Glaring offensive weakness stands out at latest Patriots OTAs
It was clear early in the 2023 season that the Patriots needed to prioritize improving the offensive roster as soon as possible. With an eventual high first-round draft pick and plenty of cap space to use in free agency, they had the means to accomplish that and more, but they didn't appear to do enough to put the offense in better hands all around.
The selections of quarterback Drake Maye and receivers Javon Baker and Ja'Lynn Polk were solid, plus the decision to double-dip on the offensive line was smart. However, the new regime failed to adequately address the glaring issue at left tackle, which they also ignored in free agency.
Picking right tackle Caedan Wallace and guard Laydon Robinson weren't necessarily bad choices, as the offensive line certainly needed upgrading with questionable play from Cole Strange, and a backup was needed for Michael Onwenu.
It becomes a more problematic decision when Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf's thought process behind drafting Wallace was to switch him to left tackle in the NFL, despite playing right tackle his entire college career. And it's already proving to be an issue through several OTAs.
Glaring offensive weakness stands out at latest Patriots OTAs
To most, it's only OTAs, so not much should be made of anything that happens on the field. That's a fair take to have, but when the offensive line remains one of the most significant issues for the team to overcome, it shouldn't be ignored.
As Patriots.com writer Evan Lazar noted, that was one of the most apparent parts of Tuesday's practice. He notes that the offense performed well in early drills, but once things were ramped up, the defense dominated and took over, mainly due to the offensive line's inconsistency.
Consistent theme in the practices we’ve seen: #Patriots offense has had some highs in 7-on-7. But as soon as you add the line into it, 11-on-11s flips heavily in the defenses favor. Work in progress along the O-Line for the Pats O.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) June 4, 2024
On the one hand, we know the Patriots' defense is dominant and the better part of the team, so expecting a young and developing offense without many starters to overcome that would be asking a lot. But at the same time, it's not exactly encouraging to see how much they're struggling still.
There's plenty of time for things to change, and by mandatory camp this summer, it could look much different with the entire team present. It would be nice to see that because Mayo and Wolf's decision not to focus more on the offensive line is looking even worse early on.
That will be far from ideal for Jacoby Brissett this fall and even worse for Drake Maye if it doesn't improve.
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