Patriots Free Agents: Trent Brown Reunion Not Ideal, But Might Be Necessary

In a perfect world, the Patriots wouldn't think twice about letting Trent Brown walk in free agency this offseason.

But things aren't perfect on New England's offensive line -- far from it.

Brown and fellow tackle Mike Onwenu, who arguably is better, both are free agents. There aren't any proven in-house successors. The Patriots' need for a new franchise quarterback might preclude them from taking a plug-and-play left tackle in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. New England's O-line, which was awful the last two seasons, lacks experience on the interior, outside of David Andrews.

So, the Patriots might be forced to explore reuniting with Brown, who's excellent when healthy and committed but is reliably unreliable in both areas. He also can be an outspoken headache in the locker room.

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Here are cases for and against the Patriots re-signing Trent Brown:

CASE FOR
Nobody can argue Brown's talent. The 6-foot-8 behemoth is a matchup nightmare and one of the best left tackles in football. He finished the 2023 season as Pro Football Focus' 11th-ranked tackle, and spent a stretch of the campaign in the No. 1 spot.

He's also tough -- when he wants to be. Brown played all 17 games in 2022 and gutted through multiple injuries in 2023 before sitting out three of the final four contests. Again, when he's engaged and in lockstep with the coaching, he's everything you'd want in a left tackle.

Brown's on- and off-field issues also might lead to a depressed market in free agency. The 30-year-old might be forced to take a reduced contract, perhaps a one-year prove-it deal. If the Patriots' plan is to draft a tackle in the first three rounds, they might want capable, affordable insurance in the event the prospect isn't a Week 1 starter.

Finally, this all comes down to the quarterback. Whether New England takes someone atop the draft or acquires a veteran, it can't afford to run it back with a patchwork O-line. And there aren't great options in free agency; in fact, Brown and Onwenu might be the best available.

It wouldn't be ideal, but re-signing Brown might be necessary.

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CASE AGAINST
It probably is time for both sides to go their separate ways.

Brown completely shredded the Patriots top-to-bottom during a late-season conversation with NESN.com. He also fired on-the-record shots at the organization throughout the season. Furthermore, multiple reports indicate some Patriots players don't want Brown to return.

And if it's true that Brown refused to play through injuries and checked out with an eye toward free agency, the Patriots can't risk younger players looking toward him as an example. They need to reestablish the culture that partially eroded the last few years -- thanks, in part, to players like Brown.

There are pros to having Brown around, to be sure. But they're outweighed by the cons. At the end of the day, the Patriots need to go in a different direction with one of the most important positions on the team.