Heading into the 2026 offseason, one thing seemed certain for the New England Patriots offense: the offensive line needed help.

Drake Maye was sacked an NFL-record 21 times during New England’s Super Bowl LX run, and while the younger pieces showed promise, leaning too heavily on rookies came at the quarterback’s expense.

We haven’t officially turned the calendar to the new league year — yet the Patriots have already started reshuffling the deck to fortify the front for Maye.

Part one was trading starting center Garrett Bradbury to the Chicago Bears, a move that, in all likelihood, slides starting left guard Jared Wilson back to his natural collegiate position in the middle of the line.

Part two? That’s what comes next.

Rather than filling the center spot with an outside signing, Wilson’s move to center would be effectively confirmed if the Patriots target a veteran guard in free agency. That approach would create a buffer between Will Campbell at left tackle and Wilson at center, improve communication on pre-snap adjustments and post-snap stunts, and — hopefully — stabilize the left side in pass protection.

In the conclusion of our “Free Agency Fits” series, we’ll take a closer look at guards New England could target as immediate starters in free agency.

Let’s dive in.

Projected AAV: $17.5 million/year (4 years, $70 million total with $45 million guaranteed)

Alijah Vera-Tucker (26) enters free agency after missing the entire 2025 season — the third season-ending injury he’s suffered in four years in the NFL.

Still, his 2024 campaign with the New York Jets was strong enough to land him the highest projected average annual value among guards in free agency this year.

Originally drafted by the Jets with the 14th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Vera-Tucker entered the league as a tackle-to-guard convert out of USC. He played his entire rookie season at left guard before moving primarily to right guard, but he’s also taken snaps at both tackle spots in the pros.

New England was rumored to be interested in Vera-Tucker during the pre-draft process in 2021, and now the Patriots have had four years of AFC East tape to evaluate.

When he’s on the field, Vera-Tucker is a stable run blocker at guard, earning a PFF run-blocking grade of at least 76.3 in each of the past three seasons he’s been in action. His highest-graded year was 2024 — with an overall grade of 77.7, a run-blocking grade of 76.3, and a pass-blocking grade of 74.5. His 2.8% pressure rate in 2024 ranked fourth among qualifying guards league-wide, and it paired a clear step forward in pass pro with what he already brings in the run game.

Even with those credentials, it’s hard to picture the Patriots paying the top of the market for a guard whose availability has been a recurring issue.

Vera-Tucker would be paid on projection, and New England feels like it’s hunting for production at this spot — someone who’s seen more football, stays on the field, and grinds through the season. That’s the profile they targeted with Morgan Moses last offseason, and it may foreshadow the direction they lean again up front.

Projected AAV: $11.67 million/year (3 years, $35 million total with $21 million guaranteed)

David Edwards (28) is another player New England has been able to evaluate closely over the last few seasons.

As the Buffalo Bills’ full-time starter at left guard since the beginning of the 2024 season, Edwards didn’t allow a sack during the 2024 season on 587 pass-blocking snaps (1,180 total snaps). He followed that up in 2025 with his highest-graded year as a full-time starter, with an overall PFF grade of 71.4 (22nd of 79 guards in 2025), a run-blocking grade of 69.0, and a pass-blocking grade of 73.0 (1,176 total snaps).

After Buffalo extended center Connor McGovern on a four-year, $52 million deal with $32 million guaranteed earlier this weekend, a reunion with Edwards now feels unlikely for the Bills.

Entering his age-29 season, Edwards is an ascending player the Patriots could rely on as a starter at left guard for the next two-to-three years. He’s lived in AFC East football, and with 5,865 career snaps, he brings a veteran presence while still being under 30.

The question with Edwards is the price tag, which PFF has listed at a projected AAV of $11.75 million, while Spotrac has listed it at $19.91 million. The former makes a deal realistic; the latter may slam the door.

Edwards would be an interesting fit in New England, but he may end up being a bit too expensive to lure to Foxboro.

Projected AAV: $8 million/year (1 year, $8 million total with $7.5 million guaranteed)

If you’re looking for consistency and a short-term starter at left guard, start here.

Isaac Seumalo (32) trends older, but he checks a lot of the boxes for what New England may be looking for at this spot. He’s played 7,443 career snaps and has been the starting left guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers the last three seasons.

The durability is there, and so is the production. In five of the last seven seasons, Seumalo has earned at least a 72.7 overall PFF grade, and he profiles as a guard who holds up in pass protection.

In 2025, Seumalo posted a 76.4 pass-blocking grade on 504 pass-blocking snaps. That ranked seventh among guards league-wide. He also ranked 27th in run-blocking grade. His overall grade in 2025 (73.3) ranked 16th of 79 guards in the NFL.

Seumalo would be a high-end plug-and-play option to fill the gap between Campbell and Wilson in the immediate future — and he could be had at a reasonable cost.

The questions are familiar ones, similar to what the Patriots faced with Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury last offseason: How long does he hold up? And do you need the replacement plan the moment he signs?

Entering his age-33 season, that’s fair. But with New England in a championship window and longer-term commitments coming soon, a strong stopgap at left guard for 2026 might be exactly the kind of “boring” move that keeps the offense from getting derailed.

Seumalo may not be the long-term answer — but he can be a solution for the next run.

Projected AAV: $13 million/year (3 years, $39 million total with $20 million guaranteed)

Dylan Parham (26) was originally drafted in the third round of the 2022 draft by the Las Vegas Raiders… and head coach Josh McDaniels.

A full-time starter at guard since entering the league, Parham has spent three of his four seasons at left guard (he was the full-time starter at right guard in 2024, then moved back to the left side in 2025).

Parham doesn’t post the highest marks on this list in snaps (3,803) or PFF grade (63.6, 37th of 79 guards in 2025), but the McDaniels connection is real — and with this regime, that has mattered in past targeting.

Has McDaniels already seen enough? Or would he be willing to bring Parham in as a multi-year piece for 2026 and beyond?

If Parham is the guy, he’d arrive on a mid-level, multi-year contract to anchor the left side for the coming years. He’d be another player paid on projection, and the Patriots would be betting on improvement from a 62.3 (41st) pass-blocking grade and six sacks allowed (78th) last season.

If his market pushes above the current projection, New England may look elsewhere. But if the price stays in the current range, Parham is a plausible option.

Projected AAV: $4.5 million/year (1 year, $4.5 million total with $4.5 million guaranteed)

Veteran guard seekers, this is your guy — if he decides to run it back for one more year.

Joel Bitonio (34) is contemplating retirement after his 13th NFL season, all spent in Cleveland. He’s played 1,000+ snaps in each of the last nine seasons, with 11,966 total in his career. At his peak in 2021, he earned an overall PFF grade of 93.6 (2nd of 84 guards that year).

Even on the back half of his career — and amid Cleveland’s struggles the past two seasons — Bitonio has stayed solid, particularly in pass protection.

In 2025, he posted a 75.7 pass-blocking grade (8th of 81 guards) and allowed only two sacks on 686 pass-blocking snaps. In his career, he’s allowed more than three sacks in a season only once (2017). He’s been named to seven consecutive Pro Bowls (2018–2025) and earned All-Pro honors in five consecutive seasons from 2018–2022.

Beyond the play, Bitonio also checks the “culture fit” box: he was nominated as the Browns’ representative for Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2022 and has won the local media’s “Good Guy Award” five times (2017, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024).

Bitonio would be the massive addition New England needs at left guard for 2026 — but if he plays, would he actually leave Cleveland?

If he wants to solidify his Hall of Fame candidacy, this is the stage of his career where ring-chasing becomes real. Relationships matter there, and Mike Vrabel has a direct connection: prior to becoming the Patriots’ head coach, Vrabel spent 2024 as an offensive line assistant with the Browns.

Bitonio would be the biggest bargain — and likely the highest-level starter — New England could land at left guard in 2026. He’d bring elite pass protection and veteran communication for a young left side in front of Maye.

He’s an ideal one-year fit… if he decides to come back for his age-35 season and hitch onto the Vrabel wagon in Foxboro.

Perhaps even more so than edge rusher, New England may be able to count on veteran talent being available at guard when free agency begins — and at a much more reasonable cap projection.

The impact a veteran guard signing would have on this Patriots offensive line room cannot be understated. It paves the way for Campbell and Wilson to cement themselves as core pieces up front for years to come, and it gives the left side a chance to stabilize in pass protection in the process.

Luckily for New England, the market is plentiful. Next, it comes down to who they land — and how that player fits.

With free agency set to begin shortly, the missing piece to the Patriots’ offensive line puzzle may arrive sooner rather than later. The next phase of the New England front five begins now.

Who do you want to see the Patriots bring in at guard? Is there another spot along the line that could use more juice via free agency? Let us know in the comments section below.

Stay tuned for all of that and much more to come right here on Patriots Roundtable.

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