Joe Thuney will spend the 2020 season with the New England Patriots under the franchise tag.
Both parties had until Wednesday at 4 p.m. to reach an agreement on a long-term deal and they reportedly didn’t even get close. The Patriots will pay the nearly $15 million and he’ll become a free agent at the end of this season. New England used the franchise tag on a player for the first time since 2015 and it will be well worth it, especially with the boost in cap space they received last week.
If it weren’t for the additional money the team received in cap space, the Patriots would’ve had less than $500 thousand for the season to work with and Thuney’s contract would’ve been problematic. So, why didn’t they let him go in free agency or attempt to trade him?
NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal says the New York Jets’ interest in the 27-year-old helped keep him off the market.
There is some belief that the Jets’ reported interest in Thuney helped inspire Bill Belichick to keep him off the market. It will be harder to do again in 2021, especially considering Belichick’s history of not paying interior linemen top dollar. Thuney’s tag-team partner at guard, Shaq Mason, signed a below-market deal in 2018, which could complicate any negotiations with Thuney. Like many Patriots over the years, Thuney will probably have to leave to max out his money.
The Patriots are heading into a season without Tom Brady and long-time offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia. They’ll likely resort to a run-heavy scheme and the offensive line will be crucial in the team’s success. Thuney will be accompanied by Isaiah Wynn, David Andrews, Mason and Marcus Cannon. They need Thuney and all the depth they can possibly get on the offensive line through this transition period.
If the report is true, then Belichick made a classic move to keep one of the league’s top interior linemen out of his division.
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