Patriots Rumors: Teams making a run at Nate Solder
New England Patriots rumors involving offensive tackle Nate Solder will make some fans uneasy, as teams are gearing up to go after Solder in free agency.
New England Patriots rumors haven’t been great at the beginning of free agency. When you are a good team, other organizations will want your players. That is what has happened in the early going to New England.
The Patriots have been hit as hard as any team in the early going of free agency. New England will reportedly be losing three players already.
Running back Dion Lewis and cornerback Malcolm Butler will reportedly join the Tennessee Titans, while wide receiver Danny Amendola will be joining the Miami Dolphins.
Those are big blows, but ones the Patriots can overcome. Butler was likely moving on after not playing in the Super Bowl. Lewis emerged as the Patriots starting running back last season, but they can find an early down replacement. Amendola stepped up in the playoffs, but the wide receiver depth chart is full in New England.
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While those players could be replaced, it would be more difficult to replace left tackle, Nate Solder. Solder is also a free agent, and arguably the most important one the Patriots have. While Solder has his flaws, left tackles of his caliber rarely hit the market.
As a result, the Patriots are risking losing Tom Brady‘s blindside protector. On Monday, it was reported that Solder was drawing interest from the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos. The interest in Solder was described as being ‘off the charts’.
Now, even more, teams are joining the fray. According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, the Cleveland Browns are making a big run at Solder. Cleveland views Solder as a replacement for long-time left tackle, Joe Thomas.
Source says Browns are making a big run at Nate Solder to replace Joe Thomas at left tackle. Patriots are going to have some stiff competition. Browns have a ton of money to play with
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) March 13, 2018
The Browns reportedly agreed to a deal with tackle Chris Hubbard, which may deter them from going after Solder. However, with the cap space the Browns have, they could easily fit Hubbard and Solder into their cap space.
In addition to Cleveland, the New York Giants are also interested in Solder. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared the news on his Twitter account. A reason for the Giants looking at Solder is them whiffing on former Carolina Panthers guard Andrew Norwell, who is reportedly heading to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Another team in on Patriots OT Nate Solder: The New York Giants. After losing out on Andrew Norwell, their search for offensive line help continues. Pats will have a battle to hold on to Tom Brady's left tackle.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 13, 2018
Whatever money the Giants were going to offer Norwell could easily be offered to Solder. With their offensive line woes, they have to find some help in free agency. Former general manager Jerry Reese ignored the ineptitude of the offensive line too long and is a big reason the Giants are stuck in the position that they currently are.
The Giants don’t have the most cap space in the world, but with a clear need at left tackle, they will probably go hard after Solder just like they did with Norwell.
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The Patriots are going to have a fight on their hands to retain Solder. Allowing him to hit the market could be something they regret, as they may have to pay more than they want to retain him or lose him to another organization.