The New England Patriots have a few very young and promising players on their roster, and they'd be wise to view them as foundational pieces for the future. I don't think the Patriots are going anywhere in the 2023 NFL season, but they could be equipped for a nice future. The team is going to have a ton of cap space next offseason, and a potential new general manager will have that and a likely top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The team will see a slew of players hit the market, so depending on who has roster authority next year, there will hardly be any contractual, veteran commitments, so the rebuilding process may get a boost in that regard. And even better, some of the best players on the roster are young ones who may just be approaching their prime.
I think the Patriots should view these three players as foundational pieces for the future. Let's talk about them.
Patriots Roster: 3 core players the team needs to build around
1. Mike Onwenu, OL
Mike Onwenu can play both tackle and guard at a high level in the NFL. That's truly insane. He is slated to be a free agent in 2024, and I think it'd be wise if the New England Patriots extended their best OL for years to come. He's still in his mid-20s and was a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
He has starts at left guard, right guard, and right tackle. Onwenu may profile better as a guard, but if he can play right tackle, a harder position, then why move him from that spot? The Patriots and the GM, whoever that may be, should look at Onwenu as being a foundational piece for the offensive line and should prioritize him first when the offseason comes.