Was It A Mistake To Not Trade For Joe Thuney (Poll)?

[State]

Cutting Jake Andrews before a single snap of practice this preseason was the mistake… if nothing else he’d be another quality interior player.

Yep. But Eliot’s call, no?

I know the frustration dealing with Jake’s injury. But new season, new coach, fresh slate.

And what turns out to be a guy who would have been our starting center after we had the worst performer last season was flushed like a turd in the bowl.

Turns out the turd is our GM, Eliot Wolf.

#fireeliotwolf/rightnow

Vrabel’s guys are the reason the 2025 draft was a home run. The previous draft, a stinker, is all on Eliot Wolf.

 

[Wozzy]

Yep. But Eliot’s call, no?

I know the frustration dealing with Jake’s injury. But new season, new coach, fresh slate.

And what turns out to be a guy who would have been our starting center after we had the worst performer last season was flushed like a turd in the bowl.

Turns out the turd is our GM, Eliot Wolf.

#fireeliotwolf/rightnow

Vrabel’s guys are the reason the 2025 draft was a home run. The previous draft, a stinker, is all on Eliot Wolf.

I don’t think Wolf has been in charge since Vrabel arrived. It goes Vrabel, Cowden then Wolf… in that order.

 

[Tunescribe]

Where have you read that the Patriots "low balled him"? Everything I've read is that he wanted to be a free agent, period. Someone who wants to test free agency isn't going to accept anything offered, low or high.

Joe Thuney was the top free agent OL that year and he ended up getting $16 Million/year for the 4 years he was at KC. If he signed an extension with NE a year earlier, as you've noted, he would not have gotten as much. On top of that, he won 2 Super Bowls with the Chiefs instead of playing on a crappy Patriots team, unless you're implying that an All Pro guard would have changed that.

Look, Thuney received good financial advice from his agent and it worked. Most top players get one shot at a big contract and it's more lucrative the earlier in your career you can get it. He's going to end up making $118 Million with the chance at $134 Million if the Bears keep him for 2027, which is highly unlikely. That's pretty impressive for a guard.

You're addressing the cat already out of the bag. What I've tried to address in these exchanges (and apparently have failed to get across) is the Patriots' failing under BB to creatively lock up foundational veterans before free agency looms. THAT, arguably, is how/why the roster became bottom tier.

Thuney's situation was a case in point. In 2016 he signed the standard four-year, $3.2 million rookie contract and was promptly named to the Pro Football Writers of America's All-Rookie Team. The 2017 season was Thuney's breakout year and in 2018, BB called him "one of our best players,"/"one of our most consistent players." The sweet spot for locking him up longterm was late second year or during his third year. They franchise tagged him at $14.78 million in 2020 and then offered him a deal lower than KC's $16m/per.

Theoretically, had the Patriots offered Thuney a multi-year deal somewhere under the franchise tag during his third year with lucrative bonus/guarantees, it could have been a win-win for both sides. And the team would've been much better off. That is the kind of creative personnel management I'm talking about and it's not unheard of.

 

[Wozzy]

You're addressing the cat already out of the bag. What I've tried to address in these exchanges (and apparently have failed to get across) is the Patriots' failing under BB to creatively lock up foundational veterans before free agency looms. THAT, arguably, is how/why the roster became bottom tier.

Thuney's situation was a case in point. In 2016 he signed the standard four-year, $3.2 million rookie contract and was promptly named to the Pro Football Writers of America's All-Rookie Team. The 2017 season was Thuney's breakout year and in 2018, BB called him "one of our best players,"/"one of our most consistent players." The sweet spot for locking him up longterm was late second year or during his third year. They franchise tagged him at $14.78 million in 2020 and then offered him a deal lower than KC's $16m/per.

Theoretically, had the Patriots offered Thuney a multi-year deal somewhere under the franchise tag during his third year with lucrative bonus/guarantees, it could have been a win-win for both sides. And the team would've been much better off. That is the kind of creative personnel management I'm talking about and it's not unheard of.

Bill wasn’t entirely in charge his last four years in NE, Jonathan and Wolf were. Bill’s own words.

“Ownership, coaching and scouts must be on the same page in order to be successful” and he had that up until about the last four years in New England. - 2025 interview

 

[bresna]

You're addressing the cat already out of the bag. What I've tried to address in these exchanges (and apparently have failed to get across) is the Patriots' failing under BB to creatively lock up foundational veterans before free agency looms. THAT, arguably, is how/why the roster became bottom tier.

Thuney's situation was a case in point. In 2016 he signed the standard four-year, $3.2 million rookie contract and was promptly named to the Pro Football Writers of America's All-Rookie Team. The 2017 season was Thuney's breakout year and in 2018, BB called him "one of our best players,"/"one of our most consistent players." The sweet spot for locking him up longterm was late second year or during his third year. They franchise tagged him at $14.78 million in 2020 and then offered him a deal lower than KC's $16m/per.

Theoretically, had the Patriots offered Thuney a multi-year deal somewhere under the franchise tag during his third year with lucrative bonus/guarantees, it could have been a win-win for both sides. And the team would've been much better off. That is the kind of creative personnel management I'm talking about and it's not unheard of.

This is all conjecture. No one knows if or when the Patriots tried to get him on an extension. No one has said anything about any contract offer, either low or high. All we heard was that Thuney made it clear he wanted to test free agency. And FWIW, before he hit free agency, no one knew he was going to get $16 Million/year from KC, so again, conjecture on your part.

And using a blanket statement that the Patriots and/or Belichick never locked up vets prior to free agency is proven false by the hundreds of vets that they did do exactly that during Belichick's 20+ years with the team.

The thing a lot of people miss about the 2020/21 offseason is that it was one of the Patriots' busiest with regards to free agent signings. They spent hundreds of millions that offseason on players like Hunter Henry, Matthew Judon, Trent Brown & Jonnu Smith as well as re-signing key vets like Dont'a Hightower & Shaq Mason (see? vets signed!) to extensions. If they had signed Thuney that year, someone else would have had to be skipped. And before you say it, yes, Jonnu could have been skipped - but 20/20 hindsight is great for making those decisions.

 

[TommyD4207]

Joe Thuney (who's super bowl performance last year has apparently been completely memory-holed in this thread), would make zero difference in this team's rebuild. By the time this team would be ready to go, he'll be what, 36?

 

[signbabybrady]

Anybody care to change their vote lol

 

[goheels22002]

Given that the Patriots are without an experienced guard opposite Mike Onwenu, I voted yes. That could change in the next week depending on who they snag off the cutdown/waiver wire.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Umm No
Time to move on from Tom, Bill and Joe.
Let Vrabel build this team with his players.

 

[captain stone]

Right now, I'd gladly take Joe Andruzzi, never mind Thuney.

 

[captain stone]

Joe Thuney (who's super bowl performance last year has apparently been completely memory-holed in this thread), would make zero difference in this team's rebuild. By the time this team would be ready to go, he'll be what, 36?

At least our QB would still be standing.

 

[captain stone]

Umm No
Time to move on from Tom, Bill and Joe.
Let Vrabel build this team with his players.

But what if his players suck?

 

[captain stone]

Yep. But Eliot’s call, no?

I know the frustration dealing with Jake’s injury. But new season, new coach, fresh slate.

And what turns out to be a guy who would have been our starting center after we had the worst performer last season was flushed like a turd in the bowl.

Turns out the turd is our GM, Eliot Wolf.

#fireeliotwolf/rightnow

Vrabel’s guys are the reason the 2025 draft was a home run. The previous draft, a stinker, is all on Eliot Wolf.

Our old friend Jake made the Texans as one of the IOL backups. Meanwhile, we're stuck with Ben Brown & ****-Stain Wallace.

 

[denverpatsfan]

But what if his players suck?

Give him a few seasons. Hoping the drafts get better. Seems like this draft will be an improvement from BB and Mayos recent disasters

 

[TommyD4207]

At least our QB would still be standing.

You sure? How did that work out for Mahomes in the Super Bowl?

 

[JoeSixPat]

Hadn't we already had this thread?

While we should have kept Thunney, trading a draft pick for him (1st or 2nd probably) AND paying a 32 year old guy $18 million until he is 34 doesn't exactly strike me as the best football move at this juncture.

Look at it this way - you could have Thunney at Guard for $18 million a season until 2027 and no Will Campbel or TreVeyon Henderson or....

BOTH Campbel and Henderson for relatively cheap money but no Thunney/$18 mil a season expended

I think some here like Thunney enough where they clearly WOULD do that trade and give up Henderson or Campbell to have him as odd as that seems to me

I would not