6 rings: Just how offensive is the Patriots offensive line?
The Patriots are just one week into their 2023 training camp, and they already have a major problem on their hands along the offensive line.
When fully healthy, New England’s front can be serviceable:
LT - Trent Brown (former Pro Bowler)
LG - Cole Strange (2021 first-round pick)
C - David Andrews (reliable veteran)
RG - Mike Onwenu (a top NFL guard)
RT - Riley Reiff/Conor McDermott (piecemeal at the QBs front side)
Like I said, serviceable.
This group, however, hasn’t even come close to playing together yet this preseason. As a matter of fact, after dealing with up-and-down attendance from Trent Brown and a lower leg injury to Cole Strange over the last few days, they trotted out the following starting unit on Tuesday:
LT - Riley Reiff
A 34-year-old journeyman who New England signed this offseason, Reiff had already been replaced on the right side by Conor McDermott and is now being called on to fill in for Brown.
LG - Atonio Mafi
A rookie fifth-round pick from UCLA, Mafi is a promising young player, but shouldn't have to already be thrust into the fire. Especially as he continues to rehab a calf injury that kept him out of some minicamp practices this Spring.
C - David Andrews
Tried and true.
RG - Bill Murray
A converted defensive tackle, Murray has been tasked with substituting at right guard for Mike Onwenu who remains on the PUP list with an ankle injury.
RT - Conor McDermott
McDermott is a long-time fringe roster call-up/practice squadder, but was called upon to start the final six games for the Patriots last season when things went completely haywire.
"Atrocious" was the word I used to describe the group on Tuesday's episode of 6 Rings and Football Things:
While "atrocious" may be strong, and I understand that we're only six days into camp, therein lies the problem: we're only six days in, and this is what you're forced to roll out there.
The Patriots went into 2023 with three glaring needs on their roster: wide receiver, cornerback, and offensive line. They grabbed "blue chippers" at two out of the three, signing Super Bowl champion wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and selecting cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the 17th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Smith-Schuster already seems to have built a chemistry with Mac Jones, and Gonzalez is a plug-and-play starter on the New England defense.
Along the offensive line, however, the club went a different route. Instead of adding top-tier free agent talent or spending a first-round pick on a cornerstone tackle, they waited until day three of the draft to select Jake Andrews (R4), Sidy Sow, (R4), and Atonio Mafi (R4), and signed journeymen Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson in the second wave of free agency.
Anderson has been on the non-football illness list throughout camp. Bill Belichick didn't seem too thrilled to answer questions about it on Tuesday morning:
Q: "On Calvin Anderson, with his NFI status, is that the type of situation that could threaten his availability this season, like long-term, or is that something that you think will resolve itself at the beginning of the year?"
BB: "Yeah, we’ll see how it goes."
Q: "Do you have any concern there, or is that – seemed like it came out of nowhere a little bit?"
BB: "Yeah, look, I’m not a medical doctor. I have my doctorate degrees that were honorary, but I’m not a medical doctor. Look, it’s always hard on those situations. If everything goes perfectly, then that’s one thing. If something comes up and there’s a setback, or there’s a change, then that’s something else. So, I’m not going to sit here and try to play fortune teller and look into the crystal ball and say, ‘Oh, well this guy is going to be healthy on X date’. I can’t do that. Day-to-day. If they’re better today, then we do more tomorrow. If they’re better tomorrow, then we do more the next day. If they get set back, then we review it, revise it and go forward, so I don’t know. You tell me how it’s going to go. I’m not sure."
Unfortunately, it doesn't sound too promising for Anderson, which is perhaps why the team brought in the following free agent lineman for visits on Monday:
G Caleb Chandler
G Tyran Hunt
T Eric Smith
T Micah Vanterpool
A lot to follow? Imagine writing it.
From a skill position perspective, Mac Jones looks comfortable in Bill O'Brien's new system, and while the running backs and pass catchers aren't necessarily flashing, they look confident in the program, and the operation as a whole looks to be on the same page.
None of that matters if you can't protect the quarterback.
I asked the question in my title "What's the solution for the Patriots at offensive line?"
Outside of swinging a major trade for a cornerstone tackle and miraculously getting the room healthy while also having Trent Brown buy in, I'm not sure I have an answer for you.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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