The Denver Broncos need help along their offensive line, and this Patriots player could be a viable trade target for them. The reason I bring up this specific team and this specific position is because of a trade the Patriots made last offseason.
Long-time Patriots' guard Shaq Mason was shockingly sent to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a mere fifth-round pick. Mason got to reunite with Tom Brady and could be a cap casualty for the Bucs this offseason, but that is a different story.
Well, one of the reasons why this trade was made in my opinion was because the team wanted to give Mike Onwenu more run along the offensive line. Onwenu was a late-round draft pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and has quietly become one of the best linemen in the NFL.
Well, if the Patriots traded an excellent guard last year for a fifth-round pick, what would stop them from trading Onwenu this offseason for a slightly more valuable pick? Onwenu was excellent at right tackle during his rookie season, which is significant.
He's now settled into the Patriots' left guard position and started all 17 games this season. Furthermore, according to Pro Football Reference, Onwenu has only been flagged for six penalties in his career, which has spanned three seasons.
PFF is also very high on Onwenu, and I do realize that some don't trust PFF, but their grading does line up with just how good Onwenu is at what he does.
Being that he is set to enter the last year of his rookie deal, he may be in line for a contract extension. I'd personally have no reservations about the Broncos extending a player of Onwenu's caliber. He could immediately slide in at the left guard spot that will hopefully be vacated by the departure of Dalton Risner.
However, seeing as how strong he played at right tackle during his rookie season, I do wonder if the Broncos would prefer him at that spot if they were to pull this trade off.
Either way, the Broncos should try to pry this stud away from the Patriots.