Joe Thuney will likely see a robust market if he becomes available in NFL free agency next month.
Joe Thuney has been a stalwart along the New England Patriots’ offensive line ever since he was chosen in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and after winning a pair of Super Bowl rings, he’s primed to become among the most coveted interior offensive linemen in free agency this offseason.
Thuney, 26, was named a Second-Team All-Pro following the 2019 season and in 2020 allowed just 17 total pressures and two sacks in 980 offensive snaps.
So, what would a team be getting in Thuney if it signed him when the new league year begins?
“He’s a tough and smart player,” an NFC personnel executive told FanSided. “He’s solid, but at this stage of his career he isn’t special. But, what he has going for him heading into free agency is that he’s durable and still relatively young.”
Pro Football Focus gives Thuney a 74.2 overall grade, a 73.1 pass-blocking mark, and a 70.2 run-blocking grade, underscoring the fact that he has the ability to anchor the interior of an offensive line, even for a struggling offense.
“Someone is going to pay, and maybe overpay him,” the executive said.
Despite the fact that there are currently only 19 teams are currently under the current salary cap projection of $180 million — a figure that could rise in coming weeks, but maybe not — at least 13 of those teams could use significant upgrades along their defensive line.
Here’s a look at five teams that would be wise to try to sign Thuney:
5. New York Giants
Despite the fact that Dave Gettleman is entering his fourth offseason as the Giants’ general manager, after vowing in 2018 that fixing the offensive line was a top organization priority, New York’s offensive line very much remains a work in progress.
Left guard Will Hernandez, the Giants’ second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, regressed dramatically in 2021. Hernandez allowed just one sack, but also 25 total pressures and five quarterback hits in 525 snaps. He was also eventually benched in favor of fifth-round rookie Shane Lemieux, who was a colossal disappointment, producing a 32.2 overall grade from PFF in 504 snaps.
Stabilizing the offensive line in front of quarterback Daniel Jones, in his make-or-break third NFL season, as well as creating running lanes for Saquon Barkley, are among the Giants’ top priorities.
If the NY Giants are not sold on Lemieux developing into a long-term solution at guard (and at this stage, why would they be?), Thuney makes some sense. Likewise, if the Giants move on from Kevin Zeitler and his $14.5 million cap number in 2021, Thuney would be an obvious candidate to replace him.
The New England Patriots-to-Giants pipeline is well-worn at this point, and Joe Judge’s presence as head coach makes New York a fit for Thuney. However, the Giants are currently just $920,000 under the projected salary cap, so it might take some lifting to be in position to beat Thuney’s market.
4. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots know what they have in Thuney, understand the value he brings from a performance and leadership standpoint along the offensive line, and they possess the cap space to make a reunion possible.
As FanSided National NFL reporter Matt Verderame recently reported, a return to the Patriots remains possible because he is valued by the organization.
If the Patriots are able to match whatever offer Thuney might receive on the open market, and they have the wherewithal to do so thanks to owning the third-most salary cap space in the NFL with just over $62.2 million in spending flexibility, chances are Thuney won’t be going anywhere.
Quarterback remains an open question for the Patriots, and the last thing Belichick and New England will want to do is break in a new signal caller in 2021 behind a patchwork offensive line.
3. Kansas City Chiefs
One need only re-watch Super Bowl LV to see just how dire the situation is along the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive line.
Granted, the Chiefs were without four offensive starters on the game’s grandest stage, but Patrick Mahomes was running for his life against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and withstood three sacks and 10 quarterback hits in a 31-9 loss.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach is going to need to invest significant resources both in free agency and the 2021 NFL Draft to reload the offensive line in front of Mahomes and Kansas City’s stable of running backs.
The biggest hurdle preventing Thuney from going from one organization that was a two-decade long dynasty to another primed to make multiple runs at the Lombardi Trophy is the fact that Kansas City currently sits $23.1 million over the salary cap. If the Chiefs are able to clear the deck in coming weeks, expect Thuney to be on Kansas City’s radar.
2. New York Jets
The Jets, with $67.9 million in cap space, have the chance to be an organization that can set the tone of the NFL offseason and plug many of the holes on their roster with top-tier free agents.
Last season, the Jets’ offensive line finished ranked No. 29 in the NFL, despite investing a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on offensive tackle Mekhi Becton. New York allowed pressure on 28 percent of offensive drop backs in 2020, and averaged just 1.1 yards prior to contact, in the running game, according to PFF.
It is safe to say that fortifying the offensive line will rank high on general manager Joe Douglas’ shopping list.
Signing Thuney would afford him the chance to play his former team twice per season, and depending on what the Jets wind up doing at quarterback, possibly blocking for one of the premier rookie passers in 2021 and beyond.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars might be the ultimate boom-or-bust story for the next three years, after presumably choosing quarterback Trevor Lawrence No. 1 overall in April’s NFL Draft and having the most cap space in the league.
This is a roster in desperate need of an infusion of talent alongside receivers D.J. Chark and Lviska Shenault and presumably Lawrence, which Thuney would certainly provide.
After finishing last season with the 22nd-ranked offensive line in the league, expect significant resources to be earmarked for fortifying the line in front of Lawrence.
Brandon Linder is among the premier centers in the NFL, producing an 80 overall grade and 87.6 pass-blocking mark from Pro Football Focus, and Andrew Norwell remains one of the top guards. However, adding Thuney opposite Norwell would go a long way towards completing the offensive line’s rebuild.
Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.