Mason might not be the stalwart he once was during the height of his career in New England and Tampa Bay, but he’s still playing at the level of a quality starting guard. His 61.1 PFF grade ranked 47th among qualifying guards last year. Go back a year to 2023, his first in Houston, and he had a 68.3 grade.

At this point in the offseason, few starting jobs are up for grabs. Mason may choose to wait until injuries start to hit in training camp to see if a team might be more desperate. Otherwise, he’ll likely have to sign on for a depth role, one without a guaranteed starting spot.

Mason, 31, is a former fourth-round pick of the Patriots back in 2015. He was in the final year of his four-year, $2,723,524 contract when he agreed to a five-year extension worth up to $50 million with the team.

Mason’s contract with New England included $23.5 million guaranteed and close to $30 million paid out over the first three years of the contract. New England traded Mason to the Buccaneers for a fifth-round pick in 2022. 

He was due to make base salaries of $6.5 million and $7.5 million over the final two years of his deal, but the Buccaneers wound up restructuring his deal back in September of 2022 to create $6 million in cap space. He was traded to the Texans after just one season in a late-round pick swap. 

Houston signed Mason to a three-year, $36 million extension. However, he was released this past offseason. 

In 2024, Mason appeared in and started in 15 games for the Texans at guard. Pro Football Focus had him graded as the No. 47 guard out of 77 qualifying players. 

We have him included in our Top 100 Available NFL Free Agents list. 

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have a lot of players in the mix for their starting guards spots, but few defined roles. Currently, four players are competing: Cordell Volson, Lucas Patrick, Cody Ford, and third-round rookie Dylan Fairchild. Volson started most of last season with mixed results, while Ford performed decently well in what was essentially a fill-in role. Cincinnati has been looking to upgrade from Volson for some time. Patrick has bounced around the league over the last couple of years, mostly in a backup capacity.

Fairchild is the most intriguing name on that list, but inserting him into the starting lineup right away might be asking too much of him. He played well at Georgia in college, with an athletic build and supreme movement skills that give him tantalizing upside in the league. Still, he has some technical aspects of his game he needs to refine. Most draft evaluators, myself included, were not projecting him to start immediately upon entering the league.

Perhaps Fairchild will prove us wrong and be ready sooner than expected, but either way, acquiring more bodies at guard would be wise for the Bengals. The gap between Patrick and Mason might be insignificant, but Mason would definitely be an upgrade over Volson or Ford. Signing him would take pressure off Fairchild to play as a rookie and would both add depth and improve the starting five on Cincy’s offensive line.

New England Patriots

How about a reunion with the Patriots? Mason spent the first seven years of his career in New England, where he became one of the best guards in the NFL. After stints with the Buccaneers and Texans, perhaps he’d be interested in a little homecoming?

After having one of the worst offensive lines in the league last season, the Patriots did some work this offseason to bring in upgrades. No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell is the new starting left tackle, Morgan Moses comes over from the Jets to play right tackle, and Michael Onwenu slides back to his more natural position at right guard. Still, that leaves Cole Strange starting at left guard, and he’s been a liability thus far in his career. A knee injury wiped out the end of his 2023 season and most of his 2024 season, and it remains to be seen how he’ll bounce back long term.

More importantly, there’s very little depth at the guard spots behind Strange and Onwenu. Sidy Sow is likely the Patriots’ third guard, and that’s not a gamble worth taking. Mason would be an upgrade in the starting lineup over Strange, as well as add some much-needed depth on the interior.

Indianapolis Colts

This one is very simple. The Colts have a hole at right guard after losing Will Fries in free agency, and Mason could slide right into that spot. Currently, Matt Goncalves is expected to take that spot, though he served as the Colts’ swing tackle in 2024. Dalton Tucker will also factor in, as he started a stretch after Fries’ season-ending injury last year.

Neither option is proven, however, and Indianapolis needs to win this year. This coaching staff and front office probably need to make the playoffs this year to keep their jobs. Relying on Goncalves and Tucker as the entire depth chart at right guard is extremely risky. If neither player hits, it’ll be a problem spot all year.

Maybe it’ll work out, but signing Mason would provide major insurance. He’d likely be expected to start, but even if Goncalves got the job out of training camp, the team could pivot to Mason if Goncalves struggles. It’s a smart bet to upgrade the one question mark on the Colts’ offensive line.

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