With at least eight New England Patriots opting out of the 2020 season due to concerns about the novel coronavirus pandemic, the team is going to have to adapt and play out of their comfort zone more than ever.
Tackle Marcus Cannon may be the hardest player to replace, considering how the team is built. They have tackle Yodny Cajuste, a second-year player who spent all of 2019 on injured reserve after getting selected in the third round. New England also has Korey Cunningham, a veteran they didn’t make active for many games last year despite trading for him. If those two options fail — and the Patriots deem the free agency market unworthy — they may have to turn to a less traditional approach.
They could convert guard Joe Thuney to right tackle.
“Whatever can help the team,” Thuney said Wednesday during a videoconference call. “It doesn’t matter where. Just trying to do what I can, use the tools I have to help the team in whatever’s necessary.”
Thuney has played right tackle in a pinch in the NFL. His position at NC State was left tackle. But he’s been playing left guard at an All-Pro caliber, as denoted by the Patriots’ decision to franchise tag him this offseason. The adjustment would probably take time, if it were his full-time job.
“Coaches did a great job of trying to get reps and everything at practice,” Thuney said. “We’ve got a lot of guys getting reps at different positions because you never know. You go into a game with seven o-linemen, usually. The more you can do, the better. Just try to keep the fundamentals the same. Just tried to do what I could.”
Just how different are left guard and right tackle?
“You’re dealing with different body types going from guard to end,” Thuney said. “Your legs and arms are reversed and stuff. It’s not like it’s the first time you’ve ever taken a snap on the right side during the game. It’s the next-man-up mentality. If that means shifting someone over, that means shifting someone over.”
Thuney isn’t the only player who is versatile enough to play a number of positions, and considering how many holes are emerging on the Patriots’ depth chart, he may be one of many athletes who could play a part in one of Bill Belichick’s experimentation with a position switch.
[vertical-gallery id=92224]