New England Patriots re-sign offensive tackle LaAdrian Waddle
The New England Patriots and offensive tackle LaAdrian Waddle agreed to a one-year contract.
The New England Patriots have been hit hard this offseason. They have lost a lot of key players on both sides of the ball. Arguably the spot they were hit hardest was along the offensive line.
Losing left tackle Nate Solder is the toughest departure this offseason. Danny Amendola, Dion Lewis and Malcolm Butler have all been replaced in some capacity already. Replacing a left tackle is a tougher thing to do.
Solder signed a record-breaking deal with the New York Giants. He became the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL with the contract. That is something the Patriots were never going to do, leaving a huge void along their offensive line.
Replacing the player who has protected Tom Brady‘s blindside is a tall order. Capable left tackles are tough to come by, which is why losing Solder hurts so much. New England at least has some options they can try to use to replace Solder.
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They signed Matt Tobin in free agency, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles. He has played more guard than tackle in his career, but will probably be given a shot for the starting job.
In addition to Tobin, the Patriots also have Antonio Garcia and Cole Croston from last season’s roster. Neither player was able to play in 2017, but Garcia was cleared to return to the field after battling blood clots in his lungs last season. Now, the Patriots have another option to consider at left tackle.
New England and LaAdrian Waddle agreed to a one-year deal. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network shared the news and said that Waddle could compete for the job at left tackle.
Source: The #Patriots keep an important free agent after all. They’ve agreed to terms with OT LaAdrian Waddle on a 1-year deal. Their potential LT.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 22, 2018
Keeping Waddle was a good move, but there are questions about how much he will help. Waddle stepped into the starting lineup last season for five games in place of Marcus Cannon, who suffered an ankle injury. He was replaced after those five games because of his struggles as a pass blocker.
His replacement after that, Cameron Fleming, is still a free agent. The Patriots would be smart to try and bring him back as well. Fleming graded out as the No. 24 offensive tackle in the NFL last season according to Pro Football Focus. Waddle, on the other hand, was No. 64 out of 81 qualifiers.
While Fleming graded out better than Waddle, retaining Waddle is a good move still for New England. Replacing Solder will not be an easy thing to do, but stockpiling options is a good way of doing business.
Next: Grading Patriots Recent Free Agent Signings
It would not be a surprise to see the Patriots use an early round pick on an offensive tackle in the 2018 NFL Draft.