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Over the last four decades, we’ve seen a handful of CFL stars land in the NFL and make a splash. Did the New England Patriots find the next member of the list?
The Patriots just signed CFL All-Star center Drew Desjarlais to a futures contract. Desjarlais is 24 years old and he was originally drafted by the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers with the No. 4 pick overall in the 2019 CFL Draft out of Windsor.
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Desjarlais is 6’2″ and is listed at 313 pounds. He has been durable with the Blue Bombers playing in all 18 games as a rookie back in 2019. Due to COVID-19, the CFL’s 2020 season was canceled, but Desjarlais had an outstanding 2021 campaign for Winnipeg.
He was selected as an All-Star and he helped the Blue Bombers win the Grey Cup. Winners, especially offensive linemen, are always attractive to teams. While Desjarlais is still young, he has the look of a guy who will help his team be successful.
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In addition to the traits that the Patriots may have liked about Desjarlais, there is another layer to consider when examining this signing. Depth is always important on an NFL roster, but it isn’t overkilling if you ask can you ever have too many offensive linemen?
What Positions Can Drew Desjarlais Play?
Desjarlais’s top position is center, but it appears he could be slid over to the guard spot if needed. Center David Andrews is seemingly entrenched at his position, but the guard sport might be a little more fluid for the Patriots.
In 2021, the Patriots got stellar performances from Shaq Mason and Ted Karras. When you look at Patriots like Karras and Mike Onwenu and former Pats like Joe Thuney, it is easy to see why versatility would be a welcomed trait.
More than anything, it appears the Patriots loved the natural nastiness Desjarlais brings to the football field. It is often a welcomed trait for an offensive lineman.
Mike Reiss of ESPN wrote: “Canadian Football League guard/center Drew Desjarlais (Winnipeg) had no shortage of NFL interest before signing a contract with the Patriots for 2022. New England was one of seven teams he worked out for, and it would have been more had Desjarlais not decided to cut it off at that point. What appealed to the Patriots? Among other things, it is Desjarlais’ physical and nasty play style. Now the question is if he can add his name to the CFL-to-NFL pipeline that includes Cameron Wake, Jeff Garcia, Brandon Browner and Warren Moon, among others.”
Wake, Garcia, Browner, and Moon all played in Pro Bowls. If Desjarlais can simply make the opening day roster, the Patriots should be over the moon.
The Most Likely Usage for Desjarlais With the Patriots
Karras is a free agent and he should be in high demand. Shaq Mason is due to make $6.5 million next season with a $10.1 million cap hit. His dead cap number is just $3.1 million, which makes him a potential cap casualty during the preseason.
The Patriots may do whatever they need to do to keep Mason, but Karras’ spot might not be quite as secure. Karras returned to the Patriots after spending the 2020 season with the Miami Dolphins. The 28-year-old veteran came in and claimed the starting left guard spot over Onwenu, who had been amazing his rookie season.
Karras’ strong play might garner him a serious contract from a team like the Chicago Bears which is looking to solidify their offensive line. The Patriots didn’t pony up to keep Thuney, and thus it is unlikely they would enter into a bidding war to retain Karras.
If nothing else, Desjarlais should be considered to be a player in the running to replace Karras if he walks in free agency as should be expected.
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