Lots of NFL teams, such as the Green Bay Packers, wanted center David Andrews to anchor their offensive line. The New England Patriots, however, retained him.

The Patriots have been one of the most active NFL organizations in this first week of free agency, radically remaking their roster with a lot of splashy acquisitions of players from other teams. Yet, this particular move — retaining a player instead of letting him get away — could be the most significant maneuver of New England's offseason under Bill Belichick.

David Andrews is one of the elite centers in the NFL. The Green Bay Packers were one of several teams which had considered acquiring him. Andrews' quality made him one of the more significant targets on the big board in free agency. By keeping him in the fold, the Patriots and Belichick have given Cam Newton an offensive line he can feel good about. Given New England's acquisition of new pass catchers for Newton, no one can say the Pats have failed to upgrade their offensive roster around their quarterback.

This will be Andrews' sixth season for the Patriots, where he has been a vital piece of the offensive line since he was drafted in 2015. Andrews has been part of multiple Super Bowl championship rosters in Foxborough, so his competitive chops are unquestioned. The loss of Tom Brady had as great an effect on the Pats as many people suspected, so the burden fell on Belichick to improve the rest of the roster surrounding the quarterback position. Keeping Andrews might be the most visible sign yet of New England's understanding of how much work it needed to do this offseason.

The Patriots are in a position where they probably still need to get more quality skill players. That said, the team is likely to go as far as Cam Newton is able to take it. If Newton improves from his subpar 2020 season in 2021, the pieces will fit. If Newton doesn't make the grade, these other deals won't gain maximum value.

Nevertheless, the Patriots should feel very good about keeping David Andrews.