Before the start of the NFL’s legal tampering period last month, the New England Patriots opted to use the franchise tag to keep left guard Joe Thuney from hitting unrestricted free agency. Thuney, of course, was coming off an impressive four-year stretch during which he started 74 of a possible 74 games and helped the Patriots win two Super Bowls — all while developing into one of the most reliable interior offensive linemen in all of football.
Despite that and the application of a franchise tag tender that he quickly signed, Thuney’s future with the Patriots is far from set in stone.