One Patriots draft pick stirs up speculation about player's future with the team

The Patriots made many headlines last week stemming from their picks in the 2023 NFL draft, with an overwhelming amount of the discussion remaining complimentary.

However, one of their least talked about selections has allegedly caused teams around the league to speculate on the future of one of the longest-tenured members of the offense.

What player are these teams said to be chatting about? David Andrews.

Although the center is signed through the 2024 season, and the Patriots have made sure to keep him on the team over the years, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer shared what he's been hearing about Andrews' future in New England during an appearance on NBC Sports Boston's “Boston Sports Tonight” earlier this week.

“There’s some suspicion, like, where’s David Andrews gonna be in September?" Breer said. " … There’s a feeling like … what sort of position is he gonna be in at the start of September? And that’s why they draft (Jake Andrews), like, sort of insurance against what happens at center.”

It's certainly fair for teams to speculate on the future of a reliable player on any team, so that aspect is not surprising. However, there hasn't been any indication that Bill Belichick is looking to move on from Andrews anytime soon. He has been with the team since the Patriots signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2015 and has been a consistently dependable piece of the offense overall.

It seems more like a much-needed move, as the Patriots have struggled with depth on the offensive line over the last two seasons.

It has been such an issue that players have been moved out of position just to maintain as solid of an o-line as possible. Jake Andrews' selection helps fill a hole in case the veteran Andrews misses time, adding a potentially trustworthy replacement to a thin part of the roster.