Patriots: Top 5 free agents the team should try and retain

2. Trent Brown

Trent Brown, like Jason McCourty, was one of the feel-good stories of the 2018 Patriots team narrative. Both players were underutilized and perhaps unappreciated in their previous homes; Brown came into the league relatively quietly for a player of his preternatural physical gifts. At 6’8 and 380 lbs, the behemoth left tackle is one of the largest, biggest, strongest, fiercest specimens in the entire league – and yet he was drafted in the seventh round by San Francisco, and spent three seasons in virtual obscurity there.

Belichick acquired Brown last spring for a box of stale Cheerios… and the rest, as they say, is history. He started all 16 games at left tackle for the Patriots, effortlessly sliding into the starting lineup and protecting Brady’s blind-side all season long. As good as he was in pass protection, he was just as solid in run-blocking.

The only problem for New England now is that Brown may have been too good. While the team has every reason in the world to try and keep him in the fold for 2019 – especially with last year’s draft pick Isaiah Wynn still recovering from a season-ending Achilles injury – it’s going to be extremely tough sledding to do so.

Recently, Brown was asked in an ESPN podcast if he’d be interested in returning next season to play for the Patriots. “That’s definitely something I would love. We’re going to cross that bridge when we get there,” he added.

Brown plays a position that’s perhaps the most overvalued and overpaid in all the NFL, next to quarterback. Teams understand that naturally the second-most important player on a roster is the one who protects the most important player on a roster from getting walloped every time he snaps the ball.

While it won’t be a death-knell for New England to lose Brown in free agency, he should absolutely be one of their top targets to try and retain if they can.