Did Patriots Make Mistake Trading Shaq Mason?

The Patriots' lack of offensive line depth has become a center of controversy since free agency.

Former New England Patriots offensive lineman Shaq Mason was a keystone in one of the best offensive lines in Patriots history. After being drafted by New England in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the young star quickly become one of the league's most consistent run blockers.

Yet, with the Patriots' cap woes entering the 2022 offseason, head coach and general manager Bill Belichick was forced to trade Mason to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a mere sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Perhaps even more infuriating than the return for the perennial top-five guard was the fact that Belichick immediately drafted Cole Strange, the lesser-known Chattanooga prospect, in the first round as a replacement for Mason.

Pro Football Reference recently torched New England's offseason, and now ESPN is specifically pointing out the Mason loss as a major blow to the Patriots 2022 season. In its recent rankings highlighting the best and worst offseasons in the league, the Patriots ranked just 22nd.

Says ESPN:

The Pats' hands were tied by what they did last offseason, but I would have liked to see them find a way to keep Mason. Even if New England thinks Strange will emerge as a superstar, retaining Mason would have allowed the team to keep Mike Onwenu in a utility role, which is extremely important given how frequently Brown and fellow tackle Isaiah Wynn have been injured over the past few seasons.

Already, Mason is making an impression on his Buccaneers coaches. Tampa Bay offensive line coach Joe Gilbert had this to say about Mason in a recent press conference:

“Shaq’s been awesome so far, really smart football player. It’s hard to tell physicality [right now]. But when you watch him on tape from the Patriots – has that physicality size to him. Good pass blocker, good in the run game. I really feel great, and I know ‘Goody’ (Goodwin) does too, about where he is – really good in the room. [He] has picked things up really, really sharp so far. I think [he’s] a positive addition to the group.”

Since the team's improbable 2018 Super Bowl-winning effort, the team's offensive line has been critical to the offense's identity. With the loss of a player as important to the team as Mason, New England will hope that their young talent can grow to fill the gap.