With NFL free agency only a week away, New England Patriots fans are getting a glimpse at one insider’s plans to revamp the team’s roster.
There’s not much the Patriots don’t need this offseason. Outside of quarterback Drake Maye and star cornerback Christian Gonzalez, any roster spot can and should be due for an upgrade. But even so, the offensive line stands out as a weak spot.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss believes the Patriots will go all out to find Maye a new left tackle this spring.
On Wednesday, ESPN ran a “simulated” free agency with team reporters offering hypothetical contracts to several star players around the league. Reiss offered a successful four-year, $100 million bid for Baltimore Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley.
“Left tackle is one of the team’s top needs. Ensuring Drake Maye’s blind side is protected by a capable, proven veteran would be a major first step to a productive offseason of team-building,” Reiss wrote.
“Also, bringing in a leader who has played in big games — as a steadying presence on and off the field — is worth an overpay. As coach Mike Vrabel said, ‘I think everyone overspends sometimes in free agency.’”
Dan Graziano, who served as ESPN’s deciding vote in each of the bidding wars, chose Reiss’ deal over a hypothetical three-year, $60 million offer from the incumbent Ravens.
“This is the kind of deal that makes a player feel as if the team wants to build its offseason around him,” Graziano wrote. “Stanley considers himself one of the elite left tackles in the league, and this is a contract that shows the Patriots agree.”
Stanley, 30, is a two-time Pro Bowler (including a 2024 selection) and first-team All-Pro. He’s coming off a season in which he played a career-best 19 games and allowed only four sacks on 538 regular-season passing snaps.
Even if Stanley only has a couple seasons left in his prime, the Patriots have to make sure Maye is confident in the pocket next season, which is a potential make-or-break year for his development. Paying extra to ensure they land Stanley seems like a wise strategy.