As the saying goes, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. That could be the case with the right tackle Jawaan Taylor and the New England Patriots this offseason.
The Kansas City Chiefs released Taylor this week to help the team’s salary cap situation. But on March 4, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay argued the best fit for Taylor next season is the Patriots.
“The New England Patriots should be one of the teams expressing interest in Taylor’s services after their offensive line was shaky for much of the 2025 campaign and the subsequent playoffs, before being completely exposed in Super Bowl LX,” wrote Kay.
“While the Pats allowed Drake Maye to be sacked a concerning 47 times during the regular season, they simply couldn’t keep the star quarterback upright during the playoffs. Maye set an NFL record by taking a whopping 21 sacks during a four-game postseason run.”
Taylor will be entering his eighth NFL season during 2026. He started four years for the Jacksonville Jaguars before inking a 4-year, $80 million deal with the Chiefs.
Kansas City saved $20 million against the 2026 cap with Taylor’s release.
Why the Patriots Could Target Tackle Jawaan Taylor
Without a doubt, the Patriots could benefit from better pass protection at tackle next season.
During the 2025 regular season, New England yielded 3.3 sacks per game. That was tied for sixth-worst in the league.
As Kay mentioned, the Patriots pass protection was then historically bad during the team’s AFC championship run.
Over the course of his NFL career, Taylor has been a superior pass blocker. In 2025, the veteran earned an above average pass protection grade from Pro Football Focus.
Taylor earned that positive grade despite problems with penalties once again.
“Although Taylor had issues with penalties this past season—drawing 13 flags (the fifth-most of any tackle last year) in just 12 games according to Pro Football Focus—he was still a positive force in pass protection. He conceded only three sacks across his 517 pass blocking snaps in 2025,” wrote Kay.
Taylor plays right tackle. In a perfect world, the Patriots would add a left tackle this offseason and then slide youngster Will Campbell to guard.
But New England could sign Taylor as an upgrade at right tackle. Incumbent right tackle Morgan Moses has one year left on his contract. The Patriots could release Moses and only incur a $1.4 million dead cap hit.
Projecting Taylor’s 2026 NFL Free Agency Market
As a cap casualty, outlets haven’t been focused on what Taylor’s next contract could be. In all likelihood, he will receive a short-term contract.
That means even if it’s on the more expensive side, the commitment to Taylor could be minimal. Without the long-term commitment, the Patriots should be able to target Taylor.
“New England shouldn’t have any issues squeezing a new deal for Taylor under the cap either,” Kay concluded. “According to Spotrac, the club already has over $35 million in available finances to spend this offseason and could free up even more via restructures and releases in the coming days.
“The Pats may have come up short in their first Super Bowl appearance of the post-Tom Brady era, but they’ll be a strong bet to return in the coming years if they can adequately protect Maye. Adding a tackle of Taylor’s caliber will go a long way towards achieving that goal.”
And again, unless the Patriots plan to keep Moses if they sign Taylor, New England could save money cutting ties with Moses.
The bigger question is whether the Patriots prefer to sign a veteran tackle, trade for a big-named receiver or acquire an expensive edge rusher. All three are arguably priorities for New England this offseason.
Fans will begin to see which one takes precedence at the start of NFL free agency.
Patriots Urged to Make Recently Cut $80 Million Star Priority in NFL Free Agency