We were able to hear from LG Joe Thuney yesterday for the first time since the end of last season, when, in the immediate aftermath, I wasn’t so sure we’d see him in a Patriots uniform again.
Thuney finished the final year of his rookie contract playing in a stricken offensive line unit whilst still managing to start every game. In fact, since winning the starting job prior to his rookie season in 2016, he’s started in every regular season(64) and playoff game(10) for the Pats.
During his conference call, he sounded really excited to get the season underway and be back with his teammates, even comparing his return to the facility like being back at school.
I love the Patriots organization, my teammates, and everyone, so I’m glad to be here and I’m pumped for the season.
When the inevitable question regarding his franchise tag was asked, he came across to me as surprised, even now, almost 2 months later, that the Patriots decided to use the tag on him.
Leading up to the draft opinion was split on whether the team would trade him, or allow him to play under just shy of $15 million for the season. Now the draft has been and gone, I think a trade is out of the question, although we’ll need to wait until the week 9 deadline to be sure.
Thuney is a smart player, and he’s one that can be trusted to take on additional responsibilities, like when he took snaps at RT in last seasons opener against Pittsburgh, after Marcus Cannon left the game with an injury.
So should the team be looking to sign him long-term? In short, yes.
Both Thuney and David Andrews are scheduled to be UFA’s next year, and whilst I’d love to keep hold of them both, Thuney would be my first choice for a long-term deal. You could argue that the guard position isn’t worth the money that the team is paying him this year, but given his longevity and consistency, it might cost more to lose him in the long term than keep him around.
I can’t see a second straight tag being placed on him, which presses the need for a new deal to be reached as soon as possible to put any doubts to rest.
The team released a statement back in March when announcing the franchise player selection, emphasizing that the focus was for a long-term agreement to be reached, no agreement yet, but there’s still time.
You can watch the full video conference with Thuney here.