Foxborough, MA - January 17: New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo speaks during his introductory press conference at Gillette Stadium. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
What is the Patriots’ best left tackle option now that Trent Brown has left?
The New England Patriots face a significant challenge in filling the vacuum left by former starting tackle Trent Brown, who signed a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Foxboro — While the New England Patriots are ushering in a new era with some fresh faces under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo, they have also suffered a significant loss at a critical position of need.
Trent Brown, a former starting left tackle, signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday, bringing a wealth of experience and skill to the position.
When healthy, Brown remains one of the NFL’s elite players, able to play right or left tackle. Though he was limited to 11 games in 2023 due to injury, the former Florida Gator (via Georgia Military) started eight games and played 585 plays on offence. Brown received a 76.4 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, but had a negative run-block grade percentage of 11.7. His ability to impede opposing pass rushers while also sealing the edge to allow for run blocking should make him an excellent match while protecting Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
While Brown’s absence will leave a significant gap for the Patriots to address, mending a line that ranks in the bottom half of the league in several important measures will be difficult.
In this background, here’s a look at how New England can try to compensate for Brown’s departure.
The Patriots’ No. 3 pick in April’s draft is widely expected to address their gaping quarterback need. However, there is significance in laying a new foundation with a sturdy building block at offensive tackle. Fortunately for the Patriots, this year’s class is also thought to be stacked with ability at the position. Should the Patriots consider moving down to maximise their draft capital, Notre Dame’s Joe.
In an odd twist, New England’s top two free agent offensive tackle prospects donned Patriot blue last season: soon-to-be fifth-year tackle Mike Onwenu and Brown himself. Unlike the latter, the Patriots re-signed Onwenu to a three-year, $57 million contract at the start of free agency. As a result, they will remain stable on the right side. However, the well of free agent left tackles remains barren. Though certain noteworthy free agency tackles, like as former Green Bay Packers lineman David Bakhtiari and former New York Jets tackle Mekhi Becton, are still available, the Pats may be unable to make such moves due to age and physical limitations. If the Patriots pursue their potential franchise quarterback in this year’s draft, the existence of a starting-caliber left tackle.
