Thuney vs Mason

[Water Boy]

By all accounts Thuney is regarded as our best offensive lineman.

Shaq Mason is a very good player but not as good as Thuney and he had a down year last year - likely due to injury, the absence of David Andrews and the fact that Cannon played through illness/injury much of the year.

Mason is entering year 3 of a 5 yr $45 million contract.

It is largely assumed that under the current circumstances keeping Thuney would be very difficult from a cap allocation perspective with that much money tied up at the OG position.

I also admit that keeping Thuney may be difficult, period, as my understanding is that he is considered the top OL on the FA market this year.

If it accepted that Thuney is the better player and would be willing to accept somewhat of a team friendly contract, would it not make sense to try to keep Thuney and trade Mason for cap savings in future years?

My understanding is that trading Mason before 6/1 would entail a $8.6 millon cap hit, but free up significant space in 2021 and beyond.


Shaq Mason

 

[RobertWeathers]

They aren't getting rid of Mason and Thuney is not signing a team friendly deal.

 

[varjao]

If they can find a team desperate for a RG and getting a pick in the process I would be ok with it, difficult scenario though, if not impossible.

A different question, can Mason play RT? Cannon is a bigger concern on the right side in my opinion.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Mason played hurt all year. Before that he was literally the #1 guard in the league for two seasons.

.

 

[State]

Mason played hurt all year. Before that he was literally the #1 guard in the league for two seasons..

Hyperbole.

Once he signed his second, $45 million contract he went soft.

Plus, they all play hurt. Thuney is an iron man. He has been playing hurt off and on—but he won’t let it bring his playing down. Not without a fight.

And I don’t know if Mason at his best (was) is in the same zip code good as the Colts LG Quentin Nelson. He’s tremendous. His rookie year was like John Hannah in 1976.

 

[Tunescribe]

Keep them both for crap sakes, this offensive line NEEDS stability and continuity for a change. The musical chairs days with that unit must end, especially now that Scar is gone. Spend some damn money on it.

 

[QB12]

Thuney is the real deal. Shaq is vastly overrated.

 

[SteveKiner]

And I don’t know if Mason at his best (was) is in the same zip code good as the Colts LG Quentin Nelson. He’s tremendous. His rookie year was like John Hannah in 1976.

This

 

[SHOWTIME15]

If Thuney leaves, they'll probably go Guard the the 23rd pick. Maybe someone like Solomon Kindley from Georgia...we all know how much Bill loves SEC players

 

[mgteich]

If Thuney leaves, they'll probably go Guard the the 23rd pick. Maybe someone like Solomon Kindley from Georgia...we all know how much Bill loves SEC players

Sure, and he'll cut the 2020 starting guard that he drafted last year. IMHO, the 3rd and 4th rounds are the place Bill usually finds OG'S. Thuney was a 3rd rounder. Mason was a 4th rounder. We drafted Froholdt in the 4th last year.

 

[primetime]

Mason's a very good player, probably a top-5 guard in the league, and he's the 15th highest paid guard in the league prior to free agency.

Thuney's likely to end up the highest paid guard in football. He's good, but I don't know if he's meaningfully better than Mason.

In the end, guard's not a position you pay for. The dropoff from good to replacement-level guard just doesn't make that much of a difference, and replacement-level guards grow on trees. The only time the Patriots have had issues finding competent interior offensive linemen was in severe injury situations. Let someone else pay for Thuney.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Sure, and he'll cut the 2020 starting guard that he drafted last year. IMHO, the 3rd and 4th rounds are the place Bill usually finds OG'S. Thuney was a 3rd rounder. Mason was a 4th rounder. We drafted Froholdt in the 4th last year.

And how do you know froholdt is even starter material? Or are you just guessing?

 

[mgteich]

And how do you know froholdt is even starter material? Or are you just guessing?

I thought that we were ready to have him start before his injury. In any case, my scenario is to extend Karras and have both competing for reps.

 

[BelizePats]

They aren't getting rid of Mason and Thuney is not signing a team friendly deal.

This.

Look at it like we got four good years out of Thuney and when he leaves in free agency, we get a comp third-round draft pick for him because that's how big his next contract is going to be.

 

[Sciz]

Sure, I’ll cut Mason if Thuney is willing to sign for Mason’s deal.

Too bad Thuney is getting probably $5 million more than Mason per year from somebody.

 

[mgteich]

I thought that we were ready to have him possibly start before his injury, with Thuney at LT. In any case, I thought that hw was ready to be our swing guard.

In any case, my scenario is to extend Karras and have both competing for reps.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Thuney is the real deal. Shaq is vastly overrated.

This post is overrated in so many ways. He was drafted in 2015, has started in 3 superbowls playing every snap in each of them and played well. Was the highest rated guard in 2018.

Short memory for some fans. I’ll take the odds that he bounces back and plays well this season.

 

[Zuma]

Froholdt has the skills to start at LG...he would probably be average his first season there...which is good enough with Wynn and an improved Karras on either side...or Andrews at C.

Mason is a top 5 G in the NFL when healthy...he’s not going anywhere.

I’m more concerned about RT. Cannon’s level of play is declining due to age and injuries. Newhouse is the same age I believe and should only be a backup. Cajuste is probably not going to play much in 2020 with trying to recover from his quad situation.

 

[captain stone]

A different question, can Mason play RT? Cannon is a bigger concern on the right side in my opinion.

I share your concern about the RT situation, but I seriously doubt that moving Mason there is the answer...He's barely big enough for RG; he would therefore immediately become the Smallest RT in the league.

 

[mgteich]

Froholdt has the skills to start at LG...he would probably be average his first season there...which is good enough with Wynn and an improved Karras on either side...or Andrews at C.

Mason is a top 5 G in the NFL when healthy...he’s not going anywhere.

I’m more concerned about RT. Cannon’s level of play is declining due to age and injuries. Newhouse is the same age I believe and should only be a backup. Cajuste is probably not going to play much in 2020 with trying to recover from his quad situation.

We have serious problems at OT. Wynn looks OK. Perhaps, he is our starting LT for the foreseeable future. But, he is certainly one of our OT's.

Who are the other two, and the emergency #4? Cannon is likely done. At very most, he will play another year. We need a 2020 starter and a couple of backups. Newhouse might be re-signed as a potential backup. I think that we signed Cunningham to be 2020 competition. I suspect that we will using considerable resources at RT, partially funded by the savings if Cannon goes. We are likely to use both free agency and the draft (and/or perhaps even a trade).