Pats Pulpit
Smith will be one of the top offensive linemen available in free agency this year.
The New England Patriots are likely to invest some serious resources in their offensive line this offseason. Luckily for them, it appears one of the top free agent options will indeed become available on the open market.
According to a report by Nate Taylor of The Athletic, the Kansas City Chiefs are “not expected to place the franchise tag or the transition tag” on standout guard Trey Smith.
Smith, 25, originally entered the league as a sixth-round selection by the Chiefs in 2021. Since then, the Tennessee product has started 80 of 81 possible games and developed into one of the best interior linemen in the NFL. A two-time Super Bowl winner, Smith is coming off his first Pro Bowl campaign.
The offensive tackle position is the primary need for the Patriots up front, but Smith might be too good a prospect to pass up. He also would help solidify an interior that, while deep in numbers, was unable to find a consistent pair of starting guards.
Heading into the offseason, the top of the depth chart consists of Michael Onwenu, Cole Strange and Layden Robinson. Onwenu, the starting right guard to end the season, is a candidate to move back out to tackle again; New England originally re-signed him last offseason with that position in mind.
Strange and Robinson, meanwhile, are uncertain projections. The former is a first-round draft pick who started 27 games at left guard to open his career, but the team decided to move him to center in 2024; a new coaching staff might reverse that decision but for now his outlook remains TBD. The latter had some promising moments as a fourth-round rookie, but his pass protection in particular remains a concern.
Adding the proven and experienced Smith to the mix would help stabilize one of the guard spots, and give the team options to move Onwenu, Strange and Robinson as it sees fit.
NFL free agency is set to begin on March 12. The Patriots are projected to have a team-leading $134.8 million in salary cap space.
