Patriots shouldn't pass up chance to solve glaring issue before NFL draft

Yahoo

21-04-2025

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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