Albert Breer: Talent is the #1 issue for the Patriots offense, not Alex Van Pelt

On Thursday's edition of Zolak & Bertrand, Albert Breer of SI and MMQB explained why talent is the #1 issue for the Patriots offense right now and not Alex Van Pelt.

It goes back to Cole Strange and Isaiah Wynn...

Marc Bertrand: 

What’s the biggest problem the Patriots offense has right now if it's not Alex Van Pelt?

Albert Breer: 

I'm not saying it's perfect, but I am saying it's not the number one problem. I think the number one problem is clear. It's talent. I think one thing people miss is how you really can't do anything if you don't have your offensive line, right? I think if you look at where they are with that position group, what do you have to hang your hat on? I can't look at that group with a straight face and say like, oh yeah, like you got the basis to do this or do that. 

Scott Zolak: 

Who’s fault is that? 

Albert Breer: 

 It’s the front office’s fault.  I think Eliot Wolf’s got a bright future as the head of the front office, but you can't let him off the hook because he was already there. 

Scott Zolak: 

It’s just why. Listen, I’m an Eliot Wolf guy. 

Albert Breer: 

I just think this is the consequence of years and years of draft misses. By taking the consequences of Cole Strange in the first round and Isaiah Wynn in the first round. If you get those right, like those guys are the foundation pieces of your offensive line. And I said it at the time, if you're going to take a guard in the first round, he better be Zach fricking Martin, right? He better be Quentin Nelson, and he's not. And if you're going to take a left tackle in the first round, you'd hope the guy can be the answer for you for 10 years. Isaiah Wynn should be on his second contract right now, and unfortunately, there just aren't enough good offensive linemen to go around. So, you wind up chasing these things.

Listen to the full segment!

One month into the 2024 season the New England Patriots are 1-3. Issues with the offensive line are a big reason the team has that record.

Through four games, the Patriots are allowing their quarterback to be pressured on a league-high 47.4 percent of all dropbacks. Over the last couple of games the unit has also struggled to create room in the run game.

Injuries haven't helped, as multiple players have been put into the line up earlier than expected and/or are playing out of position. That's especially been a problem at left tackle where the team has used four starters in four weeks - including two players who are primarily right tackles.

With all the moving parts, it's not surprising fans have a lot of questions about the offensive line this week. We'll get to those and more in this week's Mailbag...

I've mostly been against signing a veteran tackle to this point because players still being available this time of year is generally a red flag, especially at a position like tackle where the talent is so scarce league-wide. But with the Patriots now having to turn to multiple recently-signed players with little to no NFL experience, adding a more steady veteran - even one with a low floor - suddenly looks like a more attractive option.

As for the specific player, Charles Leno and D.J. Humphries may not truly be immediately available as they recover from recent procedures (Leno had hip surgery in March, and Humphries tore his ACL in January). As for which players might be ready to go now, I covered that earlier this week here.

Is there still an argument against signing a veteran? Sure. For a 'draft and develop' team, giving those tackle snaps to younger players may be more valuable than an aging player who isn't a part of the long-term plan. However, if the Patriots want the line to be in the best shape possible to put Drake Maye in, they may have to choose between getting Maye reps versus getting their young linemen reps. If it comes down to that, there should be an obvious choice.

It's not about the personnel changing so much as it is the current players improving. Limited practice time in the summer impacts offenses more than defenses, so there's more room to grow on the offensive side of the ball. That, plus players hopefully getting healthy over time, could make it a better situation for Maye a few months into the season. How much better? That's a fair question. But the general philosophy behind waiting is internal growth. That includes Maye's own growth, as he continues to work behind the scenes.

The offense was never going to be great this season but it certainly could have been better. Finding better bridge options at tackle is the immediate second-guess. Better depth at tackle would have helped too - between their active roster and practice squad the Patriots currently have just one healthy tackle who was with them in camp, and that's Mike Onwenu who is primarily a guard. Upgrades at receiver may have helped as well, but we know the team at least tried in that regard offering big contracts to Calvin Ridley and Brandon Aiyuk.

While we don't have an official number on Will Campbell's arm length yet, Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy did report it at 32 7/8-inches, which would be just under the typical 33-inch threshold for a tackle. That's a little worrying, but the reality is the draft isn't tomorrow and the team will have that official number before it's time to make a selection. For now the best thing to do is simply evaluate his play as-is, and he's been impressive so far this season.

At the same time, Kelvin Banks has been impressive as well. I give the Texas tackle a slight edge right now given Campbell has had multiple false starts already this year. Still a lot of football left to be played though, so that's hardly a definitive take.

The Patriots are going to need to invest heavily in the offensive line in the upcoming NFL Draft. They'll need at least one tackle, and should probably look at centers too so they can be prepared if David Andrews retires in a year or two. However they do have other pressing needs they'll have to address either by selecting players or trading draft picks. Wide receiver and edge rusher stand out on that list, with linebacker, cornerback, and running back also notable needs.

If Drake Maye sits for three years, that's a major mistake by the Patriots. He should play at some point this season, and waiting a few months - while frustrating - is not the same as basically burning his entire rookie contract. The point of drafting him is he is an elite quarterback prospect, and those kinds of players aren't available often. Sometimes it's just about drafting them when possible, and building from there. He's also not 'rotting' on the bench. There are still opportunities for him to work and improve behind the scenes.

While none of that may not be what the fans want to see right now, the idea is it's what will yield the better result in the long-term. If they get to the point where Maye is playing by the end of the year, they're still on track. If he's still not playing into next season, then it's worth revisiting the selection.

Tough to say for sure, but I'd go with Eliot Wolf by nature of him holding a 'higher' position. Going one-and-done on a general manager-equivalent who was handed a roster that clearly needed a multi-year rebuild isn't going to solve much. There would be risk in doing the same with Alex Van Pelt too, giving Drake Maye his second offensive coordinator in two years, but that's not as out of the ordinary.

If he were to become available, Brian Daboll would be a great addition for the Patriots. Drake Maye has some similar prospect traits as Josh Allen, who Daboll had a lot of success working with in Buffalo. However, therein lies the problem. If the Giants do move on from Daboll, it's hard to see how the Bills don't do everything in their power to reunite Daboll and Allen, which would likely be a much more attractive option for him giving he has more recent experience with that organization.

This is a good question, and we're going to need to kind of wait and see to get the answer. Patriots edge defenders losing contain - both on quarterbacks in the passing game as well as outright in the running game - has been a big issue for the Patriots. Joshua Uche has been the biggest example of this, and really struggled against San Francisco.

Are the Patriots coaching Uche to play this way, or leaving him in the game while he goes off his assignment. Last week the team didn't have much room to bench him with injuries limiting them on the edge, and Curtis Jacobs didn't replace him until late in the game. With a full week to gameplan and Anfernee Jennings potentially returning, the Patriots should have more flexibility on the edge this week. It will be telling to see how Uche's snaps are or aren't changed after last week's performance.

The good surprise for me this season so far has been the play of Ja'Lynn Polk. He hasn't had a ton of chances to show what he can do with the overall issues of the offense, but he's made the most of the opportunities he's been given and certainly seems ready for a bigger role once things start clicking on that side of the ball. Going the other way, my biggest surprise has been the performance of Mike Onwenu. He's always been a better guard than tackle, but the disparity between the two looks bigger now than it  has in the past.