Were you to pick an area on offense the New England Patriots need to address first and foremost to return to prominence, or at least productivity and professional proficiency, you’d likely have said coordinator. With the hiring a few weeks back of Bill O’Brien, they did just that, in very public fashion, and were lauded for the move.
If we’re speaking positionally on the offense, most hardos and football guys would tell you the offensive line needed the most immediate attention. The Pats have addressed that twofold with O’Brien’s addition as well as a new offensive line coach in Adrian Klemm. A fine start indeed, but coaches will tell you players deserve the credit. While a recent move will hardly wow in terms of marquee value, it certainly might go a long way as far as positives like depth and familiarity go.
Conor McDermott, a swing tackle and versatile offensive lineman who joined the Patriots mid-season in 2022, has re-upped with the team for two years. McDermott, originally drafted by the Pats in 2017, has played for everyone in the AFC East except the Miami Dolphins at this point. He was plucked off of the New York Jets practice squad last season at a time of desperation for the Pats when injury left them with barely enough linemen to start. By season’s end, the six-year veteran ended up starting six games for the Pats, playing better than expected (he only allowed one sack in 437 snaps) and stabilizing the right tackle position that had been a mess with the injury to Isaiah Wynn.
Now, headed into 2023, McDermott figures to play an important if not several important roles for the team, providing much-needed tackle depth (he’s one of three tackles currently signed for 2023 along with Trent Brown and Andrew Steuber) and could even be in line for potential starting duties. Plus, McDermott reunites with his former collegiate O-line coach in Klemm, who coached him at UCLA, helping land McDermott Second Team All-Pac 12 honors at left tackle twice.
While hardly the sexy or splashy move Pats fans are longing for this offseason, re-signing a quality player at a low market value like McDermott is a smart move, a very Patriots move that goes below the radar but could potentially bring quality returns in the immediate future in an offseason that has seen the Patriots address offensive needs and continually improve.
