Patriots: 3 players who aren’t getting enough respect entering 2021

1. David Andrews

Much to the surprise of fans, the Patriots overhauled their offensive line this offseason. It started by trading for Trent Brown, then shipping Marcus Cannon to the Texans, welcoming Shaq Mason back after he opted out last season, and re-signing David Andrews.

Speaking of Andrews, he clearly deserves consideration as one of the best centers in the league, but only Patriots fans recognize him as such. Nothing about that is fair, and that’s exactly why he qualified for the top spot on this list.

If you put aside the 2019 season, which Andrews missed in its entirety after he was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs, the former undrafted talent has appeared in 72 of a possible 80 games since his rookie year in 2015.

David Andrews is hands down one of the best centers in the NFL.

Much like former guard Joe Thuney, who signed with Kansas City as a free agent earlier this offseason after New England opted against extending him, Andrews’ contributions to the Patriots’ last two championships have been grossly overlooked.

Over his first five seasons (4,694 snaps), Andrews is responsible for allowing just eight sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. During that span, he conceded 18 penalties and earned a 71.3 grade from PFF, culminating with an 84.7 mark in 2017.

Make no mistake about it, folks; with Thuney now with the Chiefs, Andrews is now the de facto most important member of the Patriots offensive line. If that doesn’t prove it’s time to put respect on his name, then nothing does.

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