Patriots’ right tackle plan coming into focus after start of free agency
Patriots tackle Caedan Wallace will enter his second year with the team. And despite a key free-agent tackle signing coming to New England on Monday, Wallace still has a chance to earn a major role on the offensive line.
Selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the 24-year-old Wallace is presumably a future building block on the Patriots line. Wallace primarily played right tackle at Penn State, the so team plans to give him “a chance to settle in at right tackle,” wrote Mike Reiss of ESPN.
That being said, Wallace missed most of the 2024 season due to a high-ankle sprain. The Pats also recently signed a reliable veteran right tackle in Morgan Moses, who will have a real chance to start in the short-term.
So, what does the Moses signing mean for Wallace? One possible answer is that the team brought Moses in to give Wallace time to develop before they give them the full-time right tackle job. However, could it open up a fresh opportunity for Wallace to move back over to the left side?
“The Patriots envisioned [Wallace] flipping sides and helping fill a major void at left tackle last year,” said Reiss. With the left tackle position still open (as of day two of NFL free agency), Wallace could be an internal option to fill the position.
Although it may not be a perfect option, it would not be the first time the Patriots have replaced a left tackle with a right tackle, and could be a way to fix the issue on the cheap. Regardless, bringing in Moses allows the Patriots to sure up one side of the O-line with a proven option.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.
