A giant loss
Likely saying goodbye to Andrews takes a bit of shine off Pats’ spending spree
Over the years, the Patriots have struck gold with many of their undrafted free agents. In some cases, they’ve even found diamonds in the rough.
David Andrews was a diamond in every sense.
He’s arguably at the top of the list of undrafted players the Patriots took a chance on and turned into contributors. It’s a long list that also includes Malcolm Butler, Jonathan Jones, Brandon Bolden, Jakobi Meyers and Adam Butler, who just signed with the Dolphins.
With the Patriots coming to terms with Ted Karras on Wednesday, it appears Andrews won’t be returning to Foxboro.
In a free agency period where the Patriots have come out of the gates with guns blazing, spending a boatload on more than a dozen players, the expected loss of Andrews takes away some of the shine.
And this isn’t meant as a knock on Karras, who is a solid player and will do a good job if he once again jumps in as the starting center.
Andrews was just special in so many ways. Andrews evolved from an unknown player to an important and respected voice in the room to four-time captain. He was also a pretty darn good center, one of the dozen best in the league.
If he has in fact moved on from New England, after not being able to agree on a deal to stay with the Patriots, it’s a pretty significant loss.
Through six seasons, he played in 72 games, with 69 starts, and was a two-time Super Bowl champion.
His presence in the middle of the offensive line, calling out protections, taking on mammoth defensive tackles, and cleanly snapping the football, shouldn’t be dismissed or diminished.
Returning last year after missing the entire 2019 season due to blood clots, there was a noticeable difference on the line, especially in the run game.
Andrews moves a little bit better than Karras. He’s more nimble, which allows him to get out ahead of running plays.
It just seems odd that the Patriots, who have been aggressive in reloading a team with multiple needs, couldn’t take care of their leader on the offensive line.
While the Patriots are shaping up to have a very good line, with Isaiah Wynn, Michael Onwenu, Shaq Mason, Trent Brown, and now Karras the presumed starters, Andrews was the glue guy in the middle.
Bill Belichick, in fact, asked him to stick around in 2019 while he recovered from the blood clots, as Andrews continued to be a presence working with his line mates, watching film.
“David’s one of our most dedicated and unselfish players,” Belichick told reporters in December 2019. “He adds a lot to our team, both on and off the field — again, his consistency, his toughness.
“Last year, one of the most impressive things about last year was how he really never missed anything. He was in every meeting, he was at every practice, at the games — obviously, the home games because he couldn’t travel — but was really a part of everything we did and added a lot even though he was unable to play.”
Along with Andrews apparently headed elsewhere, the Patriots also lost starting guard Joe Thuney, who signed a mega-deal with the Chiefs, and starting tackle Marcus Cannon, who was traded to the Texans. It’s a significant chunk from one of the top lines in the league.
Andrews’ impact shouldn’t be overlooked.
He often played hurt, most notably gutting it out with a bad ankle late in the year with the Patriots out of the playoff hunt. There’s a video of him revving up the players in the huddle, pleading with them to continue to fight, even during a lost year.
He’s been an unsung hero on the offensive line and embodied the Patriots’ team-first culture. While Andrews had stated a desire to return, a new deal doesn’t appear to be in the offing. With Karras arriving after a year spent in Miami, Andrews is headed elsewhere after the sides couldn’t make it happen on a new deal.
The Patriots letting him leave is almost as surprising as the barrage of players coming in.