Agent: Patriots to use franchise tag on OG Joe Thuney
The New England Patriots are placing the franchise tag on left guard Joe Thuney, according to his agent, Mike McCartney.
The franchise tag for offensive linemen is projected to be around $14.7 million.
Thuney was expected to generate significant free-agent interest because of his combination of age (he turned 27 in November), durability and top-of-the-line play at left guard.
That's the ideal trifecta and why Thuney, who started every possible game over the last four seasons (74, including playoffs), was one of the best players on the free-agent market.
In 2019, Thuney had a 97% pass-block win rate, according to ESPN's metric that uses NFL Next Gen Stats to determine which linemen can sustain their blocks for 2.5 seconds or longer. That was second-best among all guards, behind perennial All-Pro Marshal Yanda of the Baltimore Ravens (98%).
The Patriots selected Thuney in the third round of the 2016 draft out of NC State, moving him from tackle to guard. The selection (78th overall) was ultimately part of the compensation the team received for trading Pro Bowl defensive end Chandler Jones to the Arizona Cardinals.
Thuney became the first player in NFL history to start in the Super Bowl for the first three years of his career, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
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