There was plenty of Patriots buzz out in Indianapolis during the NFL's annual scouting combine last week. One topic that came up consistently?
Mac Jones. There are those who love him. There are those who are waiting to see more. But almost unanimously they agreed that it should be a priority for the Patriots to surround him with talent this offseason.
Which spots on their roster, exactly, should they address? Specifically, how can they maximize what they get from their second-year quarterback? That's where there was some debate.
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SIGN UP HERE In our Maximizing Mac series, we'll touch on several positions where the Patriots have questions and present some possible solutions. Here we look at the offensive line, specifically at right tackle, where the Patriots could lose their starter to unrestricted free agency.
The Problem: Right tackle
Trent Brown is scheduled to hit free agency next week. While the Patriots remain in the bottom half of the league in available cap space, they could figure out a way to bring him back, but he's missed 19 games in the last two seasons and so reinforcements may be necessary.
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When Brown was on the field last year, he was excellent. He notched career-highs in pass-blocking and overall PFF grades last year. And he clearly has the ability to play on the left side -- where he started in 2018 in New England -- though he told reporters the Patriots didn't even practice him there last season.
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If the Patriots feel they can help Brown avoid the injury issues that have kept him off the field, if they can reach a contractual agreement that makes sense for both sides, then it would be worth pursuing another deal. But if the team wants more dependability in front of Jones, even if it means a bit of a dip talent-wise, it may be time to look elsewhere.
- The Solution on the roster: Michael Onwenu
- The Solution in free agency: Morgan Moses
- The Solution in the draft: Daniel Faalele
The Patriots have received more-than-serviceable work from Mike Onwenu at right tackle in the past, but they also have a vacancy at left guard to solve as well. If he's deemed the choice to take over that left guard spot from last year's primary starter Ted Karras, then that leaves an opening at right tackle.
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Former Jets and Commanders tackle Morgan Moses would be a reliable, cost-effective and durable (no missed games since 2015) option on the right side. He didn't miss a snap last year, and though he may not have the upside of someone like Brown, he's been steady over the course of his career. If he's going to cost the Patriots about the same as Brown would, or perhaps slightly less, maybe Bill Belichick swoops in to sign him.
If the Patriots opt to go with a young player, Minnesota's Daniel Faalele looks like the kind of road grader Belichick tends to use on the right side. He has NFL-ready power at 6-foot-8, 387 pounds. He doesn't look like the athlete Brown is when he's at his best. But Faalele flashed good movement skills for someone his size at the Senior Bowl. And if the Patriots want to stick with their grind-it-out running game in 2022, he'd be an intriguing Day 2 option. If the Patriots were looking for an even higher-upside choice in the first round, Central Michigan's Bernhard Raimann has all the size and athletic traits they like at tackle.
The Impact: Keeping Mac clean
Through the first month of the season, with Brown out injured for all but one quarter, Jones was on pace to be hit more frequently than any quarterback in the NFL over the course of the last decade. Even taking away the 17th game, Jones was on track to set a 16-game record.
The Patriots may feel as though they can't risk a similar scenario at any point during Jones' second season. Having a more durable option on the right side could help keep Jones more at ease as he adjusts to NFL life without last year's quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The only question, if Brown isn't back, is which avenue the Patriots pursue to find their answer.