FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- This one hurts.
In the end, the New England Patriots stayed true to their financial discipline with starting left tackle Nate Solder, who is expected to sign a four-year, $60 million contract with the New York Giants, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The $15 million-per-season average would easily make Solder the top-paid offensive lineman in the NFL. The previous high was $13.25 million per season (Russell Okung with the Chargers; Joe Thomas with the Browns).
That's an aggressive pact from the Giants, and it put the Patriots in a spot where they had to weigh the following question: Despite no obvious fallback plan at the position, would they extend themselves far beyond the range many projected to keep Solder?