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David Andrews ‘would love’ to stay with Pats, but ‘up for anything’

Matt Dolloff Matt Dolloff February 23rd
Andrews' situation is relatively independent of the rest of the Patriots' offensive line, being a center and all. But the Cannon trade frees up added space for the Patriots to potentially re-sign their starting center and team captain. It comes down to whether or not the Patriots are willing to pay him close to the top of the market at the position - think $10 million per season. Andrews should have some interest around the league if he hits free agency, so the Patriots will have to be competitive to keep him.

Patriots center David Andrews is on track to become an unrestricted free agent in March. So while Andrews expressed a strong interest in staying with New England, he’s keeping all of his options open ahead of next month.

Andrews recently did an “Ask Me Anything” with his Instagram followers and was asked, point-blank, if he wanted to stay in New England. He answered: “We would love to stay. New England is our home”, and added “But we are up for anything.”

Coming off his age-28 season, Andrews made $3 million and should be in line for a raise on his next contract. He started 12 games for the Patriots in 2020, after missing all of 2019 to recover from blood clots. He missed three games after undergoing surgery to repair a broken thumb, then sat out the season finale with a calf injury.

You can see a screenshot of Andrews’ Instagram story below via The Camera Guys from NBC Sports Boston.

The Patriots would have to pay Andrews a base salary of $6.5 million just for him to crack the top-10 at his position. His recent health and injury issues may have depressed his price tag a bit. But this is also the first time Andrews will hit the open market. Either way, he’s still looking at a nice pay bump from his first two contracts with the Patriots.

If Bill Belichick doesn’t lock up Andrews early, he’ll be betting that Andrews’ market won’t be strong enough to convince him to leave New England. It would not be the first time the Patriots allowed a top internal free agent to explore free agency before ultimately re-signing.

MORE: Retaining David Andrews Should Be Priority For Patriots

With or without Andrews, the Patriots’ top priority remains finding the next starting quarterback. And they need to do that first if they want to attract high-end weapons in free agency.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays.

You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.

MORE: Patriots’ Top Internal Free Agents

  • G Joe Thuney

    Of all the Patriots' internal free agents, Thuney is the one who stands to make the most money. He played on a $14.7 million franchise tag and could make around that much on average with his next contract. The bright side is the Patriots have an emerging talent in Michael Onwenu, who played guard at Michigan, as a logical replacement for Thuney's departure. Belichick has a big decision here: lock up one of the best, most dependable left guards in football for big money, or go to the kid and take the compensatory pick next year.

  • C David Andrews

    One of the most consistent and dependable performers on the team during his career, Andrews rebounded nicely from missing the entire 2019 season to recover from blood clots. The Patriots have no logical internal replacement for everything that Andrews brings to his position and to the locker room. He may be in line for a raise on his next contract, but expect the Patriots to make a real push to retain him.

  • DT Lawrence Guy

    Bringing Guy back for 2021 is a no-brainer. He's been as consistent and dependable as anyone on the Patriots defense and won't come at a high cost. They could find a similar player to replace at least some of what he brings in free agency or the draft, but it may not be worth the risk when you know what you have with Guy.

  • DT Adam Butler

    Playing on an RFA tender in 2021, Butler logged four sacks, seven QB hits, and 38 total tackles in 15 games. He had a career-high six sacks and nine QB hits the year before. Butler has proven to be a solid interior pass-rusher for the Patriots and would make sense to retain on a low-cost extension.

  • QB Cam Newton

    Newton has to be on this list, because of the position he plays. The problem isn't so much how to replace Cam Newton, but whether or not he returns. There are whispers that it's possible he does. If not, the Patriots need a new quarterback, and preferably a significant upgrade over what Newton gave them on the field.

  • Nick Folk

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  • RB James White

    Is it possible White doesn't sign with the Bucs? Perhaps he feels settled in New England and doesn't want to uproot that situation. But if Damien Harris is ready to take on a bigger role in the passing game? It's possible that White's days as the go-to guy in those situations are winding down.

  • WR Damiere Byrd

    Byrd likely can't get much more than he did last season from the Patriots. But if he can find a nice long-term deal after leading all Pats receivers in snaps and posting career-highs in catches and yards, more power to him. If Byrd has more of a complementary role in the passing game instead of playing every snap, he'd be a welcome return. He works well for what he is.

  • DE Deatrich Wise

    It's not Wise's fault that the Patriots have tried to shoehorn him into roles that don't play to his strengths. He was better suited when the Patriots played more of a 4-3 defense up front and would still be better off in that kind of system. But he's also been a good solider throughout his time with the Patriots and can make plays as a pass-rusher. It's simply a question of where he fits at this point.

  • CB J.C. Jackson

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