2. Joe Thuney, New England Patriots

The Patriots made a puzzling decision this past offseason when they elected to not extend left guard Joe Thuney, who has undoubtedly been the most consistent member of their offensive line for the last few years. 

Instead of locking him up, de facto GM Bill Belichick opted to franchise tag the former third-round pick, which will see him pocket $14.78 million for the 2020 season. This move didn’t exactly sit well with fans in New England, but it should have been expected as Belichick has never been one to give impending free agents — especially offensive linemen — top dollar on the open market, regardless of whether they deserve a lucrative deal. 

Flash forward to the present and Thuney and the Patriots have yet to agree to terms on an extension. Barring a shocking turn of events, the 27-year-old stud will hit free agency in March, and our guess is that he will have a plethora of suitors.

Seattle should absolutely be one of them as it really remains to be seen if they will re-sign Mike Iupati, who will turn 34 before the start of next season. When you consider that Pro Football Focus gave him just a 60.4 grade in 2019 after he allowed five sacks and was penalized eight times, his best football is probably behind him. 

The same, however, cannot be said for Thuney, who is arguably just entering his prime. PFF gave him a stellar 77.4 grade last year — he conceded ONE sack and was flagged just once — and he’s currently sporting an 83.2 marking through four games this season. What’s just as impressive is that Thuney has played 100% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps in all but one season (2019). Care to guess how many he played that year? 99%. 

Nothing more needs to be said. Signing Thuney should be one of the Seahawks’ top priorities once free agency opens next offseason.