The New England Patriots reportedly had their eye on free-agent offensive tackle Andre Dillard before the Tennessee Titans scooped him up.

Dillard is expected to sign a three-year, $29 million contract with the Titans after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Patriots were competing for Dillard's services, according to ESPN's Dianna Russini, but the former first-round pick decided to go with Tennessee's deal.

Curran: A word of advice for Pats fans entering free agency -- RELAX!

Dillard, 27, has started nine games at left tackle in his career. He was behind Jordan Mailata on the Eagles' left tackle depth chart last season and played only five percent of the offensive snaps.

The offensive tackle position is arguably New England's biggest need this offseason. While missing out on Dillard isn't ideal, it's at least encouraging that the Patriots are actively scouring the market for help up front.