The New England Patriots made their first strides towards beefing up their offensive line by reportedly signing former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor on Thursday.
Of course, that has a bunch of Patriots fans pressing the panic alarm on the team’s chances of re-signing pending free agent tackle Mike Onwenu to a new deal.
Take a deep breath. Relax.
This signing will not impact the Patriots’ ongoing negotiations with Onwenu. The Patriots are expected to make several signings, whether through the draft or free agency, at the tackle position, which was one of the biggest trouble spots for the team throughout the 2023 season.
Okorafor is a solid depth signing with plenty of upside at only 26 years old. Sure, he has starting potential, but he could also work into the offense as a rotational piece up front.
More than anything, the Patriots need reliable bodies to serve as a wall for whoever is under center at quarterback, and Okorafor is the kind of player that can help provide that sort of protection.
New England should still be very competitive in trying to re-sign Onwenu. Patriots executive Eliot Wolf wouldn’t have gone out of his way to call the former sixth-round draft pick a “cornerstone” player if he wasn’t serious about bringing him back on a new deal.
Nothing is ever certain in free agency, but when it comes to keeping one of their own, the new regime isn’t going down without a fight.
