Grading the signing: Alijah Vera-Tucker a risky gamble but comes with home run potential for New England Patriots
The Patriots took a gamble with the signing of their latest free agent, and it could hit big.
Just before everyone went to bed at the end of the first day of free agency, the New England Patriots made a splash move by signing former New York Jets offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker. Vera-Tucker was the second signing the Patriots plucked away from an AFC East rival, joining fullback Reggie Gilliam, who joined New England from the Buffalo Bills.
The Vera-Tucker signing is a massive gamble for the Patriots, but if it cashes, they could have pulled off one of the best moves of any team in free agency.
The Alijah Vera-Tucker signing has home-run potential, but there is one major red flag
New England knew it needed to improve its offensive line play around Drake Maye heading into next season, and they’ve not been shy in taking gambles in order to build under Mike Vrabel (see: Stefon Diggs).
Vera-Tucker is one of the best guards in the NFL, there’s no doubt about it. He is a top-flight athlete with proven ability against top NFL competition, and he has the versatility to play across the entire offensive line. The former first-round pick is an impact player whenever he steps on the field, and he handled a nightmare situation with the Jets with aplomb.
The problem is: he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Vera-Tucker has missed 43 of 85 games since entering the league, a worrisome trend. However, the Patriots have a few things going for them that make this gamble less risky than other teams would have faced.
For starters, New England has Ben Brown ready to step in as insurance just in case AVT is injured again. Brown has proven himself a capable starter when in the lineup, and it’s likely that surety that gave the Patriots the confidence to sign Vera-Tucker.
Secondly, Vera-Tucker’s contract looks like it will be a fairly easy one to move off of. The Patriots signed him to a three year, $42 million deal (14m APY is cheap for a player of his talent), and that means it will likely be a one or two year deal at most. Given his injury history, I suspect the Patriots frontloaded the deal as a prove-it deal in 2026 that gives them the ability to move off of him after a year if need be.
If the Vera-Tucker signing pays off for the Patriots, they will have added one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. He completely changes the math for their offensive line, and would be a boon next to Will Campbell and Jared Wilson. If he stays healthy this season, the Patriots might have pulled off a season-altering caliber of move. If he’s not, they can absorb the loss well and move on quickly. These are the kinds of moves elite front offices take.
Grade: B+
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