5 Players That Could Potentially Replace Marcus Cannon at RT

The nine-year veteran opted out of the season due to coronavirus concerns Tuesday

When right tackle Marcus Cannon opted out of the 2020 NFL season, it didn’t exactly come as a complete surprise.

The three-time Super Bowl champion survived a bout with cancer in 2011, putting him at significant risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the Patriots will have to find a new right tackle while Cannon takes time off.

Due to the six total opt-outs, the Patriots could have over $24 million in cap space, according to salary cap expert Miguel Benzan. Therefore, cost won’t be much of a factor in finding Cannon’s replacement, should Bill Belichick decide to look outside of the organization for one.

With a new starting quarterback and no James Develin, the Patriots need their offensive line to step up in both the running and passing games. That starts with finding a new right tackle sooner rather than later.

Korey Cunningham

Currently the second-string right tackle on the Patriots’ official depth chart, Cunningham would be the simplest short-term fix at the position.

Cunningham was very nearly Mr. Irrelevant in the 2018 NFL Draft, as the Arizona Cardinals selected him with the 254th overall pick. After appearing in and starting six games with the Cardinals in 2018, the Patriots traded a 2020 sixth-round pick to bring him to Foxborough.

He played in just one game in 2019, but he did start the final 24 games of his collegiate career at Cincinnati. Cunningham is 6-foot-6 just like Cannon, and while he is 30 pounds lighter, the Patriots can rely on him to play a similar role in blocking schemes.

Cunningham wouldn’t live up to Cannon’s production, but he would be a safe and simple stopgap at right tackle this season.

Yodny Cajuste

If Cajuste can stay healthy, he may be the Patriots’ most talented option to replace Cannon.

The former third-round pick is 24 years old, 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds who was an anchor of the offensive line for West Virginia in college. Despite his production when he was on the field, getting on the field was an issue for the young tackle – and it still is.

Cajuste played in just eight games across his redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore seasons with the Mountaineers, suffering from a knee injury in 2015 and a torn ACL in 2016. When he did return to the field, he rattled off back-to-back All-Big 12 Team appearances and an All-American honor in 2018.

The Patriots picked him despite a quad injury that hobbled him throughout the pre-draft process, and he did not take the field in 2019 after appearing on the non-football injury list in July.

Should he come into camp healthy, Cajuste has the highest ceiling of any of the Patriots reserve tackles.

Joe Thuney

Thuney has been the Patriots’ starting left guard for four years, but he is no stranger to right tackle.

When Cannon left New England’s Week 1 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, Thuney shifted over to right tackle in his place. This would be a much longer stint at tackle than one half of one game, but he did play the position early in his career at North Carolina State as well.

The Patriots gave Thuney the franchise tag on July 15, meaning he’ll get paid $14.8 million this season. Since paying an interior lineman nearly $15 million isn’t exactly common, that salary may be an easier pill to swallow should he become the team’s right tackle.

The move could be seen as simply arranging deck chairs on the Titanic – since Thuney would have to be replaced at left guard – but maybe New England is more comfortable looking for a new starter there as opposed to right tackle.

La’Adrian Waddle

If the Patriots look at free agency to replace Cannon, it wouldn’t be surprising if they prioritize familiarity.

Waddle played three-plus seasons in New England, starting seven games in 31 appearances with the team. He left for the Buffalo Bills in the 2019 offseason, but a torn quad in the preseason kept him out for the entire year.

Now back on the free-agent market, Waddle would be a cheap option who knows Josh McDaniels’ offense and Belichick’s coaching style very well. Former offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia is now retired, so it will be a bit of a different environment than the last time Waddle was in town.

Familiarity is key in the offensive line unit though, so bringing in a guy who has worked with Thuney, David Andrews and Shaq Mason before is definitely a plus.

Cordy Glenn

Glenn is past his prime, and he certainly comes with some baggage.

That doesn’t mean he is a bad option, considering he is arguably the top tackle on the free-agent market.

Glenn started 72 games across his first five seasons with the Buffalo Bills before injuries limited him for the last three years. The Cincinnati Bengals moved the former second-round pick from left tackle to left guard in 2019, but due to concussions and disagreements with the team over his return, injuries and suspensions limited him to five starts last year.

If the Patriots can get him to buy into the process in Foxboro, Glenn’s career could see a resurgence. Since money is not a limiting factor at the moment, spending a little cash to bring in an experienced veteran may not be out of the question.