Texans Poached Free Agent Target From Patriots

When looking at the New England Patriots' priorities for this offseason, none of those needs on the roster may stick out more than the offensive line.

Following a brutal year within the unit for 2024 with lackluster pass protection and inconsistent run blocking, this team is one desperately coveting help in the trenches, especially at the tackle position.

And while the Patriots did acquire former New York Jets tackle Morgan Moses in the first days of free agency openings across the league, New England had their eyes on another potential option on the outside of the offensive line to bring in.

According to ESPN insider Mike Reiss, offensive tackle Cam Robinson was on the Patriots' radar, though he ultimately decided to join aboard the Houston Texans.

"Left tackle Cam Robinson, who signed a one-year deal with the Texans on Thursday that reportedly has a maximum value of $14.5 million, could have helped the Patriots answer one of their top questions as he was arguably the top left tackle remaining on the market. And the Patriots were in the mix to some degree, according to a team source, but the sense was that Robinson preferred Houston."

As one of the best veteran tackles left on the market, it makes sense that Robinson would be on the table for New England ahead of his deal with the Texans.

Robinson, a former second-round pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017, also has as history with his former head coach Doug Marrone, who now resides on the Patriots staff coaching their respective offensive line, drawing a few connections between the pairing potentially coming to form in free agency.

However, Robinson opted to join a more win-now ready roster in warm-weather Houston on a short-term deal to plug their own pass protection troubles for the season ahead –– leaving the Patriots still searching for answers on the left side of their offensive line.

With a draft still upcoming and tons of money remaining to spend on the open market, there's still opportunity and time available for the Patriots to make the necessary improvements on the front lines. But the selection is undoubtedly becoming slimmer and slimmer with each candidate for the role finding jobs outside of Foxboro.