The Patriots' offensive line has been problematic over the last few years, making it a priority for the new regime to address this offseason. Mike Vrabel and his team accomplished that through free agency signings and adding key pieces via the draft, most notably using their first-round pick on left tackle Will Campbell, with the goal of assembling a strong unit to protect Drake Maye in his second season.
That became an even bigger feat after the release and eventual retirement of longtime center David Andrews, creating a massive void on the roster. It prompted new faces to compete for the starting role in his place, such as free agent signing Wes Schweitzer and Cole Strange, only for another wrench to be thrown into the plan at the end of mandatory minicamp.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Patriots announced that Schweitzer was placed on the reserve/retired list and would be leaving the team this week. He had been present for OTAs but absent from camp, and now we know why.
Wes Schweitzer placed on reserve/retired list: https://t.co/LTD5my1S6C pic.twitter.com/wIaNCNAN40
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) June 10, 2025
This adds another wrinkle to the plans for an improved offensive line this fall, putting Strange at the top of the list to potentially replace Schweitzer as the starter at either center or left guard.
An untimely retirement will force the Patriots to look over their roster ahead of training camp next month
The offensive line has undergone numerous changes this offseason, and now they will have even more to contend with. Although Schweitzer was new to the team, he was the projected starter at left guard, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss, and now they'll have to determine if Strange can be that guy for the job.
Because of his experience at the position and with the team, there's not much doubt that the former first-rounder can fill the role easily. He was able to return to the field late last season after suffering a season-ending injury the year before and seemed to pick up right where he left off. And now he has more stability around him, in addition to coaching, to help make him even better moving forward.
If Vrabel and Co. feel he's not starter quality, there is a silver lining: they still have around $60 million in cap space to spend on finding a suitable starter, whether through free agency or trade. They have time to accomplish that, too, and Vrabel hasn't shut down the idea of adding the caliber of players they want on the team through a big-time trade.
Hopefully, given Strange's history, they won't have to find someone to replace him. It would be much better at this point in the offseason to keep the guys they have and work with them, unless a star unexpectedly becomes available.