Bedard: With Joe Thuney now stuck on the tag ($14.781 million), time for Patriots to make a deal

Everyone knows how I feel about Joe Thuney. I love when a player just grinds and slowly makes themselves better every year, and that's exactly what the 2016 third-round pick did the past four years.

Thuney was basically flawless last season:

Joe Thuney (99.2%): Not that he slacked off any other season, but he picked the right time to have a sterling year with just 8 pressures (1.1 percent) and four bad runs (0.9 percent) allowed. Should have been a Pro Bowler but was a deserved second-team All-Pro. Simply a phenomenally consistent performer who will get paid handsomely this offseason. A terrific player. Grade: A-plus.