Lawrence Guy is ready to be the 'guy' for a new AFC team. The former Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman has signed a contract with a familiar adversary in the conference: the New England Patriots. The terms of the contract are four years and $20 million, a surprising amount for the defending Super Bowl champions, who are known to manage their money well during free agency.
Shipping up to New England
Guy started 10 games for the Baltimore Ravens last season. During that time, he registered 28 tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He stands at 6-foot-4, 305-pounds, so he can be an intimidating player at the point of attack for the Patriots.
Guy will bring depth to the position, even though his signing won't draw high marks from NFL scouts. Since he wasn't considered a top free agent, the price tag that comes with his signing will be frowned upon. It's hard to dismiss the Patriots, though, considering their track record of success over the past decade. He will be a strong run defender, has some positional versatility, and has particular strength in a 3-4 formation, should the team choose to employ that more often.
The rich get richer
While the Patriots surprisingly broke the bank for Guy, they may not yet be done spending on the defensive line. They were also looking at Jared Odrick, who would have filled a similar role with the team.
He visited last week, but now the team may be ready to move on from Odrick and look to fill other needs.
What those needs are isn't quite clear, since the team has been having a strong offseason. They have already acquired wide receiver Brandin Cooks from the New Orleans Saints and signed top cornerback Stephon Gilmore from their division rivals, the Buffalo Bills.
They could lose cornerback Malcolm Butler, who is a restricted free agent, and they currently don't have any draft picks in the first two rounds. Guy may not be a massive piece, but it's just another move that will assure the Patriots have a chance at yet another Super Bowl.
