Nate Solder was my centerpiece to this free agency season and now he’s signed with the Giants for four years, $60 million, leaving the Patriots with a giant hole at left tackle.
I’m never one to panic about free agency, especially when we’re not even 24 hours in, but the team currently has just Marcus Cannon on the roster, with last year’s third-round pick Tony Garcia behind him recovering from an illness that caused him to lose a bunch of weight. Andrew Jelks and Jason King are also on the roster, while Cameron Fleming and LaAdrian Waddle continue to weigh their options in free agency.
This is new territory for the Tom Brady Pats. They seamlessly transitioned from Matt Light (2001-2011) to Solder, who has locked down the left side for the past six seasons. In 2015 he played in just four games, but otherwise, Solder has been a rock, missing just two games total and starting 95.
It is worth pointing out that Solder was managed through most of the preseason and had a really slow start to the season. We cut him plenty of slack given his personal situation, but it’s not like Solder was the lights out best left tackle in football who made it all work. He was very good, especially by the end of the year, and certainly the best option in free agency, but is he worth what the Giants paid him? We’ll see.
Giants are expected to give former Patriots’ LT Nate Solder a four-year, $60 million deal, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2018