The New England Patriots offensive line depth suffered a blow in the first game of the summer. The preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts saw the team’s fourth and fifth interior linemen, Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich, both go down with injuries.
In order to not become vulnerable up front, the Patriots explored the free agency market. They ended up bringing in a player with immense experience and the necessary versatility to serve as a super-sub along the interior O-line.
Hard facts
Name: Greg Van Roten
Position: Guard/Center
Jersey number: 70
Opening day age: 36 (2/26/1990)
Measurements: 6’3”, 305 lbs, 9 1/” hand size, 32 1/2” arm length, 5.12s 40-yard dash, 7.98s 3-cone drill, 4.60s short shuttle, 34 1/2” vertical jump, 9’4” broad jump, 31 bench press reps, 9.31 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
NFL: Green Bay Packers (2012-13), Seattle Seahawks (2014), Jacksonville Jaguars (2017), Carolina Panthers (2017-19), New York Jets (2020-21), Buffalo Bills (2022), Las Vegas Raiders (2023), New York Giants (2024-25), New England Patriots (2026-) | College: Penn (2008-11)
An all-state offensive tackle at at Chaminade High School in Mineola, NY, Van Roten spent his college career at Penn and started all 30 games he appeared in. The two-time first-team All-Ivy League selection (2010, 2011) subsequently joined the Packers as an undrafted free agent — the beginning of a journey that took him to nine different NFL teams so far as well as one in the CFL.
Van Roten’s career started quietly. Despite entering the pros in 2012, his first consistent action came after he moved north of the border for a two-year stint with the Toronto Argonauts (2015-16). His first start in the NFL, meanwhile, did not come until 2018. From that point on, however, he managed to get semi-regular opportunities:with the exception of a two-year period in 2021 and 2022, he started all 91 of his games — including 51 straight over the last three seasons.
In total, Van Roten has played 148 NFL games with 105 starts. He also appeared in 35 games in the CFL to bring his career total to 183 contests against professional competition.
Scouting report
Strengths: At 6-foot-3, 305 pounds, Van Roten has adequate size to compete along the interior offensive line. He also has a solid athletic foundation, even though the 9.31 Relative Athletic Score he posted in 2012 may no longer be entirely relevant 14 years later. What is relevant is his pass protection. He plays with good patience, uses his hands well, has an advanced understanding of attack angles, and shows some nimble feet to not leave himself exposed. Add his aforementioned experience as well as impressive recent durability, and you get a player capable of entering the lineup and performing at a solid level whenever asked to.
Weaknesses: Having turned 36 in February, Van Roten is the oldest player on the Patriots’ current roster. While still capable of handling a heavy workload as evidenced by his 2025 campaign in New York, there are questions about his trajectory from a physical perspective. His run blocking is an example of that. He doesn’t display the same core strength he showed earlier in his career, and doesn’t have the burst out of his stance and reach as a zone-blocker his pre-draft testing would suggest he should have. Adding to this is a relative lack of length as well as the occasional lapse picking up stunts or line games.
2025 review
Stats: 17 games (17 starts) | 1,150 offensive snaps (100%), 44 special teams snaps (9.9%) | 26 QB pressures surrendered (3 sacks, 1 hit, 22 hurries) | 2 penalties (incl. 0 declined/offsetting)
Season recap: Van Roten’s first season with the Giants was a success, prompting the organization to re-sign him to another one-year contract in March. The $3.25 million deal set the stage for him to resume his role as the team’s starting right guard, and there never was any doubt about his status even as New York stumbled its way to a 4-13 campaign that saw the firing of head coach Brian Daboll in November.
While the club as a whole was in turmoil, Van Roten proved himself a steady and generally reliable presence. Even at age 35, he managed to start all 17 games and play 100% of the Giants’ offensive snaps for a second straight year — bringing his snap total to 2,275 between his 2024 and 2025 campaigns.
Along the way, he performed at a solid level particularly as a pass protector. After giving up 35 quarterback pressures including seven sacks the previous year, he reduced those numbers to 26 and three, respectively. He never surrendered more than three disruptions in a game in 2025, and was credited with a clean slate in four out of his five final games to close out the season.
Despite his success, however, re-signing Van Roten was not made a priority by the Giants’ new brass heading into 2026.
2026 preview
Position: Right guard/Left guard/Center | Ability: Fringe starter/Role player | Contract: Signed through 2026 (2027 UFA)
What will be his role? Even though he is coming off one of the best seasons of his NFL career, Van Roten will not be a starter for the Patriots in 2026. Instead, he and Ben Brown will serve as a top backups behind the interior line trio of Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jared Wilson and Mike Onwenu. With Brown nursing an injury suffered in preseason, Van Roten projects as the super sub up front to start the year; once his teammate returns, the two are likely to split responsibilities: Van Roten will be the top backup guard, with Brown the No. 2 center.
What is his growth potential? Given his age, Van Roten effectively holding his level would be a success this season. Time will tell whether or not he is capable of doing so. At the end of the day, conventional wisdom suggests that he is on a downward trajectory — something reflected by the fact that he remained unsigned as a free agent until August.
Does he have positional versatility? Van Roten has precisely the versatility the Patriots are looking for. While mostly a right guard in his career — 69.5% of his snaps have come at this position — he also has started games at left guard and center. In addition, he has been a regular on field goal and extra point protection throughout his career.
What is his salary cap situation? The Patriots signed Van Roten to a one-year, $3 million contact but he actually is carrying a $4.5 million cap number into 2026. Why? Because he has $1.5 million in playing time incentives in his pact classified as likely to be earned (which, if fully or partially unearned, would give New England cap credit in 2027). As for the base structure of the deal, it consists of a $1.48 million salary, $500,000 signing bonus proration, and $1.02 million in active roster bonuses. A combined $1 million — $500,000 each through his salary and signing bonus — is fully guaranteed.
How safe is his roster spot? Despite joining the Patriots late, Van Roten was a lock to make the roster from the moment he signed his contract. Given its structure and the fact that the Patriots’ interior offensive line depth is a question mark outside of him, particularly to start the year, there is no question that he will remain on the team through 2026.
Summary: Van Roten is an interesting player due to his experience and the fact that he played some of the best football of his career just last season. Ideally, the Patriots won’t given him any meaningful snaps on offense this year, but if they have to they certainly could be in worse shape.
What do you think about Greg Van Roten heading into the 2026 season? Will he see any playing time? Will it be him or Ben Brown as the first man up along the interior offensive line? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.
