My favorite 2020 non-quarterback free agent may surprise you. It isn’t Derrick Henry, Amari Cooper, Byron Jones, or even Jadaveon Clowney. It is New England Patriots offensive guard Joe Thuney.
Thuney has been a force on the Patriots offensive line, a group that allowed the least sacks in the NFL in 2018 and third least in 2019. Thuney is expected to test free agency this offseason, and will draw attention from several teams. As for his market value, he should be expected to make somewhere between $12-14M per year. Dallas Cowboys offensive guard Zack Martin is currently the highest paid at his position in the league, making an average of $14M per year on his contract.
Thuney is not the most appealing free agent to most fans, which may cause owners to avoid him, but it is not easy to find an offensive lineman who consistently performs at such a high level.
As a fan of the NFL, one of my biggest pet peeves is penalties. It doesn’t get much worse than having a big play being wiped out by a holding penalty, or a false start on a crucial third down. Thuney went the entire 2019 season without committing one penalty. Like I said before, grading offensive linemen is not an easy thing to do, but it doesn’t matter how talented you are if you’re committing a penalty in every game, and penalties most often come from offensive linemen. In addition to never committing a penalty, Thuney allowed only one sack all season, while his offensive line allowed 28 as a whole. Without Thuney, the Patriots offensive line would have mediocre at best.
Getting a player like Thuney can boost an entire offense. He can take on the best pass rushers in the league with confidence, and help establish the run. Pro Football Focus ranked Thuney fifth among offensive guards overall and third in pass protection. His biggest competition in free agency is Washington Redskins offensive guard Brandon Scherff. Scherff is probably the better run blocker, but durability is one of the most important factors when it comes to offensive linemen and Scherff has missed 15 games in five years, while Thuney has missed zero in four years.
Amari Cooper and Derrick Henry may be scoring touchdowns on Sundays, but games are most often won and lost at the line of scrimmage. Not to mention that both Cooper and Henry had top five offensive lines last season according to Football Outsiders. Eight out of the top nine offensive lines in the 2019 season were from teams that made the playoffs, proving my point that the offensive line is much more important to a successful NFL team than a star running back or a big name receiver. Thuney will get a huge contract in March, but if he continues to perform at the level he did in 2019, it will be worth every penny.