gresh and fauria: How will jerod mayo build his coaching staff?
The Patriots turned over a new leaf on Wednesday afternoon when they officually announced Jerod Mayo as the 15th head coach in the franchise's history.
Apparently, there's a chance they go into their new era without one of their top offensive linemen over the past four seasons.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Patriots "essentially know [Mike] Onwenu isn't coming back." The insider added that the 26-year-old is viewed by many teams as "the top offensive lineman in free agency because of his quickness and ability to play guard or tackle... he will have high bidders."
Onwenu was drafted by New England in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and has been a godsend for their offensive line. The former Michigan Wolverine started all 16 games at right tackle as a rookie, and has started 40 games since over the last three years at both guard and tackle. He's consistently graded highly by PFF and is widely considered one of the better young linemen in the NFL.
When speaking with AtoZ Sports' Sophie Weller last month, Onwenu sounded open to the idea of returning to New England:
"It's really where I built myself, turning into the person that I am," he said. "They took the opportunity on me, drafting me in the sixth round. So I always like to, not necessarily prove doubters wrong, but I like to prove myself right. I always like to put my best foot forward and just prove that I’m supposed to be here and I am here."
While Onwenu's versatility makes him one of the top free-agent offensive linemen on the market, it also makes his next contract an intriguing one to watch. Will he be paid as a guard? Or a tackle? That will matter.
In a recent Patriots Mailbag, I averaged out the top five highest-paid players' contracts at each position to compare the difference in base salary and total value between the two. Here's a look:
Tackle:
Average base salary: $14 million
Total contract value: $109.58 million
Guard:
Average base salary: $6.84 million
Total contract value: $77.6 million
Like I said, it'll matter what the rest of the league thinks Onwenu's true position is, and it may end up being what keeps the Patriots out of the running. He's set to be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins in March.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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