Predicting where each of the top-30 NFL free agents will sign

24. Mike Onwenu
Previous Team: New England Patriots
Future Team: New England Patriots

There really isn’t much surprise that a player on the New England Patriots offense would want to wait it out before he decided whether he wanted to return. It was a mess this season. Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe were not good at the quarterback position. The play calling was not much better under Bill O’Brien (which is saying a lot when Matt Patricia was the 2022 offensive coordinator). Nobody came out of this season looking good. Well, maybe except for some of the players on the offensive line. 

Multiple members of the Patriots O-line are free agents this season. However, Mike Onwenu might be the most valuable to the Patriots (actual most valuable coming up later). He was a player who can move to just about any spot on the line, but he’s best played at guard. With how many injuries the Patriots seem to face, he’s more valuable in that building than anywhere else.

Now that Jerod Mayo has officially taken the place of Bill Belichick, and the offensive staff is starting to take shape under offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. There will be an entirely new take on the offense with likely a brand new quarterback under center. Whether that’s Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or an outside chance at Caleb Williams, Onwenu is important to solidify the line in front of them.

Onwenu will likely get to free agency since he’s come this far, but the deals he’s offered on the market will only help in the Patriots negotiations. They have $66 million to spend. Unless Onwenu wants out for reasons beyond cash, they will make this work.