After cutting their roster down to 53 players for the 2026 season, the Patriots still have clear holes they need to address before heading to Seattle for a Super Bowl rematch. Among the team's weakest groups is the offensive line, which was a point of emphasis during free agency and the draft.
The problem is that a handful of their depth players suffered injuries during the preseason, keeping them sidelined for the foreseeable future.
That puts them in a position to sign more backup guards and tackles to ensure they have the proper help needed to keep their offense afloat, especially after their major struggles in last year's postseason.
Lucky for them, a handful of players were released over the weekend, and although none are necessarily superstars, they could be solid depth additions who can provide the insurance around Drake Maye in case disaster strikes.
It's an opportunity that the Patriots cannot pass up, as the lack of depth on the offensive line has been a consistent issue over the past few years. To address that, they should inquire about several top names available, potentially starting with these four recently made free agents.
The Patriots need to keep improving their offensive line before the start of the season
Looking at the long list of offensive linemen looking for a new team after cutdowns, the Patriots have a few intriguing options to consider.
The first is Jedrick Wills, whom they hosted on a visit this spring and who was just cut by the Bears. Although he hasn't been very available over the past three years, having missed the entire 2025 season and only suiting up for 13 games since the 2023 season, clearly the team saw something in him that had him come in for a visit.
Now that he's available and they're staring down a questionable group of tackles, they might reconsider his fit for the roster.
Another more seasoned veteran option is Trenton Scott, who recently spent the last three seasons with the Commanders before being cut on Sunday. He has a versatility that the Patriots clearly like, as he's spent time at guard and tackle throughout his career, and that's a trait that would be highly valued on a team that wants as much help on their line as possible.
Looking at younger options with a little less experience, the Patriots could consider Evan Neal, a 25-year-old former first-round pick, and Kiran Amegadjie, a third-round pick from the 2024 draft whom the Patriots were briefly connected to during the pre-draft process.
Obviously, Neal has more experience, given he has been in the league for two years longer. But he missed the entire 2025 season due to an injury and a reported difficulty adjusting to being moved from tackle to guard.
That would seemingly rule him out as being a versatile option, unless o-line coach Doug Marrone can work his magic, but it shouldn't rule Neal out of contention given how much help the Patriots need.
Amegadjie would be more of a project, given that he's only played 6 games in his career and missed all of last season due to injury. However, he has more versatility that could make him stand out, and as a work in progress, the Patriots might like the opportunity to develop him.
It all depends on how weak they view their current offensive line group and whether they feel taking a shot on Amegadjie would be worth it in the end.
Regardless, they appear to have plenty of options to consider ahead of Week 1, and because they want to put Maye in the best position possible to succeed, they can't avoid the clear weaknesses that their group currently exhibits, so pursuing a few available players should be a priority in the next few days.
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