Cotton will be a restricted free agent this offseason.
The New England Patriots have already restructured their coaching staff for the second consecutive offseason. Now it is time for the real work with an expected overhaul of the roster coming.
Free agency will be a key part of this process. And while adding external players to the mix will undoubtably happen with over $125 million in projected cap space, there are also a few in-house free agents to be taken care of. Following a series of moves, 14 remain in need of a new contract prior to free agency.
Among them is offensive lineman Lester Cotton, the next player in our free agency profile series.
Hard facts
Name: Lester Cotton
Position: Guard/Interior offensive line
Opening day age: 29 (2/20/1996)
Size: 6’4”, 335 lbs
Jersey number: 61
Free agency status: Restricted free agent (RFA)
Experience
NFL teams: Las Vegas Raiders (2019-22), Miami Dolphins (2022-24), New England Patriots (2024)
Cotton’s early career was all Alabama. Born and raised in Tuscaloosa, he played high school football in his hometown and later was picked up by the University of Alabama as a four-star recruit. He spent four years with the Crimson Tide, appearing in 43 games with 28 starts at both left and right guard.
Even though he was part of two National Championship teams at Alabama, Cotton went undrafted in 2019. He started his NFL career with the Raiders, but after playing 15 games with one start was released late during the 2022 season. He was picked up by the Dolphins, who first used him as s depth option before inserting him into their starting lineup in 2023. He returned to the bench in 2024, eventually getting released and finding his way to New England.
In total, Cotton has seen action in 46 regular season games and two playoff contests with a combined 10 starts on his résumé.
2024 review
Dolphins stats: 11 games (0 starts) | 60 offensive snaps (5.3%), 46 special teams snaps (10.4%) | 4 pressures surrendered (1 sack, 2 hits, 1 hurry)
Patriots stats: 3 games (0 starts) | 19 offensive snaps (1.7%), 1 special teams snap (0.2%)
Season recap: Coming off the best season of his career, during which he started eight games for the Dolphins as an injury replacement, he returned to backup duty to start the 2024 season. Over the first 11 games of the season, he saw irregular action on the offensive side of the ball, playing in only two games as a left guard.
In fact, his most regular opportunities to take the field came as a member of Miami’s field goal and extra point protection unit. That role was not prominent enough to save his job, though, and he was let go in late November.
It did not take Cotton long to find a new home. The Patriots claimed the veteran off waivers, adding him to an offensive line that had undergone multiple personnel changes.
Stability up front remained an issue for New England, but Cotton still only saw spot duty. Spending the final five weeks of the season as a Patriot, he appeared in three games bookmarked by a pair of healthy-scratch deactivations.
Cotton’s time on the field was unremarkable. The most notable aspect of his 19 offensive snaps was his usage: he served as an extra lineman (6 snaps) and a fullback (2 snaps) over his first two games, and as a right guard in the season finale (11 snaps).
Free agency preview
What is his contract history? Since entering the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2019, Cotton has put his signature under multiple lower-level contracts. In total, his career earnings have been estimated at $3.05 million by Over The Cap.
Which teams might be in the running? Cotton’s experience might make him an interesting target if he enters the open market. Given that offensive line depth is a need for virtually every NFL team, we could list all 32 franchises here — even though it seems unlikely any of them would pick him up with the intention of making him a starter.
Why should he be expected back? The Patriots have both the money and the need up front to give Cotton a more extended look, and re-sign him either as a restricted free agent or after he tests the free agency waters. He also would bring experience and the appropriate positional flexibility to provide depth along an O-line set to undergo more turnover.
Why should he be expected to leave? The Patriots tendering Cotton in free agency, even at the original round/UDFA level, would cost $3.185 million — too big an investment given his projected role. Frankly, Cotton has not shown that he can be anything more than a depth option. While there is value in that, the Patriots could turn to younger players to fill that role both at a lower cost and with a higher developmental ceiling.
What is his projected free agency outcome? Cotton will not be tendered by the Patriots, and also will not re-sign with the club once on the open market.
What do you think about Lester Cotton heading into free agency? Will the team keep him around? Or will New England decide against tendering him? Please head down to the comment section to discuss.