3 surprise cuts the Patriots could make this offseason

Surprise cuts the Patriots could make this offseason

2. Offensive lineman Trent Brown

In a way, Trent Brown represents the best of what Bill Belichick can do. In 2018, Belichick traded the No. 95 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft for the No. 143 pick and Trent Brown. Brown won a Super Bowl with the Patriots that season then went on to become the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history by signing with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Brown only played two years of his four-year Raiders contract before he was traded, again, to the Patriots. This time, the Patriots gave up a fifth-round pick for Brown and a seventh-round pick.

Unfortunately, the Patriots haven’t gotten as much in return during Brown’s second stint, which is why NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran expects the Patriots to make a decision with Brown by free agency (via PatriotsWire):

“The great thing is we will find very quickly where they feel about it because $3 million of [Trent Brown’s] salary is guaranteed as of March 16—right at the beginning of free agency. So it’s as if the Patriots wrote that into the contract saying, ‘We’re not sure where we’re going to want to go with you in 2023. So we’ll be making a decision right there at the start of free agency. You can hit the market, or we can move on depending upon what we decide to do.’”

In 2022, Brown received a 67.4 overall grade from PFF, and the Patriots will save $8 million by cutting him before June 1. If they can land a replacement like Donovan Smith in free agency, the Patriots could part ways with Brown once again.