The legal tampering period just opened, and the moves are slowly but surely being made. It's quieter than anticipated. Maybe that explains why one player already decided to stir the pot, taking to social media to troll fans chomping for any update regarding their team and favorite players.
Three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Dion Dawkins did just that, posting on social media suggesting he was on his way out of Buffalo after seven seasons. This spiked the interest of teams in need of an offensive lineman, like the Patriots, who are looking to find a Trent Brown replacement in free agency.
Dawkins would've been quite the upgrade, as he's played the best football of his career over the last three years.
However, his availability was a farce, and minutes after he made his social media post, NFL insiders revealed Buffalo had actually re-signed him on a three-year contract.
Dion Dawkins treating tampering window like April Fools 😅 https://t.co/17JUF0HTyP pic.twitter.com/kJaY5Mua2B
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) March 11, 2024
Maybe it was just a few minutes of wishful thinking for Patriots fans that they had no business believing was a real possibility. However, with how much help the offensive line needs and the limited availability of players heading to free agency, the appeal of a guy like Dawkins was exciting, although short-lived.
Hopefully, this is not an indication of what's to come, especially since contract talks between the Patriots and Mike Onwenu don't appear to be making much headway. There's plenty of time for that to change, but at the same time, he's expected to be heavily pursued by a number of teams, therefore increasing the possibility he won't return to New England.
Losing both Brown and Onwenu would be a massive loss despite the reported deep tackle class of this year's draft.