With tackle Trent Brown returning to the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick managed to retain three of the team’s starting offensive linemen — rather than losing three of them.
Brown will return to the Patriots on a two-year deal after New England traded away guard Shaq Mason and watched guard Ted Karras sign with the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency. The truth is, however, that the Patriots only have one spot on the line to fill, with guard Michael Onwenu poised to slide into either Mason or Karras’ spots. New England clearly felt it was prepared to withstand the departures on the interior, but the team made an effort to keep Brown (even if we’ve yet to see the terms of the contract).
New England should feel good about their starting tackles for 2022, with Isaiah Wynn likely to return on the left side and Brown on the right. That’s paramount for the Patriots as they attempt to develop Mac Jones into one of the NFL’s best pocket passers. Jones was pleased at the news on Twitter.
TB77
— Mac Jones (@MacJones_10) March 21, 2022
New England probably recognized they were going to have a hard time replacing Brown, which was why — when he got an offer from the Seattle Seahawks on his visit with them in free agency — the Patriots matched to keep him around.
Brown isn’t just a key cog in the passing game — he’s also a major contributor in the running game. And it doesn’t seem the Patriots are going away from that. Even after retaining James White and signing Ty Montgomery, the Patriots are meeting with running back Leonard Fournette in free agency this week. They wouldn’t be going for an overstocked running group if they didn’t feel the position was crucial for their success in 2022.
So Brown’s signing was an important one — and a move that should ease concerns significantly on the offensive line.
