Yes, it’s only two weeks into training camp, but the Patriots are dealing with a number of injuries as preseason game No. 1 approaches.
David Andrews, Hunter Henry, Joe Cardona, Christian Barmore were some of the bigger names to miss practice Tuesday, which in turn highlights the lack of depth at several positions.
The offensive line may have one of the best starting units in football, but after that, not so much. Ted Karras is the sixth offensive lineman and can play any of the three interior spots, but beyond him it’s hard to find anyone the team can really count on.
Among James Ferentz, Marcus Martin, Will Sherman, Alex Redmond, Korey Cunningham, Justin Herron, R.J. Prince, Yodny Cajuste and Jerald Hawkins, Ferentz is really the only one who could be relied on in case of emergency right now.
The depth at tackle is so weak if Isaiah Wynn or Trent Brown were to be out for an extended period of time, Michael Onwenu would likely move from left guard to fill the void.
Offensive line is a position to watch for the Patriots to add to when rosters are cut down Aug. 31 and players around the league become available.
Moving on to tight end, with Henry out of the picture, likely until at least the start of the regular season, it exposes the lack of depth at the position. This shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the Patriots have had the worst production in the league at the position the last two years and Jonnu Smith and Henry were the only two players added at the position this offseason.
Dalton Keene, a third-round pick a year ago has already been placed on season-ending injured reserve, which leaves Devin Asiasi, Matt LaCosse, David Wells and Troy Fumagalli battling for the final roster spots at the position after Henry and Smith.
Asiasi had a solid spring, but is working his way back from COVID-19. If either Henry or Smith is forced to miss any extended time, the Patriots offense could suffer in a big way.
And that is because the tight ends will be the focal part of the passing game since wide receiver isn’t very strong.
Unlike some other positions, wide receiver actually has a decent amount of depth in a number of solid players, but doesn’t have much top-end talent.
Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers are the top three receivers, but on most teams in the league they would be No. 2 or 3s. It feels like they are still a top receiver short, but it's too late in the game to really add it.
Finally, cornerback is another position that lacks depth.
With Stephon Gilmore not on the field yet, opposite JC Jackson has been Jalen Mills, which hasn’t gone very well. If that were to happen in a game, opposing offenses would be targeting the former Eagle on every passing play. And it may not even be his fault, as it doesn’t feel like he’s a true cornerback and is playing a bit out of position.
The Patriots need Gilmore on the field, so the top corner would be Gilmore and Jackson with Jonathan Jones locking down the slot cornerback role. No. 3 corner may be a position to watch, especially if Gilmore or Jackson were to be out of the mix on a given week for whatever reason.
New England doesn’t play a meaningful game for a month so these players have plenty of time to come back and the team could very well be at full strength come.
With that being said, there are early signs that if some of the backend of the roster players don’t develop quickly, an injury or two at certain positions during the year could turn into an issue.