Patriots shouldn't pass up chance to solve glaring issue before NFL draft
The Patriots are a few days away from being on the clock. Not long after the Tennessee Titans kick off the proceedings Thursday night, Mike Vrabel & Co. will make the team's Round 1 selection with the fourth overall pick.
Advertisement
At the moment, there doesn't seem to be much suspense when it comes to what the Patriots are going to do. They've boxed themselves into a bit of a corner. They have little choice but to take the best left tackle available. And that would be LSU's Will Campbell, short arms and all.
Thanks to being unable to solve the issue in free agency, Drake Maye's blindside protection is the top priority heading into the draft. It remains a gigantic need.
But what if it wasn't?
What if the Patriots took care of that gaping hole at left tackle ahead of Thursday? As luck would have it, an opportunity presented itself last week.
Advertisement
Las Vegas Raiders starting left tackle Kolton Miller, a 2018 first round pick who is entering the final season of his contract, has yet to show up for the team's voluntary offseason program.
Miller, who is 29, is due a $12.2 million base salary with no guaranteed money. Reports have suggested his expiring contract is the reason for his absence. He's trying to force a contract extension.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Raiders haven't taken the bait. They haven't engaged in any contract discussions with Miller to this point. And, considering he has a $15.7 million cap hit in 2025, sure seems like a prime trade candidate if the sides can't reach a new deal.
Perhaps the Raiders, with Pete Carroll in his first season at the helm as head coach, will ultimately work out a new deal and settle the matter.
Advertisement
Or, maybe, they won't blink. Maybe they're open to making a deal.
If the Patriots haven't done so already, they need to kick the tires on Miller, and put together a significant trade offer. Maybe a third-rounder for starters, seeing as the Patriots have two, and see where it goes.
The Raiders might not want to surrender their starting tackle for a third-rounder, but it's still worth a try even if they have to sweeten the pot.
In any case, if the Raiders are open to a trade, the Patriots also have to be willing to overpay Miller on a contract extension to make it all work and get the deal done.
That shouldn't be out of the realm, given the Patriots have the cap space - an NFL-topping $67.6 million, per Over the Cap - to take on Miller's cap hit and offer up an extension.
Advertisement
Miller certainly fits the need because he's a proven commodity. He's been a good and reliable blind side protector.
That's worth its weight in gold given the Patriots left tackles have been anything but in recent years.
Throughout the course of seven seasons, Miller has played in 109 games, starting 107 of those. His 80.6 overall Pro Football Focus grade in 2024 was 13th among tackles.
Another element supporting the notion to go after Miller is the fact Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels coached him for two seasons (2022 & 2023) in Las Vegas. Miller was a captain for McDaniels, who knows first-hand what he's capable of.
Advertisement
The biggest motivator here is for the Patriots to be able to go into the draft with a bonafide starting left tackle in the building. That would open up so many more possibilities at No. 4 in the draft and beyond.
Instead of being forced into taking Campbell, which seems to be the consensus choice, Vrabel would have so many more options.
He could trade down and get a few more assets if he finds a willing partner. Or, he could literally take the best player available, as opposed to the best tackle available.
If Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter drop, the Patriots can take one of them without hesitation. If neither one drops, they can go in any direction.
Advertisement
With Miller potentially available via trade, the Patriots have been given a gift. Starting left tackles don't just appear out of the blue.
Landing Miller would solve the problem, and as an added bonus, allow the Patriots to operate freely on Thursday. They can play the field without being married to one position.
If they want to take the best defensive player, it could be Georgia outside linebacker Jalon Walker. Or, Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham.
On the offensive side, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Penn State tight end Tyler Warren would be in play.
In the big picture, going after Miller is an easy choice. It's a no-brainer. It just comes down to whether or not the Patriots can hatch the right deal and make it happen.
More Patriots Content

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
37 minutes ago
- USA Today
Seahawks DT Byron Murphy II tabbed for breakout season
Seahawks DT Byron Murphy II tabbed for breakout season The Seattle Seahawks are expecting a developmental step forward from sophomore defensive tackle Byron Murphy II this year. Murphy looked effective when healthy, but an injury derailed a sizable portion of his rookie campaign. The No. 16 overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft is now entering a big second season. Pro Football Focus recently compiled a 2025 NFL All-Breakout Team. They selected one player at each position. Murphy was their choice at defensive tackle. "Many thought that Mike Macdonald had found his white whale out west when the Seahawks drafted Murphy 16th overall in 2024," Bradley Locker wrote. "After one year, that hasn't looked like the case, but it isn't time to panic yet. In Year 1, the former Texas star earned just a 57.8 overall PFF grade with a 64.5 PFF pass-rushing grade. Murphy also played only 457 snaps in 14 games, ceding time to Leonard Williams and Jarran Reed — each of whom returns to the team in 2025." A deeper dive into the analytics reveals Murphy was more effective than meets the eye. "There are still a bevy of reasons to get excited about Murphy, including his 70.0 PFF pass-rushing grade on true pass sets, 10% pass-rush win rate and 76th percentile run stop rate," Locker continued. "Macdonald helped Nnamdi Madubuike break out in earnest during the 2023 season, which was Macdonald's second in Baltimore. Perhaps Murphy will follow a similar arc and become a true disruptor along Seattle's interior in his second season." Murphy flashed pass-rushing upside in spurts as a rookie. A healthy, more mature sophomore version should be an effective defender in 2025. Mike Macdonald and his defensive staff will attempt to continue developing Murphy this season.


USA Today
37 minutes ago
- USA Today
Eagles biggest reason for optimism shouldn't come as a surprise
Eagles biggest reason for optimism shouldn't come as a surprise PFF reveals the Eagles' biggest reason for optimism, and it shouldn't catch anyone off guard. For just the fifth time in their 93-year history, the Philadelphia Eagles will enter the regular season as the defending champions. Three titles preceded the 1966 NFL/AFL merger (1948, 1949, 1960). They've added two Vince Lombardi Trophies to the shelf after winning Super Bowl 52 and 59. These young Birds fans certainly haven't gotten spoiled, haven't they? Most don't know the anguish of enduring Leonard Tose. They don't remember Bryce Paup shredding Randall Cunningham's knee. Three consecutive NFC Championship Games are foreign, and so is a depressing Fog Bowl. Young Eagles fans never had to endure seeing Reggie White leave, and you know what? The older guard ought to be thankful that they didn't. It would be cruel to wish that type of pain on anyone. This is one of the best eras of football this organization has seen, and there's still reason for more optimism. Pro Football Focus would undoubtedly agree with that last point. They recently offered a refreshing take, 'One reason for optimism for every team ahead of the 2025 NFL season'. As we know, Philadelphia has several, but it's hard to argue with the answer that PFF provided. How about a round of applause for the Eagles' loaded roster? There's plenty of content to wade through following Eagles OTAs and their single-day minicamp. Thank Dalton Wasserman for providing a nice distraction as we take a break before training camp begins in July. Philadelphia tacked an extension on the end of Saquon Barkley's current deal. Most of their young roster is locked up for the foreseeable future. They have young stars on an excellent defense. All are great reasons why Wasserman lists a 'stacked roster's return as cause for Birds fans to rest easy and smile broadly. Here's his explanation. "Philadelphia ran roughshod through the NFL last season en route to its second Super Bowl victory. This year's edition of the Eagles is poised to defend their title, returning 20 of their 25 players who led the team in snaps last season. Their defense, which paced the NFL in PFF grade last season, took most of the damage but returns stars such as Jalen Carter, Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean. The Eagles boast the best roster in the NFL heading into this season." This isn't the first time we've heard praise heaped on the Eagles' talent. The kudos are well deserved. Let's do some brief inventory. Their quarterback is the reigning Super Bowl MVP, and despite losing his first appearance in the big game, he has outplayed Patrick Mahomes on the big stage twice. Barkley is the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Philadelphia has the game's best one-two punch at wide receiver. They're also home to the game's best offensive line and a defense that is young and hungry, one led by one of the game's top defensive minds. Their owner is phenomenal. Howie Roseman is the best in the business. The fan support is otherworldly. One can certainly do a lot worse than being an Eagles fan. This season, Philadelphia tackles one of pro football's most demanding and challenging schedules, but they are armed well enough to handle the task of what will be a gauntlet. They return six Pro Bowlers (they should have had more). They return six All-Pros. Make no mistake. They'll be up to the challenge.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Drake Maye makes strong statement on Patriots new CB duo
Drake Maye has already seen enough to believe the New England Patriots have one of the best cornerback duos in the league with Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III. The second-year quarterback spoke with media members after a practice earlier in the week and showered heavy praise on the new-look defensive backfield for the Patriots. Advertisement "Anytime you go against a great defense. They've got good players. Two great corners. I tell Gonzo everyday, 'Imma test him.' I'm not gonna not throw at him or CD, two of the, I think, the best corners or one of the best duos in the league," said Maye. Gonzalez earned his first All-Pro nod in only his second NFL season last year. Meanwhile, Davis is a solid veteran defensive back and former Super Bowl champion. He recorded 56 tackles, 11 pass deflections and two interceptions with the Detroit Lions last season. Together, Gonzalez and Davis are a formidable duo who could end up ranking among the best in the league. It should make a major difference for a Patriots defense that looks much-improved in 2025. Advertisement Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook. This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Drake Maye makes strong statement on Patriots new CB duo