One of the Patriots' offseason priorities was to massively improve the offensive line, following another rough year in 2024 that led to poor performances from Drake Maye and the backfield. That's not expected to remain an issue going into this season with the additions of star left tackle Will Campbell from the draft and Morgan Moses at right tackle.
They also added former Georgia center Jared Wilson, who has seemingly locked down the job of left guard until recently, as he played alongside the second team defense against the Vikings last weekend and took reps at center.
It has long looked like they had the group figured out, and those given the opportunity to take the most reps at each position appeared as though they were succeeding exactly the way the team has needed them to. But that might not be the case anymore.
Because those positions remain uncertain, the Patriots have a lot to figure out before the season begins. It's not a great position to be in just a few weeks before Week 1 starts, and Mike Vrabel made it clear that they haven't solidified who the starting group will be just yet. That doesn't bode well for a team that needs a reliable offensive line to get them through the season.
The Patriots are going into their final preseason game far from knowing their starting lineup
Among the many questions the Patriots still need to answer is who their starting offensive line will be, and they're running out of time to figure that out. While it makes sense that they haven't established a starting group just yet, it's not the most promising update to hear Vrabel say they're still testing things out, as evidenced by the Vikings game last Saturday.
“We’ll still keep working and try to get the best group in there, and get guys who are versatile and can help us behind them. Very rarely are you going to play the best five in a (whole) 17-game season. Hopefully whatever comes after that is just trying to get a good group of solid offensive linemen, establish the first unit, and then also have some really good pieces behind them.”
Fortunately, they still have a few weeks of practice left to set things in stone, but there is only one preseason game to play, and it's unlikely teams will be playing most of their starters, which includes the Patriots.
They might have to, however, to seriously figure out who their best starters will be on the offensive line. That's even more important when looking back at last season, when nearly every single week a new group was sent out to start the game.
That threw Maye under the bus more than once, as he continuously tried to do too much to overcompensate for a lackluster performance from his linemen. He shouldn't have to deal with that in his second season, and hopefully, he won't have to.