It's never too early in the NFL season to think about next year's free agent class. Like all teams, the New England Patriots have players out of contract after this season. One unit that can hardly afford to lose any solid players is the still-questionable offensive line.
Unfortunately, the Patriots' left guard Mike Onwenu is Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox's choice as the team's most important free agent after 2026.
Onwenu will present a tough decision for the Patriots, who'll have several options for him after this season. He has arguably been the team's best offensive lineman over the past few seasons.
Yet after the 2023 season, the Patriots front office ill-advisedly awarded him a bloated contract (revised before the 2026 season) and paid tackle money. That's never a good idea.
The New England Patriots must be juditious in spending their free cash
Knox' comments gravitate toward keeping the massive guard.
"The New England Patriots didn't win in their season opener, but their offensive line looked like a much better unit than it did in Super Bowl LX. Mike Onwenu has been an integral part of New England's O-line pretty much since he entered the league as a 2020 sixth-round pick out of Michigan. He has appeared in 99 games with 91 starts and has started all 35 regular-season games since the start of the 2024 campaign.
Onwenu has settled in as the Patriots' right guard, but he has also spent time at left guard and offensive tackle over the years. He's a quality starter with a ton of positional flexibility, and he's still only 28 years old."
Regardless, the team has to closely evaluate all options available.
New England Patriots can let Onwenu walk after this season
First, let the now 28-year-old Onwenu walk after the season and continue a true offensive line rebuild. Onwenu sports a massive $17.5M cap hit in 2026. That's money that can and should be used more effectively elsewhere. Guards should be a lower-cost option on any NFL team.
By awarding guard Onwenu a massive contract, the Patriots boxed themselves into a corner. They could spend that money more effectively elsewhere.
The New England Patriots can extend Onwenu at a much more palatable cost
Onwenu should not be paid tackle money. NFL guards are, or at least should be, commodities on NFL teams as interior linemen. Teams can fill the position with lower-cost veterans or rookies.
Only terrible drafting by the pre-Mike Vrabel front office necessitated the panic move to keep Onwenu at an exorbitant salary. If Onwenu will accept a significantly lower contract, keep him.
The New England Patriots have to do what's best for the team's future
The Patriots should negotiate with Onwenu in 2026 to see whether he's open to a reduced-offer contract. If so, re-sign him. If not, and the season goes south, they should trade him for value (e.g., a mid-round draft pick) at the trade deadline.
The team recently paid Christian Gonzalez and will have to do the same with Drake Maye, with an even more substantial contract, after 2026. They can ill-afford to pay a guard massive money again.
Those are options the Patriots will have with Mike Onwenu this offseason or maybe before. The days of overspending on less-critical positions, as the team did to a significant extent after the 2023 season with Onwenu, Jabrill Peppers, Davon Godchaux, and Jahlani Tavai, are hopefully over under Mike Vrabel.
If the team's front office can't draft guards who can play in later rounds (Onwenu himself was a sixth-round pick) or sign hidden free agent talent for short money in free agency, maybe someone else can.
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