Jared Veldheer brings veteran leadership and more to Patriots
The New England Patriots’ acquisition of versatile offensive lineman Jared Veldheer should benefit the team in a multitude of ways.
As ESPN’s Mike Reiss wisely pointed out in a recent article, the New England Patriots are set to benefit from not just one, but two incoming classes of talented players in 2019. There’s this year’s crop of rookies that were selected in last month’s draft, and then there are a number of players from the 2018 Draft returning to the team after missing significant time last season.
Among those names are Ja’Whaun Bentley, Duke Dawson Jr., Christian Sam, Braxton Berrios, Ryan Izzo, and first-round draft pick Isaiah Wynn. Wynn was the first selection for the Patriots last year, and was expected to potentially start at left tackle before going down in the preseason with a torn Achilles tendon.
Now that his recovery is progressing and on-track, it appears Wynn will return just in time to step in for last year’s starter Trent Brown, who departed for the Oakland Raiders this past March in free agency.
But just in case he’s not fully ready to go – or if he ends up being a better fit for the team at guard – the team came to terms with veteran lineman Jared Veldheer. Signed to a one-year deal worth $6.5 million, Veldheer was brought in officially just after Tuesday’s compensatory pick deadline expired… meaning he will not negatively affect the team’s stash of picks next year.
During nine years spent with the Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, and Denver Broncos, Veldheer has started at a variety of positions along the offensive line, including left tackle, right tackle, center, and right guard. This kind of versatility surely must have made Veldheer an appealing option for Bill Belichick, who time and time again has expressed his preference for multifaceted players who can play multiple positions in multiple schemes.
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Even if Wynn ends up beating out Veldheer for the starting left tackle spot, the 6’8, 321-lb lineman figures to stick on the Patriots’ final roster based off his experience and base salary in 2019 alone.
It’s important to remember that New England lost not only Brown in free agency – they also saw swing tackle LaAdrian Waddle sign with the division rival Buffalo Bills. Veldheer could presumably capably fill that important swing tackle role even if he loses the camp battle to Wynn.