New England Patriots offensive tackle Trent Brown is one of the biggest high-risk, high-reward players on the free agent market. The former seventh-round pick has a long history with the Patriots, helping them win a Super Bowl in 2018 before re-joining the organization in 2021. Brown was one of the best offensive tackles in the league during his first two seasons with the team. However, effort and locker room issues have plagued his last two campaigns, and it’s clear that there are some behind-the-scenes issues here.
According to various reports, some within the Patriots organization believed that Brown wasn’t working hard enough to get back on the field. This drama eventually led to Trent Brown being a healthy scratch down the stretch, costing him a shot at some incentives before he became a free agent.
Needless to say, it’s hard to resolve these issues, even if Bill Belichick is no longer in town. Trent Brown recently took to Sirius XM to tell the world that he’s back to full health and that he will not return to the Patriots as a free agent.
Trent Brown tells us he's healthy & ready to go…tells @SiriusXMNFL he and #Patriots are both looking elsewhere! #NFLFreeAgency
— Zig Fracassi (@ZigSportsVoice) March 9, 2024
Trent Brown Will Not Re-Sign With Patriots As A Free Agent
It’s worth noting that, despite all the off-field turmoil ahead of his inevitable free agent departure, Trent Brown was still a reliable player when on the field. According to Pro Football Focus, the Florida product finished the season with the 11th-best grade out of 81 eligible tackles.
PFF grades are not gospel, and nobody would call free agent Trent Brown a borderline top-10 tackle in the game. However, this data shows that the offensive lineman is not a liability and is still capable of stretches of high play. Given his age and off-field concerns, the offensive lineman probably won’t break the bank in free agency, so he makes plenty of sense for a cash-strapped team looking for a starter at either tackle position.
Best Team Fits
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are (almost) under the 2024 salary cap thanks to a series of restructures and cuts, but they’ll need to do some more work if they want to improve the roster. Dennis Allen needs to start winning games if he wants to keep his job, and he doesn’t have the resources to spend wildly on the open market. So, with that in mind, he might as well take a gamble on free agent Trent Brown. Brown can play both tackle positions, which is good news for a team that doesn’t have much of an answer on either side of the line.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have been searching for reliable offensive linemen since the beginning of the Joe Burrow Era, and that search won’t get any easier with Jonah Williams expected to leave in free agency. Trent Brown is probably going to be cheaper as a free agent, and he should provide a comparable level of play. With Burrow’s cap hit set to explode and Ja’Marr Chase’s extension right around the corner, this might be the last year the Bengals have a relatively easy path to the Lombardi Trophy.
Dallas Cowboys
Tyron Smith is not going to be a Cowboy in 2024. While the team could slide Tyler Smith from guard to tackle, that would only create a hole on the inside of the offensive line. Instead, they could keep Smith at guard and sign Trent Brown as a free agent to fill the tackle position. While he might not be the safest bet, the Cowboys don’t have the financial liberty to spend up on a player like Mike Onwenu.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have four of their five starting tackle positions locked in for 2024. The left tackle position, however, is wide open. Donovan Smith did not impress during his first season with the club, and free agent Trent Brown should be an upgrade. While Tyron Smith is probably atop Kansas City’s wish list, they’ll have a tough time affording him with L’Jarius Sneed on the franchise tag and Chris Jones still needing to get paid.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have to fix their entire offense but only have $13 million in cap space. Because of their limited financial wiggle room, they’ll need to prioritize what to improve in free agency. Wide receiver is the biggest need, so they should spend up there and try to get by with a band-aid like Trent Brown as a free agent. With Brown signed, the team can shift Ikem Ekwonu inside and fix two positions with just one transaction.
Main Photo: Eric Canha – USA Today Sports
