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Patriots News: Dallas Cowboys hosting two New England offensive linemen

By Kenneth Teape

FOXBORO, MA - OCTOBER 22: LaAdrian Waddle #68 of the New England Patriots reacts after a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Gillette Stadium on October 22, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA - OCTOBER 22: LaAdrian Waddle #68 of the New England Patriots reacts after a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Gillette Stadium on October 22, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images) /
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Recent New England Patriots news involves offensive linemen LaAdrian Waddle and Cameron Fleming, who are both visiting the Dallas Cowboys.

There has been a lot of New England Patriots news in recent days. With NFL Free Agency picking up, there has been plenty of Patriots news to follow.

New England started things slowly, as they had a number of defections. Four key players left New England at the onset of free agency for lucrative deals. Left tackle Nate Solder became the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL, agreeing to a four-year, $62 million deal with the New York Giants.

In addition to Solder, the Patriots also lost wide receiver Danny Amendola and running back Dion Lewis. Amendola signed with the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins, while Lewis went south with the Tennessee Titans.

Lewis is being joined by cornerback Malcolm Butler in Tennessee. Butler agreed to a five-year, $61.25 million deal with the Titans. The Titans have some ties to the Patriots, as head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Jon Robinson both spent time in New England.

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New England has been active on the trade market to try and replace those players. They completed two trades with the Cleveland Browns and one with the Oakland Raiders. In those deals, they acquired defensive tackle Danny Shelton, cornerback Jason McCourty and wide receiver Cordarelle Patterson.

The Patriots also re-signed running back Rex Burkhead and brought in running back Jeremy Hill, defensive end Adrian Clayborn and offensive tackle Matt Tobin. All three could fill a role for the Patriots this upcoming season and will help fill the voids left by the players who left.

Unfortunately for the Patriots, they could have some more defections before its all said and done. The offensive line is where they could be hit once again.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, two more offensive tackle free agents, LaAdrian Waddle and Cameron Fleming, are making free agent visits. Coincidentally, both are visiting the Dallas Cowboys today and tomorrow.

Both players filled important depth roles for the Patriots last season. The offensive line suffered a few injuries in 2017, but Waddle and Fleming were able to help plug those holes.

Depth along the offensive line is an important thing to have. Retaining Waddle or Fleming would not be a surprise as the Patriots need to figure out how to replace Solder. It is unlikely that Tobin will fill that hole by himself. Having some options would be smart.

In addition to Tobin, the Patriots also have Anthony Garcia, a third-round pick from 2017, and undrafted Cole Croston. New England is unsure what they have in either player, so inserting them into the starting lineup without any competition wouldn’t be ideal.

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New England is cash-strapped, which makes things difficult for free agency sometimes. They are limited in what they can spend, but Waddle and Fleming should both come relatively cheap if they do look to bring them back.

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