Patriots: 3 players fighting for long-term contracts in 2021

2. Trent Brown

The Patriots surprised a lot of fans when they re-acquired Trent Brown via trade this offseason. Of course, Brown started his career with San Francisco, but was dealt to New England in 2018 and he went on to play an instrumental role in their Super Bowl run.

That season helped Brown position himself for a lucrative extension, though the Pats weren’t willing to go that extra mile to keep him around and he ultimately became the highest-paid OL by signing a four-year, $66 million deal with the Raiders.

While the former seventh-round pick flashed potential with Las Vegas, his inability to stay healthy (he appeared in just 16 of a possible 32 games) unfortunately resulted in the end of his stint on the west coast … though he probably preferred it that way based on his comments about returning to Foxborough, but that’s neither here nor there.

Trent Brown needs to be consistent if he wants a new deal with the Patriots.

That brings us back to current events. Entering the offseason, Brown had two years and $29 million remaining on his Raiders contract. As part of the trade that sent him to the Patriots, however, he reworked his deal and will play on a one-year, $11 million deal.

The Patriots wouldn’t have traded for Brown if they didn’t envision him being a key cog along their offensive line moving forward. With that being said, however, the 28-year-old will need to be consistent (and stay on the field) if he wants a long-term deal.