Patriots: 4 jobs clearly up for grabs during training camp

3. Center

The battle for the Patriots center position will be much different than the rest.

This isn’t so much a battle as it will be determining a capable body to line up against opposing defenses. Incumbent starter David Andrews missed all of 2019 with blood clots in his lungs, which were career threatening, but now he’s ready to return to the gridiron.

Will he be in shape and able to catch back up to game speed? Will the medical issue creep back up and affect his ability to perform in 2020? We don’t know. He doesn’t have much competition behind him, with incoming rookie Dustin Woodard as the only other option on the depth chart (though we know Belichick ensures his OL is versatile).

However, Woodard played his college ball at Memphis, which had one of the best offenses in the country. Don’t let his status as a seventh-round pick fool you. He can play anywhere along the line, having started 52 total games for the Tigers at left guard, right guard and center (where he played his senior year).

According to the Patriots scouting report, Woodard is “known for his athleticism, tenacity and intelligence, which allows him to overcome limited size. … Rarely caught off guard by unexpected blitzes.”

It seems like the Pats could have a formidable backup on their hands in case anything goes wrong with Andrews.