The New England Patriots recently released defensive tackle Lawrence Guy and safety Adrian Phillips in a pair of cost-cutting moves. While nobody likes to lose their job, the Patriots did these two a bit of a favor by releasing them now. With their contracts null and void, both players are free to sign with whoever they want ahead of free agency. These two have spent some time with the Chargers in the past, but only one of them makes sense for a reunion.
Adrian Phillips was a solid player back in his day, but age appears to have caught up with the veteran. The Texas product saw his snap percentage significantly diminish over the past year, and when he was on the field, he wasn’t particularly good. Lawrence Guy is also on the older side, but the defensive tackle is still a reliable space eater. Seeing as he probably won’t break the bank, he’s a good fit for what the Los Angeles Chargers need right now.
Chargers Could Reunite With Lawrence Guy In Free Agency
Nobody will blame you if you don’t remember the Lawrence Guy Era with the Chargers. Originally selected as a seventh-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, Guy had to wait until 2012 to see the field, and he made his debut with the Indianapolis Colts. Ultimately, he only played four games over two seasons in Indianapolis before landing with the then-San Diego Chargers. The defensive lineman spent most of his time in a rotational role, appearing in 13 games while recording 16 tackles, one tackle-for-loss, and one quarterback hit.
Up until now, Lawrence Guy never did anything to stand out. That changed, however, when he joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2015. The defensive lineman started 16 games from 2015 to 2016 before moving on to the New England Patriots in 2017.
Lawrence Guy then became a fixture for one of the better defensive lines in football. While he was never asked to get after the quarterback, the former seventh-round pick spent seven seasons eating up space, clogging run lanes, and freeing up linebackers to make plays. Guy helped New England win the Super Bowl in 2018 and helped the team make another one in the 2017 season.
Can He Still Help?
Now entering his age-34 season, Lawrence Guy is not the player he once was. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t be a helpful fit in the right scheme. Last year, the defensive tackle finished the season with 38 tackles, one tackle-for-loss, and a 45.5 PFF grade. With Guy’s help, the Patriots led the league in yards allowed per carry (3.3).
Last year, the Chargers interior defenders couldn’t do much of anything to stop the run. According to Pro Football Focus, Nick Williams was the only player with a run defense grade over 50.0, and he’s set to be a free agent. Maybe Lawrence Guy can’t singlehandedly fix this defensive line, and maybe the years have officially done him in. However, he’ll cost next to nothing and won’t prevent the Chargers from looking for a better player if one surfaces. With the team $31 million over the allotted salary cap, they might need to roll the dice on a low-cost free agent to shore up the run defense.
Main Photo: Mark Konezny – USA Today Sports
