The New England Patriots have moved on from starting center David Andrews. As was initially reported on Thursday morning and confirmed via a press release a short time later, they have released the 32-year-old after a decade with the team — creating a massive hole both on and off the field in the process of doing so.
What does parting ways with the longtime starter and team captain mean from a big picture point of view, though? Let’s dissect the decision.
End of an era
Andrews first joined the Patriots as a rookie free agent out of Georgia in 2015, and over the course of the next decade developed into one of the best players in franchise history.
The numbers say it all. He appeared in 136 regular season and playoff games for the team, starting 131; he helped the organization win two Super Bowls; he was voted to the Patriots’ 2010 All-Decade Team; he was an eight-time captain and recipient of the Ron Burton Community Service Award. Frankly, Andrews was a cornerstone for the team and the community for 10 years, and did not waver even as the dynasty was coming to an end.
That latter part cannot be understated. Following Tom Brady’s departure during the 2020 offseason, Andrews took it upon himself to help fill a massive leadership void on the offensive side of the ball — something he continued to do even after a shoulder injury forced him to end his 2024 season on the sidelines.
While he only rarely received national recognition for his work on and off the field — Pro Bowl and All-Pro votes were cast without his name mentioned — there is no denying Andrews was as valuable a Patriot as any during his time there. That became particularly true over the challenging last few seasons.
Leadership concerns
Within the last 48 hours, the Patriots have lost three of last year’s team captains. Besides Andrews, they also saw longtime defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. sign with the Washington Commanders in free agency, and quarterback Jacoby Brissett going one-and-done to join the Arizona Cardinals.
In addition, they also saw Andrews’ defensive counterpart leave. Whereas he was the longest-tenured player on offense, Jonathan Jones was on defense. Jones, too, is headed to Washington as a free agent.
Losing all of that experience and proven leadership quality — particularly from the likes of Andrews, Wise Jr. and Jones — will not be easy to compensate for the Patriots. They should be in a better position to do so from a coaching perspective, especially compared to last year, but the locker room itself will have to step up big-time as well.
In-house replacement candidates
The on-field impact of Andrews’ departure is obvious: the Patriots need a new starting center. There are some internal candidates that would make sense, as a look at our up-to-date roster shows.
Interior offensive line (7): Layden Robinson (63 | LG), Cole Strange (69 | C), Michael Onwenu (71 | RG), Ben Brown (77), Jake Andrews (67) Lecitus Smith (68), Tyrese Robinson (65)
Not all of the Patriots’ seven interior linemen are suited to take over, but there are three who stand out: former first-round draft pick Cole Strange, who ended the 2024 season filling in at center; Ben Brown, who was retained as an exclusive rights free agent after starting 10 games at the position; Jake Andrews, a 2023 fourth-round pick who has not yet had a chance to prove himself.
If the Patriots want to stay in house, one of the three getting the call seems like the play from a team perspective. And if so, Strange might be the leader in the clubhouse given his combination of superior athletic profile and experience working with quarterback Drake Maye both in games and practice.
Strange indeed settling in at center would create a trickle-down effect at left guard as well. At the moment, second-year man Layden Robinson is the top guy with former starter Sidy Sow — a guard/tackle hybrid — also a candidate.
Scouting the center market
The Patriots using one of their own to fill Andrews’ massive shoes is not guaranteed. They also might look at the external options to at least bring in competition, or a clear new starting center outright.
Looking at the list of available options in free agency, the following stand out due to their connections to head coach Mike Vrabel and/or his staff:
Daniel Brunskill: Although he primarily played right guard during his lone season with Mike Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans, he does offer experience at the center position as well. In total, Brunskill has 69 starts on his résumé.
Andre James: James was recently released from the Las Vegas Raiders, for whom he started 61 games over six seasons. Two of those overlapped with current Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Nick Harris: Mike Vrabel spent the 2024 season as a consultant in Cleveland, working extensively with the offensive line. Harris, who started two games as a backup center, was part of that group.
Corey Levin: A short-time member of the Patriots, Levin started four games for Mike Vrabel’s Titans: one in 2018, and three in 2022. He offers experience, but might be better suited for a backup role.
Wes Schweitzer: Over his nine seasons in the NFL, Schweitzer started games at all three interior spots. The 31-year-old worked with Patriots assistant Todd Downing in New York the last two years.
From a draft perspective, the center position is not considered particularly deep. North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel and Georgia’s Jared Wilson are the best candidates available, both projected to come off the board at some point on Day 2.
Two Super Bowl winners left
At the official start of the 2025 league year on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, the Patriots had five former Super Bowl champions on their roster. Andrews was one of those, as were the aforementioned Deatrich Wise Jr. and Jonathan Jones.
With all three now gone, linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley and long snapper Joe Cardona remain as the only players from the Patriots’ heyday.
Minor salary cap gains
If there is one positive to take away from the Patriots and Andrews parting ways, it is that it positively impacts their salary cap. The release will create net savings of $1.72 million: Andrews’ per game roster bonuses ($176k), workout bonus ($250k) and the non-guaranteed portion of his salary ($2.25M) will all be coming off the books.
Meanwhile, the release also creates $4 million in dead cap: his signing bonus proration ($2.25M) and salary guarantees ($1.75M) will remain on the books as a last financial reminder of his presence on the team.
The eventual savings against the cap are impacted by another player taking his spot on the Top 51 list.
