Patriots making moves to maintain offensive line integrity
The New England Patriots have been hard at work locking up two of their five starters along what was a dominant offensive line last year.
It’s become almost an NFL cliche of sorts that offensive linemen don’t get the credit or attention they deserve… until they mess up. Listen to any professional football telecast and pay careful attention to what the commentators say over the course of a 60-minute game – chances are the only time you’ll hear a lineman’s name even said aloud once is if he commits a penalty (usually holding) or misses a crucial block.
Truly, offensive linemen are the unsung heroes in the trenches, massively responsible for both the safety and overall effectiveness of the quarterback they protect. And yet all too often, these burly guardians won’t receive any recognition for their silent sacrifices unless it’s from an advanced-stats website like ProFootballFocus, usually well after a season is over and most fans have moved on to March Madness or the NBA/NHL playoffs.
Thankfully, the New England Patriots are not like most fans.
Led by savvy, experienced football savants like head coach Bill Belichick and the father/son executive duo of Robert and Jonathan Kraft, New England knows that a big part of their historic success over the past two decades doesn’t just boil down to the phenomenal play of quarterback Tom Brady. It’s also a direct result of the tireless toiling of the big men in front of Brady who keep him upright and completing passes downfield.
As such, the Patriots reportedly restructured right tackle Marcus Cannon’s contract on Monday, according to the NFL Network’s Michael Silver. Through incentives, the overall value of his current deal was pumped up to $24 million in potential earnings; $4.5 million of his 2019 salary was also fully-guaranteed. It’s a fitting reward for a player who has made significant strides in successfully anchoring one end of the New England line over the past few seasons.
Additionally, the Patriots are also allegedly fending off trade requests for left guard Joe Thuney, who has also been taking consistent reps at left tackle throughout OTAs, minicamp, and now training camp as former first-round pick Isaiah Wynn continues his rehabilitation from a torn Achilles heel suffered this time last year.
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Though FanSided’s Matt Verderame claims a new deal isn’t necessarily imminent, he does cite sources familiar with the situation in saying that both New England and Thuney have begun negotiations towards a richer contract that will keep Thuney a Patriot for the foreseeable future.
It’s all intelligent business on the part of a franchise that recognizes the sheer value and importance of its offensive linemen.