The New England Patriots parted ways with another starting offensive lineman Tuesday as right guard Shaq Mason was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Mason, a two-time Super Bowl champion, was sent to the Bucs in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round draft pick. The move frees up more than $6 million in salary cap space, but it leaves New England with another significant void on the o-line. The Patriots also are losing starting left guard Ted Karras to the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency and right tackle Trent Brown is set to officially become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday.
Perry: With free agency underway, where did the Patriots' money go?
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Here's a look at the current state of the Patriots offensive line following the departures of Karras and Mason.
Left tackle: Isaiah Wynn, Justin Herron, Yodny Cajuste, Will Sherman
Left guard: Mike Onwenu, Drew Desjarlais
Center: David Andrews, James Ferentz
New England Patriots
Right guard: Yasir Durant, Arlington Hambright
Right tackle: Mike Onwenu, Justin Herron, Yasir Durant
As our Phil Perry points out, Ferentz and Onwenu could be the team's new starting guards if necessary. Of course, we can expect the Patriots to shore up the o-line with additional moves this offseason.
One potential move New England could make is trading for La'El Collins. Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports the team has shown interest in acquiring the Dallas Cowboys tackle. By trading Mason to clear up cap space, that becomes a realistic option.
The Patriots' offensive line ranked as the ninth-best unit in the NFL last season, per Pro Football Focus.