The NFL Notebook is chock full of intel this week, but as we are on the eve of free agency, we continue our roster review/free agent preview, turning our attention to the offensive tackle position. The Patriots got significantly better play from that group than the season prior, a combination of a talent upgrade (first and foremost) and an offensive coordinator who knows how to protect his quarterback (even if the QB still hasn’t fully figured out how to protect himself).
UNDER CONTRACT: Will Campbell, Morgan Moses, Marcus Bryant, Yasir Durant, Sebastian Gutierrez, Lorenz Metz
FREE AGENTS: Vederian Lowe, Thayer Mumford
First, let’s begin with the number four overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Campbell. After a mostly solid regular season, he was the weak link in the postseason. I had him for 10 pressures surrendered in the Super Bowl, and while many of those came in pure pass sets with the Pats down in the 4th quarter, it wasn’t like he was a block of granite in the first three quarters either.
His performance had plenty of folks squawking about the less-than-desirable arm length (you know where I stand on this, and I won’t re-try my case). Might a positional change be in the offing?
“We’re not moving him to guard," Eliot Wolf said on The McShay Show from Indianapolis. "He’s a young guy that had a tremendous season. I would say three of his four worst games happened to come in the playoffs, post-injury. He was healthy, but I think he’d be the first to tell you that maybe he wasn’t able to anchor the same way he had with the knee injury.”
If I had my conspiracy hat, I’d point out that Wolf didn’t say anything about moving Campbell to right tackle, but quite frankly, though I did give it a thought, my belief all along has been that the former LSU standout was getting two seasons at the very least to prove he’s the left tackle. Not even his playoff performance changes that.
“I know everyone talks about the arm length, but he has a set of skills that enable him to play with that arm length,” added Wolf in a separate conversation with Boston media. “He’s really quick out of his stance. He’s technically sound. He’s adding more and more different pass sets to his tool bag that he can use to combat different rushes. And again, he’s 22 years old, and we expect some improvement out of him as well.”
Bottom line: Campbell better show that, and I believe he can if he improves his technique, which has drawn sharp critique from past and present NFL tackles (Joe Thomas, Andrew Whitworth, Terron Armstead, et al.), he can be a solid player at the position. Can he be the first guy with his arm length, wingspan, and hand size to do that in the last 26 years to become an All-Pro? That’s quite a projection, and a large hill to climb. Even harder with short arms (oh, come on! Just trying to have a little fun, folks).
Moses was better than could have been expected. He was coming off a pair of injury-plagued years in New York with the Jets, and the idea of him playing a full season seemed about as unlikely as cornerback Carlton Davisdoing the same. And yet, both did. Bow down to the power of Vrabel and his strength and conditioning staff, I guess. They managed Moses from the very beginning, and only three offensive players recorded more than his 1,294 snaps (Onwenu, Bradbury, Maye).
It wasn’t just the availability. Moses played at a consistently high level, and as the year went on, he and Onwenu became a powerful run-blocking duo that the Pats leaned on. But having just turned 35 (March 3), can Moses be depended on for another season like the last? Wolf mentioned his age at the combine. The Pats know they are on borrowed time at that spot, and with both Lowe and Mumford as backups, need to find a legit backup with starting potential in this offseason cycle.
Is Bryant that guy, you ask? He’s got great length and had a solid summer. But after being the swing tackle to start the season, he got bumped by Lowe’s return, and then became a healthy scratch with the addition of Mumford. I can’t accurately predict what Bryant is capable of because we just didn’t get enough evidence, and that he fell down the depth chart isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement for future success. This will be a big five or six months for him.
Meanwhile, as mentioned, Lowe and Mumford are free agents. Lowe actually did a nice job filling in for Campbell when he sprained the MCL. My guess is he earned himself a better check than what the Pats will be willing to spend, but who knows how the market will shake out?
As for Mumford, his previous experience with Josh McDanielspaid some dividends in New England, but I’m not sure I’d bet on him being any sort of long-term answer. Of course, I’ve been wrong before...
FREE AGENTS
I’d be surprised if the Pats spend real money on the position this month. More likely, the wannabe RT comes from the draft. But were Moses to audible and call it a career (they aren’t expecting that), I’ve carved out a list.
1. Jermaine Eluemunor (31 years old, NYG) - This isn’t revisionist history when I tell you I didn’t think the Pats should have let him walk after the 2020 season. I saw Eluemunor as an ascending player, and that’s what he’s proved over the last handful of years. He’s no longer that, but he has been consistently solid in New York after having career years in Vegas. Again, Eluemunor would only get a call if Moses were to leave. PFF projects him at $36 million ($22.5 mil guaranteed) over 3 years.
2. Jack Conklin(31 years old, Cleveland) - Once a great player, injuries have kept him off the field or lessened his impact. As of the writing of this piece, it’s not even known if Conklin wants to keep playing. But if he does, and the Pats want a veteran whose best is still better than most, why not make the call? The worst thing he can do is say no. Or hem and haw about his future, in which
case, you probably have your answer. Conklin won’t cost much (think one year and around $3 to $4 million).
3. Trey Pipkins (30 years old, LAC) - He can play three positions (both tackle spots and right guard) and has really improved in pass pro. Another injury concern, but Pipkins has proven to be a decent starter at RT when healthy. His contract projections are all over the board. The guess here is two years and $12 million, but less than half of that guaranteed.
Others of note: Braxton Jones (26 years old, Chicago), Elijah Wilkerson (31 years old, Atlanta), Jamaree Salyer (26 years old, LAC), Jedrick Wills (26 years old, Cleveland, already been in for a visit).
BLOCKBUSTER
When I wrote about my roster review/free agent preview focusing on the cornerbacks, I wondered about the nuclear option: moving on from Christian Gonzalez. No, it was not my preferred approach, but the cornerback is eligible for an extension that will surely go north of the two highest-paid DBs in the game - Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley.
The Chiefs found themselves in a similar spot with Trent McDuffie, and instead of writing him a giant check, they picked up the red phone and flipped one of the best corners in football for cap freedom and a bounty of draft picks.
The Rams were all too willing to be on the receiving end of that call, and didn’t blink, surrendering a 2026 first (29th overall), a fifth, and a sixth rounder, plus a 2027 third rounder. Oh, and they’ll have to hand McDuffie a boatload of cash. No problem for LA GM Les Snead, who once again said: “eff them picks.” This is now the 9th time in 10 years the Rams have traded their first-rounder.
Snead has a team in win-now mode, arguably the 2nd best in football a year ago. He’s got a 37-year-old quarterback who is going year to year, and there were rumblings from football people (as always, those who work for teams, not those that cover ‘em) that Sean McVey might be ready to step away post-Stafford. McDuffie gives the Rams a massive upgrade from what they were rolling out there.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs maximized McDuffie’s value and now have a pair of chips in round one (9th and 29th) as well as the 4th most draft capital of any team. This move looks and smells a lot like the Tyreek Hill-to-Miami deal of a few years ago. They didn’t want to give Hill what he was asking for, amassed a ton of picks, and were able to extend their dynastic run. Time will tell if this carries
the same weight.
DESPERATE TIMES
The talk amongst the front-office types I spoke to over the last couple of weeks was that the Bears were hell-bent on trading DJ Moore. When I asked what the price would be, all six men I spoke with said mid-round pick. The feeling was a) Moore isn’t a number one receiver and b) his current contract was a little too rich for the level of production he brought to the table.
Thus, when Moore was dealt from Chicago to Buffalo on Thursday, the initial reporting was a mid-round pick. I took a social media victory lap. That aged poorly. Turns out the Bills surrendered a second-round pick and then guaranteed $15 million of Moore’s contract in 2028 (essentially locking Buffalo into $74 mil in cash over the next three seasons). Brandon Beanedid what??
Moore is a good player, and from a talent perspective, immediately becomes Buffalo’s best wideout. However, he is not someone a defense has to change its structure for. Thus, when you’re paying Moore as a mid-end #1, then have over $10 mil in cash guaranteed for Joshua Palmer (yuck), and another $12 mil for Khalil Shakir(also good, but not great), and suddenly you have the 2nd greatest financial investment to the position in the entire league. And yet, there remain rumblings that the Bills aren’t done collecting pass catchers. Feels like poor team building, especially when you consider two of the Bills' starting offensive linemen are about to hit free agency (Edwards and McGovern).
“Would you rather make sure your franchise QB is protected, or pay high-end prices for players that are less than that?” an assistant GM told me via text shortly after the trade. “I know where I stand, and it’s not with them.”
PIVOT POINT
With Maxx Crosby dealt to Baltimore for a pair of first-round picks (14th overall this year, and a 2027 1st), teams in need of an edge rusher have a new, high-end target.
Jonathan Greenard, who has been terrorizing quarterbacks for a number of seasons, is on the block. The Vikings have made it clear he is available after the 28-year-old approached the team this offseason and asked for a raise. That he did so, coming off a 3 sack campaign (in 12 games), probably rubbed management the wrong way. Never mind, Minnesota has to navigate some cap issues. They are currently $43 million over, and have already informed RB Aaron Jones and DTs Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allenthat they will be released at the start of the new league year.
Greenard is only halfway through the contract he signed in free agency, and is due $38 million over the next two years (top 10 amongst edge rushers). There are no guarantees that he will report to a new team without a reworked deal (99.9% he won’t), which adds to the challenge of dealing him. The Vikings understandably want real value in return - think multiple picks - but as he’s not considered quite on Crosby’s level, 1st rounders may be safe.
QB COMPETITION
Another issue for Minnesota is the quarterback position. J.J. McCarthy has not been healthy enough or effective enough to make the Vikings believe he’s the answer. Thus, a strong push this offseason to add real competition (say at a higher level than Carson Wentz, who admittedly wasn’t half-bad a year ago).
"I think there has to be (competition at quarterback)," head coach Kevin O'Connell said. "I think that's what's gonna make everybody better in that room. It's gonna be what makes our entire offense thrive through that competition."
Doing that when facing budgetary issues complicates matters. That’s why news of Kyler Murray’s pending release is relevant. Murray will be paid $36.7 million by the Cardinals, regardless of where he ends up. Thus, it’s conceivable that Murray does as Russell Wilson did a couple of seasons ago in New York. If you’ll recall, Wilson signed with the Steelers for one year and $1.3 million (the minimum). Murray could do that, and if he pushes for a no-trade, no-tag clause, hit free agency in 2027. If he performs well - and who wouldn’t want to throw to Justin Jefferson? -could be in line for another big contract.
Murray hasn’t been elite, as was the hope when he was the number one overall pick in 2019. There have been questions about his work ethic, but he is only one of three QBs in NFL history with more than 20,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing. At 28, Murray is still capable of delivering big plays, and perhaps a reset year with O’Connell would allow him to rediscover some of that magic, a la Sam Darnoldin 2024-25.
There will be other options available as well. Kirk Cousins, who had his best years in Minnesota, Jimmy Garoppolo, Marcus Mariota, and Kenny Pickett are all free agents.
