JUST IN: Patriots To Sign ‘Reliable’ 2-Time Champ To Help Key Star
At this point, the stars seem to be aligning, and ESPN is sending a clear message to the New England Patriots: sign free agent Donovan Smith. Last week, veteran insider Bill Barnwell suggested the move, and this week, analyst Matt Bowen reinforced the idea in his article, “Best NFL team fits for remaining free agents, trade candidates.”
Smith is a natural fit. While some were surprised that the Patriots haven’t named Drake Maye as the clear No. 1 starter at quarterback—Jacoby Brissett took the No. 1 reps at OTAs on Monday—one reason might be that the Patriots recognize their offensive line isn’t strong enough to protect a top-tier quarterback.
The left tackle position is particularly concerning. Currently, former Steelers lineman Chuks Okorafor is likely to take the job, but he is on a one-year deal and has no guarantees. Additionally, he is unsure about switching from the right side, where he played his entire career in Pittsburgh, to the left.
“I think it takes time,” Okorafor said on Monday, via NESN.com. “I’m trying to learn left, as of now. I’m trying to learn a whole new playbook. I’m trying to learn a whole new city, a whole new town. So it’s new to me now.”
Drake Maye’s Blind Side a Concern
That helps put the problem into context. The left tackle protects a quarterback’s blind side, and currently, the Patriots have no one with significant experience at that position. Is that a situation the team would want to place Maye in?
Bowen, like Barnwell before him, sees Smith as a potential solution or, at the very least, someone who can mitigate the problem. Here’s what Bowen wrote:
“The Patriots re-signed right tackle Mike Onwenu to a multiyear extension, drafted Penn State tackle Caedan Wallace (who will move to the left side in the pros) in the third round, and signed former Steeler Chukwuma Okorafor to a one-year deal. But Smith would provide good competition for the left tackle spot and, at worst, depth.
“He started for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl last season and posted a pass block win rate of 90.8% while allowing six sacks over 438 pass-block reps. New England needs reliable blockers for rookie quarterback Drake Maye, and Smith no doubt would help.”
Patriots Have No One With Left Tackle Experience
The reality is that Okorafor has never played left tackle, and Wallace wasn’t a left tackle in college either. The No. 3 on the left-tackle depth chart is 2023 seventh-round pick Andrew Steuber, who didn’t play a down as a rookie last year. Want to guess where he played in college? Yup, RIGHT tackle.
Smith is not a cure-all. He will be 31 this season and hasn’t been at the top of his game the past two years—there’s a reason he remains unsigned. At Pro Football Focus, Smith logged a grade of 57.8 in 2023, ranking 61st out of 81 tackles in the NFL.
However, the Patriots ranked 29th in pass blocking last season, per PFF, and are returning much the same group this year. They need all the help they can get.
Smith did improve as the year went on with the Chiefs. He struggled with holding penalties but did help win a Super Bowl title, as he had done in Tampa Bay before that. He has flaws, but at least he has played left tackle before.