New England Patriots: Isaiah Wynn the talk of the offseason
The most discussed topic of the New England Patriots offseason has been Isaiah Wynn and the offensive line.
The New England Patriots offensive line has been a topic of discussion throughout the offseason. Keeping Tom Brady upright is of the utmost importance to the offense. However, there are still questions about who will be protecting his blindside as training camp is underway.
Longtime left tackle Nate Solder left New England in free agency. Solder signed a lucrative deal with the New York Giants, getting paid a lot more than the Patriots were willing to pay.
While there was no logical replacement for Solder on the roster, the Patriots added some potential replacements during the draft.
With the first of their two first-round picks, New England selected Georgia offensive lineman, Isaiah Wynn. On the second day of the draft, the Patriots acquired offensive lineman Trent Brown from the San Francisco 49ers.
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In addition to the two newcomers, New England also re-signed LaAdrian Waddle and had Cole Croston as a holdover from last season.
In the early going, it has been reported that Brown was the favorite for the starting left tackle spot. Brown was seen playing with the first team during some early practices. However, the starting spot is far from locked up.
Over at Bleacher Report, an article was compiled discussing the talk of every team’s offseason thus far. For New England, Wynn was selected.
Here is part of what they had to say about Wynn.
"“He’s a really good player in the best conference in America at his position,” offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia said, per NBC Sports Boston’s Mike Giardi. “He’s smart. He’s as tough as they come. … Look, we look for great traits—smart, tough and athletic enough to play the position and he’s got all three.”As long as Brady remains upright, what the starting left tackle looks like doesn’t matter."
Wynn doesn’t have prototypical size for a left tackle in the NFL. During the pre-draft process, Wynn was projected to be a guard. However, the Patriots are high on his potential, and he was announced as a tackle during the draft.
Given what the Patriots invested in Wynn, using a first round pick on him, he should receive a shot at a spot in the starting lineup.
dark. Next. 53-Man Roster Projection: Offensive Tackle
Whether that comes at left tackle or one of the guard spots has yet to be determined. However, that kind of versatility is what New England loves its players to have. Wynn should contribute in some capacity right off the bat.