Some Patriots news and notes on this Friday:
Positive News at Left Tackle
One of the obvious concerns heading into this season is going to be the state of the offensive line, which so far has seen the New England Patriots do some experimenting when it comes to finding its best five for 2024.
However, it sounds like there’s been a positive development, which might also provide some context for what else has unfolded to this point.
For the majority of the late portions of OTAs and then also into minicamp, Chukwuma Okorafor has taken the majority of reps at left tackle, with the newcomer apparently making a strong impression this spring.
Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal said in a recent late-week podcast that Okorafor has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the spring, and it appears he’s potentially on track to possibly emerge as the favorite ahead of camp.
“I will say, they’re really happy with Okorafor at left tackle,” said Bedard. “I think he’s been one of the surprises of camp to them. From what I’ve seen, I think he’s done a good job. Not a whole lot of pressure coming from his side.”
So far, this spring has already seen some changes when it comes to the offensive line compared to past seasons. Sidy Sow, who played at right guard for much of 2023, has moved inside to left guard. That has him filling in for Cole Strange, who continues dealing with the late-season knee injury that’s expected to sideline him for potentially the start of 2024.
On the other side, Mike Onwenu has moved back to right guard, which we saw late last week. Onwenu presence at right tackle stabilized the position partway through last season, which came after multiple attempts failed by other players. He was rewarded with a significant contract extension this offseason, with the belief that lining up at right tackle would be where we’d see him again this season.
Instead, it’s been rookie Caedan Wallace – who was initially drafted with the intention of moving to left tackle – who has ended up working at his natural position at right tackle. That’s been the biggest surprise, given all the discussion of the former Penn State standout potentially making the move to the left side, which as we know, is where the team has been thin depth-wise.
That scenario is one that Bedard is most surprised by, which he believes is now a big question heading into training camp.
“Now they’re trying to figure out right tackle and right guard,” said Bedard. “It’s a little alarming to me, but there’s no way, after the draft, the way Eliot Wolf talked about Caedan Wallace, there’s no way I expected by the end of the offseason that they would have already moved Caedan Wallace to right tackle and then moved a $19 million tackle – the best tackle in free agency – to guard. So yeah, surprised and shocked.”
It’s Possible A Plan is Already Coming Together
Looking at it from a different standpoint, it’s possible the club already has some confidence in the group they’ve put together ahead of training camp.
If Okorafor is indeed emerging as the starter on the left side, and the reviews – at least according to Bedard – are positive, that would potentially mean that on left side, with Sow at left guard and David Andrews at center, the club might be in reasonably good shape.
On the right, the decision to move Onwenu back to guard should simply mean they’ll be as good as they were when he was there previously. That would mean that allowing Wallace to play back at his natural position at right tackle, especially if he ultimately emerges as a starter, would solidify that side of the line.
Granted, it’s not what the plan was, and that’s where most of the criticism within the media has been. However, the end goal is to have the best five players out there. Moving Wallace to the right side, despite the expectations for him to move to the left, isn’t necessarily a negative. If anything, that essentially allows him more time to develop as a left tackle heading into his sophomore season, while also providing the club with a solution for 2024 opposite Okorafor.
The pundits likely won’t be happy, given that the focus will be on the fact things didn’t play out exactly according to the initial plan. But if Wallace solidifies things at right tackle as a rookie for 2024 and the Okorafor does indeed become a solid solution on the other, that would certainly be a massive win for a unit that spent most of last season searching for answers.
Co-host Nick Cattles also believes that getting the best five out there should be the goal, despite the fact the optics may not be ideal.
“If they do get their best five up front, that’s what’s important,” said Cattles. “I’d rather them say to themselves, ‘Let’s get the best five up front. Let’s not be stubborn about the evaluation. Let’s not try to force something to happen here with Caedan Wallace. We think Okorafor is going to start at left tackle anyway, we can now take our time with Caedan Wallace, maybe, and put the best five out there.’ That’s what you should do.”
Odds and Ends
The Patriots extending Rhamondre Stevenson on Thursday certainly crosses off a significant “to-do” item for this offseason. The running back agreed to a four-year extension worth up to $36 million with $17 million guaranteed, ensuring that the club keeps one of its foundational offensive pieces in the fold for the foreseeable future. … A possible trade for 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk remains something that continues to be discussed locally, but by all accounts, San Francisco appears focused on keeping the disgruntled wideout. Both Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport have reported the negotiations between the two sides remain ongoing, with the 49ers focused on keeping the receiver. If past moves are any indication, the 49ers will likely drag this out to the point where he’s likely not going anywhere, presumably looking for a massive haul. For the Patriots, this is a team with bigger long-term needs, where giving up the draft capital San Francisco is probably looking for seems unrealistic. Jeremy Fowler reported recently that the team is seeking a first-round pick for the wideout, which puts them exactly where they’ve been in past demands with other players: completely delusional. All you have to do is look at the similar approach they took while they held Jimmy Garoppolo hostage seeking similar demands. He ended up walking away in free agency, leaving the 49ers with zero to show for it. … A move in 2025 for a receiver may be more likely, especially if the offense takes a step forward to the point where adding an impact player might catapult them into contention next season. That’s why it feels like a long shot that the club gives up anything of consequence for Aiyuk – or any other big-name player – at least for this year.
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
The media is critical because the team has deviated from their original plan. Hmmm? How many plans in their original form end up the same in their final form? Very few. I ask you and the other media: Did you write this article in one draft? Is your final product your original draft of plan? How about for other in the media? Because what you write went through various forms and edits does that make the article worse than the original? I hope not and I doubt it. The problem with the media and social media is most stress the… Read more »
This is spot on. I don’t understand the snap judgements of a handful of practices along with the talk about Wallace or how things have played out a little differently so far. It’s a work in progress and at the end of the day, they need a group to keep the QB upright and the ability to run the ball and execute the offense. I feel like if they get there, most people will be happy with that, regardless of who lines up where.
Well said. Who are the “unhappy pundits” and what formalized plan was deviated from? Cuz Elliot Wolf said they think Caeden Wallace could play LT doesn’t mean that’s a set in stone plan to be held to. The first thing is, can he play in the NFL and make the team!!!!….. then where can he play, and then can he start or is he backup calibre. All TBDs when injecting a college draft. And that is every year through history – nothing new. It’s a bunch of over-reaction to OTAs. Summer camp hasn’t even started!!! The history of OTAs is… Read more »