New England Patriots: Lawrence Guy a Fantastic Sleeper Free Agent Signing
Lawrence Guy is a fantastic under-the-radar free agent signing for the New England Patriots as they continue their fantastic off season.
The New England Patriots are absolutely dominating the NFL offseason. As if winning Super Bowl 51 in the greatest way possible was not enough, the Patriots are now making significant additions to their roster to make another run.
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Guys like Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore are going to get most of the headlines, but the Patriots’ recent signing of defensive lineman Lawrence Guy is not to be ignored. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Patriots and Guy have come to an agreement on a four-year deal worth up to $20 million. This means, at the most, Guy will average $5 million the next four years. He will undoubtedly have to hit incentives to reach that mark. At that price point, Guy is an absolute steal.
He has only been a part-time player throughout his career, but Guy is an extremely talented and effective defensive lineman. He is listed at 6-4, 305 pounds and has some great length up front. Guy also shows impressive burst off of the line of scrimmage and a fantastic combination of quickness and power.
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Guy is a fantastic run defender who shows great instincts and power at the point of attack. He uses his length well to keep blockers away and has the quickness and athleticism to get by and make a play in the backfield. Guy is a rock-solid run defender whose speed and strength combination allow him to compete against any offensive lineman.
On top of being a strong run defender, Guy is also an effective interior pass rusher. He only had one sack last season, but he did pile up 4.5 in limited duty in 2015. Guy does not sack the quarterback with regularity, but he does a fantastic job of creating pressure up the middle. He gets a great burst off of the snap and has the quickness to run circles around NFL interior offensive lineman. Expect his sack numbers to grow in these next few years.
Guy also shows impressive versatility up front. He can handle player a powerful defensive end role, dominating against the run on early downs. On obvious passing downs, the Patriots will want to have Guy on the inside. But as I mentioned, he can certainly make an impact there in the pass rush.
Alan Branch and Malcom Brown are a strong starting defensive tackle duo for the Patriots. However, they are both run-stuffing players who do not create much pressure on the quarterback. Adding Guy to the mix gives the Patriots a true impact interior pass rusher. Plus, he can help fill in at defensive end on early downs.
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Opposing teams facing a defensive front with Branch, Brown and Guy will not be able to run the ball against the Patriots. It is that simple. Add in his ability as an interior pass rusher and Guy is going to be an extremely valuable player for the New England Patriots. Getting him at the price point that they did was an absolute steal.