I jest, but in all seriousness whilst there are some repeated offensive line worries, it’s looking mostly better than last year. I bet Drake Maye is more relieved than you and I too…
There were some mega signings in free agency, and whilst I fully appreciate Morgan Moses needs to prove if he is in fact aging well, like a good bottle of the brown stuff (whiskey I mean), you can’t deny the off-field presence and locker room type impact we have already seen, and its not even July.
Speaking of off-field presence… I’m going to fight and die to protect [Maye] with everything I’ve got.
If Will Campbell’s draft day declaration didn’t give you goose bumps, a lump in your throat, or even tears, then I fear you may be a robot, and I’m sorry I’m the one who has to break it to you.
Now, before any one of you shouts arm length and I have to scowl at you like the fierce little kitty that I am, I appreciate Campbell has to prove he’s NFL calibre. But darn it, he played dayyyyymn well in college as a left tackle and, full disclosure, I’m still superbly happy with the first round draft pick.
And that sums up the 2025 offensive line really, unknown. It’s an unknown entity. Technically better on paper than 2024, with two new tackles, a new center and a lot of weight, on the right side, the only known is returning right guard Michael Onwenu. Even Cole Strange is an unknown after his prolonged injury absence.
The recent addition to the line is the signing of tackle Yasir Durant. Or should I say re-signing? Durant was traded to New England in 2021 from Kansas City but his real career impact was in the UFL. He started every game of the 2024 season at left tackle for the DC Defenders. Not only did the Defenders win the Championship, but Durant was the best left tackle in the UFL. Durant has played right tackle, guard, and as a tackle eligible tight end in the NFL, smush that with his UFL left tackle career and the Pats have possibly got themselves a swing tackle, or one of the best left tackle back ups available.
The signing of Durant could have been prompted by the recent retirement of Wes Schweitzer, or perhaps he was always on the NEP radar. Either way the Patriots lost some of the offensive line veteran presence June 10th when they announced they had moved Schweitzer to the reserve/retired list. At 31 Wes is a veteran of nine NFL seasons with 62 starts, but his final year in New Jersey with the Jets was limited due to injury, and so he leaves New England before he really began unfortunately.
It goes without saying that the retirement of the one and only David Andrews is the biggest loss to New England’s offensive line, and the wound is still fresh so I shall dab my tears and move this along.
With just a few weeks before training camp begins there is plenty of uncertainty on this o-line o’mine, but hey, this is what being a fan is all about, right?!?
And so, I leave you with this you lovely lot. Everyone is entitled to fan their own way, I’m a big ambassador of this. No judgement. You can be super down, you can be uber positive about the additions, or what’s missing on the line, but at the end of the day we are all Patriots baby and football season is almost back!
Very insightful!!