Why New England Patriots Shouldn't Spend Big on Offensive Line in Free Agency

The New England Patriots had an offensive line problem in 2015. From depth at tackle to experience at guard to injuries all over, it seemed like the five-man group was under fire from the beginning of the regular season.

But it's too easy to close your eyes, throw money at the problem and hope it goes away. Unfortunately for the Patriots, that's not possible with salary-cap constraints as tight as the ones they face headed into the 2016 offseason. 

It might seem logical to sign a high-profile lineman and plug him into the group in hopes that his arrival might mark the beginning of better days for the line. 

But there is one man whose arrival will most likely mark the beginning of those days: offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia. The Patriots offensive line has been one of the most inconsistent groups on the team in Dave DeGuglielmo's two years as offensive line coach, sandwiched between Scarnecchia's departure in 2014 and his return in 2016. 

Year	2013	2014	2015
Pressures	194	179	221
Pressure %	29	28.2	33.1
Sacks	40	26	38
Sack %	6	4.1	5.7
Rush yards	2065	1727	1404
Yards/carry	4.4	3.9	3.7

Yes, that group galvanized five weeks into the 2014 season and helped spark a turnaround that led to a Super Bowl. Tom Brady had been sacked nine times in the first four games, but was sacked just 12 times the rest of the season. Even in improving their pass protection, though, the Patriots still struggled to run the ball in 2014, averaging just 3.9 yards per carry, the 11th-lowest average in the NFL that year.

And the group went right back to its unsteady ways in 2015, in both pass protection and in the running game. Brady was sacked 38 times (which would have been about the same number as if the Patriots had maintained their pace of nine sacks per game through the first four games in 2014), and the Patriots averaged even fewer yards per carry, at just 3.7, the fourth-lowest average in the league.

So, clearly, the offensive line needs to play better. But playing better is not the same as finding better players. 

Let's not forget that Scarnecchia made a reputation for himself by taking unknown, unheralded linemen and turning them into starting-caliber players. Head coach Bill Belichick recalls former Patriots guard Stephen Neal every year, multiple times in press conferences, as a former college wrestler-turned-lineman thanks in large part to the tutelage of Scarnecchia. 

Let's also not forget that Scarnecchia was hot on the scouting trail when the Patriots were looking at rookie linemen to add in the 2015 draft; he was on hand for the scouting of the Patriots' two fourth-round picks, guards Tre' Jackson and Shaq Mason.

Is there any reason to believe that Scarnecchia no longer sees potential in Jackson and Mason, less than 12 months after the Patriots handed in the selection cards with their names on them? 

The problems that face the Patriots are not all simply about development, though; the Patriots also have depth issues that need to be addressed. Behind Jackson and Mason, the Patriots also have Josh Kline to fill in at guard, so even if one of the two second-year linemen underperforms, the Patriots can always go in another direction.

But what about at tackle? Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer are great starters, but Marcus Cannon struggled for most of the 2014 and 2015 seasons. He carries a $4.75 million cap hit into the 2016 season, according to Over The Cap, which is far too much for a backup tackle, much less a backup tackle who has played at Cannon's level over the past two years.

Could the Patriots go searching for backup tackles in free agency? Sure, but they most likely would not spend big money on it; and with Scarnecchia in the fold, they might be served just as well to target linemen in the draft to save money while also developing a potential future starter for when Solder or Vollmer are no longer with the team. 

The unrest about the offensive line is palatable and understandable, but it's not a reason for a knee-jerk response to a problem that might just as easily be fixed with a more reasonable approach: better coaching.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.