The New England Patriots cannot afford any injuries on their offensive line. None.
And yet they had to conduct their first fully padded team drills without two starters up front to protect quarterback Mac Jones. Left tackle Trent Brown was limited in Monday’s practice in Foxboro, while left guard Cole Strange got banged up early on and never returned to full participation.
It was a problem that can’t present itself during the 2023 season, if the new-look Patriots offense under Bill O’Brien has any hope of achieving consistent success.
Trent Brown at 2023 New England Patriots training camp in Foxboro. (Jim Louth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
Brown’s limited capacity set a discouraging tone for the practice, which turned out to be relatively light for day 1 of full pads. Strange, meanwhile, appeared to injure his lower body during a blocking drill between both offensive and defensive linemen. He worked with trainers for several sessions of practice in the training area at the far end of the practice field, before eventually returning to observe team drills.
Strange suffered a leg injury that isn’t considered serious, according to Christopher Price of the Boston Globe. Brown’s health status remains a mystery.
Guard Cole Strange of the New England Patriots during a game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Dec. 12, 2022. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The more immediate problem is the depth issue that the absence of both Brown and Strange exposed.
Veteran Riley Reiff stepped in for Brown as the starting left tackle, after having slipped behind Conor McDermott in the race to play right tackle. Reiff’s spot on the main roster appears safe for now, since the team appears to view him as the top backup to Brown. Stepping in for Strange at left guard was a rookie, fifth-round pick Atonio Mafi out of UCLA.
New England Patriots tackle Riley Reiff (74) walks onto the field for practice at 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Katie Bennert/98.5 The Sports Hub)
A shaky left side of the offensive line limited the starting offense in 11-on-11 drills, albeit ones that were initially half-speed. Deatrich Wise got through Reiff on the second snap of 11’s, when Mac Jones was barely able to get the throw off to JuJu Smith-Schuster, but the play could have been scored a “sack” for Wise.
The leaky nature of the depleted line appeared to speed Jones up in the pocket, and the quarterback deserves credit for not forcing any dangerous throws. But he also had to settle for short, safety-net kind of passes, including a shovel pass to Pierre Strong Jr. over the middle.
New England Patriots running back Kevin Harris runs a drill during 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
The line appeared to close up at times on the offense in a late goal-line period, one in which the Patriots tried linebacker Jahlani Tavai as a lead blocker. Second-year backs Strong and Kevin Harris were, however, able to push in for “touchdowns” late in the session.
But it’s clear that, especially if Brown and/or Strange continue to miss time at practice, the Patriots have work to do at tackle and guard. They have roles to determine, starters and backups to name.
Bill Murray on the first day of 2023 New England Patriots training camp in Foxboro, Mass. (Jim Louth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
The Patriots have also been without starting right guard Mike Onwenu, with Bill Murray filling in for him. Players to watch at tackle include 2022 seventh-round pick Andrew Stueber, who got a bump in reps at left tackle amid the injuries, and rookie fourth-rounder Sidy Sow, who has played a lot of right tackle despite playing guard at Eastern Michigan.
Multiple players have remarked after practice how O’Brien’s work with the offense has led to fewer mental errors and players getting on the same page, which was an important step to take after the incompetence of the Matt Patricia-run offense in 2022. It would be unfortunate if any progress or improvements made under O’Brien were undone by a patchwork offensive line.
Jun 12, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive coordinator / quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien works with the team at the Patriots minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Injuries do happen all the time in the NFL, and Strange represents a significant investment in the O-line. But questions persisted at the tackle position throughout the 2022 campaign, and continued into minicamp, after the Patriots declined to spend any significant money or draft capital at either spot. Bill Belichick opted to continue depending on Brown to be a good starting left tackle, which he is – when he’s on the field, and fully engaged.
McDermott was somewhere between serviceable and solid after emerging as the Pats’ starting right tackle late last season, and appears to have wrested that job from Reiff, who was the Patriots’ “biggest” free-agent addition at the position at a base salary of $1.45 million. But it’s not an ideal situation to be in for an offense that can use all the clean execution it can.
New England Patriots center David Andrews (60) pass blocks at the line of scrimmage for quarterback Mac Jones (10) against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
This is a crucial year for Jones’ development as the quarterback, and not to mention for wide receiver Tyquan Thornton. They have depth at the skill positions, if a lack of high-end talent. But if Jones takes a big step forward on his own, there should be enough pieces around him to run a solid, productive offense.
We’re left wondering if the line in front of Jones will hold up enough to even give the rest of the offense a chance to prove themselves. The Patriots’ biggest concern heading into camp has only grown.
