Cardinals free agent targets, guard Joe Thuney is next up on the list.
Thuney has been quite solid for the New England Patriots. Just check out these stats per Pro Football Focus. Since 2018, in 2,008 pass-blocking snaps, he has allowed only three sacks.
Joe Thuney since 2018:
🔹 2,008 pass-block snaps
🔹 3 sacks allowedThuney: PFF's 13th ranked free agent pic.twitter.com/uPkvrAw0zy
— PFF (@PFF) February 11, 2021
Thuney is going to cost a bit more than a lot of other free agent offensive lineman, but if Arizona is serious about protecting Kyler Murray, it should be interested in Thuney, despite the underrated play of the offensive line last season.
If signed, Thuney would likely replace Justin Murray at right guard. Based on quarterback Kyler Murray’s recent retweets, he wants protection, and if that is the case, they need to look at Thuney seriously.
It’s not the biggest priority, looking at the Cardinals roster, but what do you think about the Cardinals signing Thuney?
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Can the Minnesota Vikings sign a guard like Washington’s Brandon Scherff and New England’s Joe Thuney? It would be tough.
The Vikings offense was high-octane in 2020, but the group also had their flaws.
Starting left guard Dakota Dozier earned a PFF grade of 44.6 this past season. Dozier is set to be a free agent this offseason. Even if Minnesota wants to keep Ezra Cleveland at right guard, the Vikings may want to try and sign a guard in free agency.
Recently, the Vikings have struggled to consistently select good offensive linemen through the draft process. A free agency guard could be more of a sure thing.
So what would it take for Minnesota to land one of the top guards in free agency? Washington’s Brandon Scherff and New England’s Joe Thuney are probably the top two guards in this free agency class, by most people’s accounts.
PFF projects that a team will sign Scherff for $15 million a year for four years. Thuney will command $14.25 million over four years, per PFF.
Right now, given the Vikings’ possible cap situation, it seems as though the team will have to alter some of the biggest cap hits to 2021. It might not be doable, because Minnesota would be letting go of important assets in an effort to sign Scherff or Thuney.
Former Minnesota OL Nick Easton seems like more of a possibility from a contract standpoint.
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez rebuilds Los Angeles’ offensive line.
I feel like a broken record saying this, but the time is now for the Chargers to revamp the offensive line in the offseason.
After putting it off year after year, general manager Tom Telesco is finally realizing that the line is a glaring issue that needs to be resolved.
“There’s a lot of improvement that needs to be made in that area,” Telesco said about the team’s offensive line at his end-of-season press conference.
Numbers don’t lie. Quarterback Justin Herbert was pressured on 27.6% of his attempts in 2020, the seventh-highest rate among QBs with at least 200 attempts, according to SportRadar.
Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus had the unit ranked the worst in the NFL.
Injuries hindered tackle Bryan Bulaga and guard Trai Turner. Meanwhile, there was inconsistent play from center Dan Feeney, guard Forrest Lamp and tackle Sam Tevi.
At the moment, Feeney, Lamp and Tevi are slated to be free agents. Turner is a potential cut candidate to free up some cap space after his disappointing season. Bulaga is likely safe, but there are some serious durability concerns.
The bottom line is that if Los Angeles wants to have a high octane offense moving forward with Herbert at the helm, they need to get better in the trenches.
Starting with the in-house options, I believe the team loves Feeney, Lamp and Tevi. I don’t feel comfortable with anyone of them in a starting role moving forward, but I believe for the sake of continuity, they’re good enough to be brought back as depth pieces.
As for Turner, I elect to move on from him to clear up $11.5 million in cap space.
Looking ahead to free agency, I am going all in for the best interior free agent offensive linemen available. All eyes are on Brandon Scherff, Joe Thuney, Corey Linsley.
In this scenario, I’m able to sign Linsley to fill the center spot.
Looking to the second tier of free agents, my attention is shifted to Nick Easton, Larry Warford, Jon Feliciano and Denzelle Good.
I sign to Warford to serve as the starting right guard.
Moving on to the NFL draft, my focus is landing a plug-and-play tackle and guard in the first two rounds.
On the clock at pick No. 13, the Chargers land USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker. Vera-Tucker projects best as a guard at the next level, but his tape from 2020 tells me that he can thrive on the outside.
Fast forward to pick No. 45, Los Angeles takes Notre Dame’s Aaron Banks. A proven guard, Banks’ pass protection will help secure the inside of a line early on and he will add value as a run blocker with his power.
The work doesn’t stop there. After addressing the cornerback and edge defender position with the team’s two third-round picks, I add a high upside player in Clemson’s Jackson Carman to kick off Day 3.
The 6-foot-5 and 335 pounder has the athleticism, strong hands, leverage in pass protection and mauling mentality in the running game. Carman can play tackle at the next level, but he has the skill set to play guard, as well. That versatility is a plus for L.A.
My new line, from left to right, would look something like: Vera-Tucker, Banks, Linsley, Warford, Bulaga. Depth includes Feeney, Lamp, Tevi, Carman, Storm Norton, Trey Pipkins and Scott Quessenberry.
If the Chargers want to get the most out of Herbert for many years, they must keep him as clean as possible and a line like this can go a long way.
More projections send Joe Thuney to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021 NFL free agency.
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Joe Thuney to the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency isn’t an idea only held by fans of the team that desperately needs to protect quarterback Joe Burrow.
In fact, experts have been all over the idea since last offseason when the New England Patriots hit one of the NFL’s best guards with the franchise tag.
While updating projected free-agency landing spots for the market’s best names, Pro Football Focus again sends Thuney (13th overall out of 50) to the Bengals.
Anthony Treash noted the following:
“They have the cap space to make a massive move in free agency to address that fact, and Thuney — who grew up just outside the Cincinnati area — could well be that big signing. Thuney ranks sixth among left guards in PFF grade since entering the league in 2016. He also has never ranked lower than 13th in a single season among all guards in WAR generated.”
Of note, these projections also send William Jackson and Carl Lawson back to the Bengals, too — a realistic outcome given the production of those players, premium nature of what they do and the ample cap space available.
On the Thuney front, ESPN has also argued it is one of the best possible moves the Bengals could make in free agency. We’ve likewise noted the Bengals could pull a shocker like they did last year with D.J. Reader by signing Thuney.
Thuney and the Bengals seem like one of free agency’s most obvious fits, provided the front office is willing to throw its weight around in cash. Landing an elite guard would potentially open up the draft too and go a long way toward assuring the franchise quarterback on a reconstructed knee stays on the field.
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Would Patriots OL Joe Thuney be a free agent fit for Dolphins?
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The Miami Dolphins’ ongoing evaluation of their offensive line is going to prompt changes this offseason. The Dolphins spent heavily along the offensive line throughout the last offseason and endured some successes with adding young players into the mix — but the line is still not a finished product in any way. Miami must continue to improve the trenches if they hope to become a championship caliber program; no easy task.
One possible candidate for Miami is a player the team was closely tied to in the buildup to last year’s free agent window, offensive guard Joe Thuney. Thuney, who was hit with the franchise tag by the Patriots last year on the cusp of hitting the open market, is one again set for free agency after playing the year on the franchise tag in 2020. Does he make sense for the Dolphins?
The question of Thuney being a fit in Miami’s offense is yes, absolutely. He’s one of the better interior offensive linemen in all of football and Thuney undoubtedly would be an upgrade for the Dolphins’ line. He’d automatically become the team’s best offensive lineman. And it wouldn’t be especially close. The connection between Thuney and Brian Flores make this an obvious match to try to make — but there are hurdles to be found, mainly in the cost of bringing Thuney into the picture.
Miami brought in Ereck Flowers last year in free agency on a 3-year, $30M contract after Thuney was snatched off the open market by the Patriots. Both Miami and the New York Jets were expected to compete for him closely. And now, with Thuney set to hit the open market once again, Miami does not have the same cash surplus to work with and throw money at luring him into the picture. Yes, Miami could afford Thuney no questions asked. But if they pursue that contract — which will likely be top dollar for interior lineman, they’ll need to shed away Flowers’ contract. The only way to avoid the dead cap space given to Flowers via guaranteed salary is to trade him to another team.
So that makes this move a risky one for Miami. You can sign Thuney to a record deal, assuming you can outbid the New York Jets and the New England Patriots (although they are, according to The Athletic, reportedly “nowhere close” on dollars now) and presumably other teams, but then if you can’t move Flowers you’re eating $9M in cap space to have one of the two (Flowers) ride the bench.
Miami would be a great landing spot for Thuney and the team could certainly use the upgrade. But the cap situation and Thuney’s expected cost make this a challenging proposition — one that isn’t easily solved and would likely require too many steps to go right for the team to feel confident in their ability to successfully swing the transition. Given Flowers’ age, cost and level of play, Miami would probably have to give away a pick along with Flowers for a lesser pick in return to open up the cap space needed to aggressively and confidently pursue Thuney this spring.
The Los Angeles Chargers re-sign a player and upgrade both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
We still have a couple of months until the new league year begins, but everyone is already gearing up for what will be a enticing offseason for the Chargers, as they set on the new era with coach Brandon Staley.
There are a number of players from other teams that look like good bait to sign during the free agency period that would be able to help Los Angeles take a step to get back to their winning ways.
With that being said, using ESPN’s top 50 free agent list, here’s a look at five players that L.A. should consider signing, starting with tight end Hunter Henry, who checked in at No. 5.
With quarterback Justin Herbert distributing the wealth, Henry was a top target, catching 60 passes (career high), marking the eighth-most among the league’s tight ends. He also added four touchdowns.
Even though he has been hindered by a couple knee injuries throughout his career, he proved to stay healthy in 2020. Henry is a difference-maker in the passing game and he is arguably one of the better blockers on the team.
Staying on the offensive side of the ball, L.A. needs instant help along the line. With Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney set to hit the free agency market, the team could benefit from getting interior help.
Listed as No. 20 on the list, Patriots guard Joe Thuney would supply the unit with a proven and reliable guard. Thuney played every snap in all but two games this season, allowing just three sacks in the past three years. The 28-year old would immediately increase the talent on the line.
Efficient cornerback play is vital in Staley’s defense. Already a positional group that needs to be upgraded, one of the better corners in this year’s free agency crop could help with that.
Checking in at No. 28, Seahawks’ Shaquill Griffin would be a great addition. This past season, Griffin posted a career-high three interceptions. The year before that, he tallied 13 passes defensed to go along with 65 tackles en route to his first Pro Bowl nod.
Typically when a coordinator gets a head coaching gig, there’s a good chance that some of their former players will follow them. In this case, safety John Johnson (No. 32) and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd (No. 35) could be those that follow Staley to the Chargers.
Posting 105 tackles and limiting pass-catchers to only 4.9 yards per target, Johnson is proven in pass coverage and run defense, capable of playing both safety positions, cornerback and linebacker. Staley may want Johnson for the impact he makes on defense and his leadership skills.
With Melvin Ingram slated to be a free agent, the Chargers need another pass-rush presence alongside Joey Bosa. Floyd, who is coming off his best year as a pro after totaling career-highs in sacks (12.5), tackles (55) and quarterback hits (19), would be a huge boost up front.
