New England Patriots rookies and veterans will soon report back to Gillette Stadium as training camp is set to kick off. For the now Mike Vrabel-led Patriots, their first practice of the summer will begin on Wednesday, July 23 at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Before the players and coaches take the field, our preview series will continue with New England’s offensive line.
*Denotes player on the Pats Pulpit 53-man roster projection
Depth chart
Starters: Will Campbell* (R), Cole Strange*, Garrett Bradbury*, Mike Onwenu*, Morgan
Moses* | Backups: Jack Conley* (U-R), Caedan Wallace*, Jared Wilson* (R). Marcus Bryant* (R), Ben Brown, Mehki Butler (U-R), Layden Robinson, Tyrese Robinson, Sidy Sow, Demontrey Jacobs, Vederian Lowe
Following a season in which the Patriots offensive line ranked 31st in pass block win rate and 32nd in run block win rate, New England knew they needed to make significant improvements along the offensive line this offseason. That began with the hiring of veteran offensive line coach Doug Marrone, who brings over two decades of coaching experience to the staff.
As for the personnel, New England is set to enter the year with two new tackles as they drafted Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick and signed veteran Morgan Moses in free agency. While length remains a question with Campbell, the three-year starter at LSU is a plus athlete and ultra-competitive tackle. Moses, meanwhile, enters his 12th NFL season and has remained durable and productive into his mid-30s.
The changes extended along the interior, as veteran Garrett Bradbury was signed to replace the released and now retired longtime center David Andrews. New England then drafted center Jared Wilson in the third-round of the draft who has plenty of upside as a 21-year old. Bradbury held the starting role in the spring with Wilson limited, but it would not be a surprise to see the rookie push the veteran, who was the worst pass blocking center in football last season.
At the guard spots, Mike Onwenu finally has settled into the right guard spot after flip-flopping between tackle and guard throughout his career. Who will handle the left guard spot remains the big unknown, although the now healthy Cole Strange appears to have the inside track. Competition behind him includes a handful of options such as Sidy Sow, Caedan Wallace, Layden Robinson, Tyrese Robinson, and UDFA Jack Conley.
Among that group, last year’s fourth-round pick Layden Robinson took a backseat to others in OTAs despite showing some flashes last season. Fellow second-year lineman Caedan Wallace began taking snaps at guard — a spot many thought he would be best at coming out in the draft — late in the spring making him a name to watch, while Sow and Conley bring good size and versatility to the line. The competition will truly start when the pads come on.
Key Question: Who wins the starting left guard spot?
Unlike last year, the Patriots open training camp with 80 percent of their offensive line set for now (LT: Campbell, C: Bradbury. RG: Onwenu, RT: Moses). The one hole remaining resides at left guard. After rotating options early in the spring, Cole Strange appears to set to open the summer along the top unit. But, he’ll face plenty of competition with Sidy Sow, Jack Conley, and Caedan Wallace (all bigger, more powerful players) likely leading that charge.
X-Factor: Will Campbell
Fellow rookie Jared Wilson was a debate here due to his ability to push for a starting job at left guard or center, but Campbell will be a true difference maker one way or another for this offensive line. If Campbell plays to the status of the No. 4 overall pick, Drake Maye could have his long-term blindside protector. If not, pressure will continue to be a factor as the arm length conversations are reignited.
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