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Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Onwenu’s future: When it comes to the Patriots’ impending free agent class, a strong case could be made that offensive lineman Mike Onwenu should be the team’s top priority.
That might ultimately be the case, but as of now, all has been quiet.
“From my agents, they said there haven’t really been much talks,” Onwenu told ESPN. “There has been communication, but there haven’t been any offers or any contracts that were sent. It’s kind of just a waiting game to see how it goes.”
Shaky offensive line play has been a central issue in a lost 3-11 season, as the team’s 42% pass block win rate ranks last in the NFL and its 35% run block win rate is 28th. Using player tracking data from NFL Next Gen Stats, the numbers convey the rate linemen can sustain their blocks for 2.5 seconds or longer.
But Onwenu (12 starts) has been part of the glue holding the patchwork unit together — first at right guard and then kicking out to right tackle after a run of injuries.
His run block win rate of 77% ranks 16th among 68 qualified tackles. His pass block win rate (78%) lagged, in part due to a Dec. 3 loss to the Chargers, in which he said he wasn’t trusting his technique, before a major bounce-back effort against T.J. Watt and the Steelers the following week, when he was cited as a key to the game plan.
“He’s done a really good job. He’s very versatile [with a] unique skill set for his size — really good feet, very instinctive, very smart,” offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien said.
As a result, the 6-foot-3, 350-pound Onwenu is on the cusp of cashing in with a big free agent payday. He is in the final season of a four-year, $3.497 million contract ($202,000 signing bonus) that he signed after being selected in the sixth round of the 2020 draft out of Michigan.
For context, one of last year’s top unrestricted free agent offensive linemen — former 49er and current Bronco Mike McGlinchey — signed a five-year, $87 million contract that included a $17.5 million signing bonus. The franchise tag for offensive linemen in 2023 was $18.2 million.
The soft-spoken Onwenu is open to all possibilities, but first wants to devote all of his attention to finishing the regular season.
“It’s really just time. That’s all you can do at this point [is wait]. It’s going to be one of those things that’s in the moment — when it happens, it happens,” he said.
“I’m hoping to win these games. That would be the best outcome — to end the year with some wins and play good football and put good football on film.”
He has already beaten the odds as the 182nd overall draft pick four years ago.
“Being in the position I’m in now, it’s a testament to believing in myself and to those who helped me to get here and believed in me from the start,” he said. “Getting an opportunity is the most important thing, and I got that. Every day I tried to treat it like my last.”
2. Dugger too: Safety Kyle Dugger, who finds himself in a similar position to Onwenu with unrestricted free agency on the horizon, is taking a short-term viewpoint. It starts with cleaning up miscues from last week’s loss to the Chiefs.
“I definitely don’t feel like it was my best performance. Just from a communication standpoint, and my role for the defense, I feel like I let them down in a lot of areas. And some plays I left out on the field,” he said. “Just not the standard, and definitely not something I want to put on film or make a habit of.”
That ties in to how Dugger — who has played 97% of the defensive snaps and has totaled 86 tackles (third on the team), two interceptions and 1.5 sacks — is approaching the offseason. He could be a top candidate for the franchise tag (it was $14.4 million for safeties in 2023) if the team views him as a priority to retain.
“I really haven’t thought a lot about it. I won’t know until the end of the season,” Dugger said. “Right now I’m trying to focus on where my feet are and trying to get the most out of where I am right now. It’s very important to make sure I worry about the on-field, and hopefully if you do your job, the off-field stuff will take care of itself.”
Whether that’s in New England or elsewhere remains to be seen.
“If I had an opportunity to continue playing here, then I wouldn’t rule that out,” he said. “I really don’t know. This is new for me, so it’s hard to really grasp everything that’s going to come with any of the moving pieces.
3. Finale planning: One loose end for the NFL to tie up — which could come as early as this week — is the date and time of the Jets-at-Patriots finale. The league keeps Week 18 dates and times flexible with playoff positioning and national exposure in mind, and since the Jets and Patriots are out of it, the strongest likelihood is that it will be played Sunday Jan. 7 at 1 p.m. ET.
4. Stidham reunion: Former Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham will be on the opposing sideline Sunday night, in part because Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton viewed his potential differently than Patriots coach Bill Belichick. When the Broncos signed Stidham to a two-year, $10 million deal in March, Payton referred to it as a “quietly important signing” because “it’s a No. 2 that his arrow is moving in a direction where we think he can become an NFL starter.”
Given the Patriots’ quarterback carousel this season — with six different signal-callers added to the roster or practice squad after keeping just Mac Jones coming out of training camp — their development and evaluation of Stidham is timely to revisit. Bailey Zappe, Malik Cunningham (mostly wide receiver but took some quarterback snaps), Matt Corral, Ian Book, Will Grier and just-added Nathan Rourke are the six quarterbacks.
5. Malik follow-up: Several Patriots players were disappointed to see Cunningham, the dynamic undrafted free agent from Louisville, signed off the Patriots practice squad by the Ravens on Dec. 13. Ultimately, the Patriots could have blocked it by having Cunningham on their 53-man roster instead of the practice squad, which to me reflects how the coaching staff primarily viewed him — as more of a gadget player than a pure quarterback in their system and needing to develop more physical strength. Time will ultimately show whether they evaluated him correctly.
6. Pop talk: Patriots rookie receiver Damario “Pop” Douglas was all smiles in the locker room late last week when asked about his alma mater, Liberty, which is preparing for the Fiesta Bowl against Oregon on Jan. 1 (1 p.m. ET, ESPN). The matchup has led to some playful banter with teammates and Oregon alums Christian Gonzalez and Pharaoh Brown.
“I finally get to talk trash to somebody,” Douglas said, flashing a smile. “When you see the big teams playing against each other — Alabama, LSU — those guys do that. But we haven’t played anybody in here.”
Douglas acknowledged that Liberty is a heavy underdog, but it hasn’t stopped him from playing things up with Gonzalez.
“I just throw up the LU every time I see him, [saying] ‘Just get ready because we’re going to come through with that Flame! We’re going to burn the Ducks.’ We love to shock the world!”
7. Patriots bonds: Defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr., one of the Patriots’ captains, approached Chiefs guard Joe Thuney after last Sunday’s game and asked for his jersey. Thuney obliged. The jersey swap reflected their connection as New England teammates for four seasons (2017-20).
8. They said it: “We had a common experience through Bill Parcells. We’ve both been yelled at a lot.” — Belichick, smiling, on his link with Broncos’ coach Payton
9. Did you know? — Part I: The Patriots’ run defense leads the NFL in allowing an average of just 3.2 yards per carry; since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, the franchise-best mark in that category came in the 1974 season (3.4 YPC.).
10. Did you know? — Part II: Rookie Bryce Baringer has at least one 50-yard punt in all 14 games, extending his team record for the longest single-season streak in franchise history (at any point of the season). Zoltan Mesko had a 12-game streak in 2011. Baringer, the sixth-round pick from Michigan State, is leading the AFC fan vote for the Pro Bowl (fan voting closes Monday).
Source: www.espn.com