How much better did the Patriots’ new-look offensive line get this offseason?

Sports

add

Editor’s note: This is the first in a three-part series breaking down lingering questions for the Patriots.

After the New England Patriots left free agency without signing a new starting left tackle, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that they’d select Will Campbell with the No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft. Of course, that’s exactly what happened.

And now, mere weeks after the draft, the rookie is already lining up as the team’s starting left tackle at the first few practices of the spring.

While Campbell has felt like a sure thing at left tackle for the Patriots, that answers just one of the many questions on the New England offensive line. That’s why we’re kicking off this series with a look at whether enough has been done with the front five, how the unit compares to those around the league and what to expect this season.

OTAs are in session 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/Ak3tr5hPEs

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) May 21, 2025

Why it’s a problem

We can probably keep this section short. Every Patriots fan knows how much of an issue the O-line was a year ago. They had the worst group in the league. Drake Maye was under constant pressure. Holes in the running game were hard to come by, too. It was a huge mess.

We’ll get to the changes, but it’s clear Mike Vrabel and the new regime recognized the issues — they’ll return just one starter (Mike Onwenu) from last season.

Maye needs more time so that he’s not scrambling (and risking injury) as much as he did last year. Plus, Vrabel wants to lean on the running game to take some pressure off Maye.

What’s been done

An overhaul was always coming. Still, it registered as a bit of a surprise when the new Vrabel-led regime cut David Andrews amid a purge on players with long ties to the team. But that was just one of a slew of moves intended to help the group.

At right tackle, the Pats signed Morgan Moses, hopeful that his experience and durability will be valuable traits. They solidified Onwenu as a right guard after he moved between guard and tackle a year ago. At center, they signed Garrett Bradbury, then drafted Georgia’s Jared Wilson in the third round. At left tackle, they stayed patient and picked Campbell with plans to make him a day-one starter.

And at left guard … well … they didn’t do much of anything.

After making moves at the other positions, left guard seems to be the spot where they’re just going to try different guys out. Try Cole Strange there. Maybe Layden Robinson develops. Perhaps Sidy Sow could regain his footing after some promising moments two years ago. Give Wes Schweitzer a shot after signing him in free agency. Perhaps an undrafted rookie like Boston College product Jack Conley steps up.

X-factor

Who could loom large in all of these plans? Cole Strange. The 2022 first-round pick did a ton of work behind the scenes last season to recover from a gruesome injury to play toward the end of the year. Yet at the start of the offseason, it wasn’t clear what position he’d play for Vrabel — guard or center.

That seems to be answered now after signing Bradbury and drafting Wilson. There’s little use for him at center.

Giving Strange an entire offseason to prepare for his natural position of left guard could really help. Injuries over the last two years have taken so much from him. He’s played in only three of the Patriots’ last 20 games — and only 13 of the last 34. It’s hard for young players, even former first-round picks, to improve when they’re on the sideline that much.

It’s certainly possible that Strange struggles during training camp after missing so much time. But it’s also possible that new offensive line coach Doug Marrone gets the most out of the 26-year-old, helping utilize his athleticism in ways we haven’t yet seen.

Best-case scenario

This unit can be an average one compared to the rest of the league. Onwenu can be one of the game’s best right guards. He’ll have to be a leader on this front five and is probably the only lineman on the team who can be one of the NFL’s best 10 at his position this season. Moses brings stability to a spot that’s been a carousel. Bradbury or Wilson should be fine at center. And the hope is Campbell can step in and play as a top-20 left tackle and help mitigate the questions at left guard. If it all breaks right, this unit can rank around 15th or 16th in the league.

Worst-case scenario

There’s a chance Moses’ play takes a meaningful step backward at age 34 and in a brand-new offense. There’s a chance Bradbury struggles and is one of the bottom-10 centers in the NFL, potentially opening the door for a rookie. And there’s a chance that Campbell, for as high as his ceiling is, takes some lumps in his first year at the most difficult spot on the O-line. And we haven’t even mentioned left guard, where the Patriots don’t yet have a starter.

Still, even in the worst-case scenario, the offensive line can’t be as bad as last year. It still might be a bottom-five group, but that’s better than the worst in the league.

Outlook

The group has gotten significantly better. There’s no denying that. Even if Moses isn’t in his prime, he’s incredibly durable at right tackle. And keeping Onwenu at right guard should lead to improvement overall.

It was probably always unreasonable to think they’d flip from having the worst O-line in the NFL to a top-10 unit. So perhaps it shouldn’t be a shock if this group ranks around the 20th best in the NFL.

The good news? Maye will probably feel much more comfortable after what he had to endure in front of him a year ago.

(Photo of Cole Strange: Kirby Lee / USA Today)

This news was originally published on this post .

Share on

email

Previous

trending_flat

Falcons mailbag: Can they stop the run? Why so many prime-time games?

Sports

Next

trending_flat

NBA Europe is coming but British basketball is locked in a civil war. What will it mean?

Sports