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The writing has been on the wall for the looming departure of New England Patriots guard Joe Thuney this offseason. There remains plenty of speculation regarding when the Patriots would be able to pull off a trade.
New England would ideally like to get it done before the 2020 NFL Draft in their efforts to shore up some capital. According to Matt Verderame of FanSided, it is not likely to happen:
My understanding is likelihood of Patriots trading Joe Thuney is not great before NFL Draft.
Thuney is due $14.78 million on tag for 2020, and while a terrific player, that's a huge number to deal without a long-term pact in place.
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) April 22, 2020
The Patriots placed the franchise tag on Thuney earlier this offseason and he is slated to make $14.78 million for the 2020 NFL season. It soon became evident that he would become a trade option after both sides failed to make any headway on a long-term deal since head coach Bill Belichick seemingly has little interest in paying such a large price tag for a player who is set to become a free agent after the season.
It is no secret that New England has ushered in a new era after parting ways with quarterback Tom Brady. They will need as much draft capital and cap space as possible if they hope to keep their winning ways going. However, the latest update indicates that he will not be able to cash in on this year's draft.
The Patriots could still continue to shop Thuney during the offseason if they are adamant about getting him out of town in order to save some cash. It remains to be seen if the market will be much better for him once the draft is over. The Miami Dolphins are among the notable teams that reportedly have interest in Thuney.
