Tag: Caedan Wallace

Two Patriots offensive linemen still expected to return this season

The offensive line could be getting additional reinforcements soon.

The New England Patriots could be getting big boosts on the offensive line before the end of the season. Coach Jerod Mayo noted in his press conference on Friday that both Cole Strange and rookie Caedan Wallace are expected to return before the end of the year.

Strange has been on the physically unable-to-perform list as he works his way back from a torn patellar tendon. Wallace was placed on injured reserve due to an ankle injury. He played in four games this season and started against the New York Jets back in September.

“That’s the plan,” Mayo told reporters in a team-provided video.

The offensive line has struggled with injuries and consistency issues this season. New England has gone through at least seven different starting offensive line combinations.

Perhaps the return of Strange and Wallace will help settle things down a bit.

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Patriots officially placing two offensive lineman on injured reserve

David Andrews and Caedan Wallace are going on injured reserve

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo announced center David Andrews and rookie offensive tackle Caedan Wallace would go on injured reserve Friday.

It was announced on Wednesday that Andrews would be undergoing season-ending surgery on his shoulder. Meanwhile, Wallace is dealing with an ankle injury. There’s still a chance he could return this season.

These are major developments for the offensive line. Wallace got his first NFL start against the New York Jets in Week 3, and he has played in all four games so far this season. Andrews is a longtime team captain and a key veteran piece on the line.

This is just more unfortunate news for an offensive line that has been decimated by both injuries and inconsistent play. The Patriots need to improve immediately along the offensive front, but they currently have few options for doing so.

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Key Patriots players ruled out of game vs 49ers with injuries

Three key players officially ruled out for the Patriots

New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger and offensive tackle Caedan Wallace have been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Both players are dealing with ankle injuries.

This is certainly not ideal, as the Patriots are already suffering injuries on the offensive line. Center David Andrews headed to the locker room in the first quarter, and he was also ruled out for the game.

Andrews is a huge loss as a team captain at a position lacking in depth for the Patriots.

The Wallace and Dugger injuries are also both notable. Dugger has been a key player on the Patriots defense, a unit that has struggled over the past couple of weeks. Wallace has taken quality offensive line reps at the battered left tackle position.

All three injuries will be worth monitoring throughout the week. The offensive line is already a mess, and the defense is missing Christian Barmore, Anfernee Jennings and Ja’Whaun Bentley. The team can’t afford more players to go down.

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Patriots OL rookies showing promise early in training camp

The Patriots’ rookie offensive linemen have impressed right out of the gates

The New England Patriots focused heavily on building the offensive line in the 2024 NFL draft. They used a third-round pick to select Caedan Wallace out of Penn State and a fourth-rounder on Texas A&M’s Layden Robinson.

New England’s offensive line gave up 48 sacks last season, and it was difficult for the quarterbacks to get anything going. So the team made it a priority to get offensive line help.

Wallace has worked with the first-team unit in recent training camp practices. He started at right tackle and was recently moved to the left side, where he has remained for multiple practices.

Robinson is also progressing at a high level. On Monday, he was able to block Deatrich Wise and Armon Watts with force, as noted by MassLive’s Chris Mason.

This is only the early part of training camp, and there’s still a lot of work to do. However, it’s hard not to be encouraged by the early positive signs from Wallace and Robinson.

Wallace was a Big Ten honorable mention in 2023, and Robinson was named to the 2023 All-SEC second-team. The two offensive linemen came to New England with pedigree and talent.

Their development is important for the future of a Patriots offense looking to get back on track.

Quarterback play will be heavily reliant on the offensive front, especially with a rookie potentially in line to see action at some point during the season.

The Patriots prided themselves on stellar offensive line play under Bill Belichick. Continuity and consistency were two vital reasons for that success.

They’ve gotten away from that in recent years, and there’s hope they can get back to it under the new regime. The future certainly looks bright with Wallace and Robinson on the roster.

Patriots coach Jerod Mayo not ruling out more offensive line moves

The offensive line situation in New England isn’t set in stone

The New England Patriots have made many upgrades throughout the offseason. However, they could still be looking to add depth at the left tackle position.

Coach Jerod Mayo didn’t rule out the possibility when speaking with the media earlier in the week.

There are options already on the roster. The Patriots signed Chukwuma Okorafor and added Caedan Wallace during the 2024 NFL draft. The left tackle position remains the biggest question mark on an otherwise solid offensive line.

Mayo has been pleased with what Okorafor and Wallace have done at the left tackle spot so far. He has also been impressed with Mike Onwenu at right tackle. However, he made it clear that he is always willing to add depth or make upgrades.

“I mean, I think, look, we’re always trying to bring in good players,” Mayo told reporters, via NESN.com’s Jason Ounpraseuth. “Those guys are doing well. We’ll see what happens as the roster continues to play out. Realistically, we’re still early in the process, and training camp will reveal a lot.”

The offensive line still figures to be an area of concern for the organization, following an ugly 2023 season. That unit isn’t without blame for the offensive failures that led to a 4-13 finish.

There’s hope they might be able to fix it with the newcomers on the roster, but it’s also encouraging that Mayo is leaving no stone unturned for improvement.

Patriots announce signing of rookie OT Caedan Wallace

The Patriots sign rookie OT Caedan Wallace

The New England Patriots made the signing of rookie third-round draft pick Caedan Wallace official on Friday.

It marked the sixth signing for the team in a 2024 NFL draft class with eight rookie picks. Wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk and offensive guard Layden Robinson are the only players that have yet to sign their rookie contract.

Wallace played right tackle throughout his college career at Penn State, but he’s expected to move over to the left side as the Patriots’ newest blindside protector. New England could really use a boost on the left side with veteran Trent Brown leaving in free agency.

There are serious depth issues at the position, and instead of addressing the problem with longstanding left tackles, the Patriots are counting on either Wallace or former Pittsburgh Steelers right tackle Chuks Okorafor to make the jump.

Wallace has experience playing left tackle in high school, and he practiced on that side of the line throughout college. So he isn’t exactly new to the move. However, that still doesn’t change the fact that his game experience at that position is limited, and the Patriots are basically rolling the dice in hopes that he figures it all out.

Patriots NFL Draft grades: Caedan Wallace, OL, Penn State

Patriots NFL Draft grade for selecting Penn State OL Caedan Wallace

With the New England Patriots addressing their two biggest needs in quarterback and wide receiver earlier in the draft, they needed to buckle down and add some depth to a shaky offensive line. Penn State offensive lineman Caedan Wallace provides that depth here early in the third round.

Wallace does not project as an immediate starter but rather a developmental depth piece as a player who can play outside at tackle or kick into either guard spot to provide invaluable depth to an offensive line that desperately needs it to protect rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

Experienced, refined, versatile, and physical, Wallace is the perfect piece to snag in the third round as a depth offensive lineman and potential swing tackle. Though not likely to take over the starting role anytime soon, it’s good value at one of the leagues most important positions.

Grade: B-

What Penn State NFL Draft picks remain unsigned at Memorial Day holiday weekend

Chop Robinson is one of three Penn State NFL draft picks still without a signed rookie contract.

The unofficial start of the summer season has arrived with the Memorial Day holiday weekend, and that means NFL training camps will be gearing up before you know it. NFL minicamps and rookie camps have already taken place around the league and have given a few former Penn State players their first tastes of working at the NFL level, but a few players drafted in the 2024 NFL draft remain unsigned over the holiday weekend.

Delays in contract signings have less to do with the overall value of a contract compared to past years thanks to the NFL’s rookie contract scale. All rookie contracts are four-year deals with a sliding scale of overall value based on a player’s draft position. But other details could potentially hold things up, and some rookie contracts are quicker to sign than others. At this point, there is no reason to believe any of the remaining unsigned draft picks from Penn State will be signing their rookie contracts with their respective NFL teams.

The most notable player from Penn State unsigned after being drafted is defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag]. Robinson was a first-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins with the 21st overall pick. He is the highest of three drafted Penn State players still without a rookie contract signed with his new team.

Offensive lineman [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag] was selected in the third round by the New England Patriots, and the Patriots are looking to move him from his usual right tackle position to the left tackle position. He remains without a contract signed, although he is expected to receive a contract valued at $9.5 million according to previous speculations.

The only other Penn State draft pick without a contract is cornerback [autotag]DaeQuan Hardy[/autotag], who was selected in the sixth round by the Buffalo Bills. It is expected Hardy will sign a contract valued at about $4.1 million.

The top pick from Penn State, offensive tackle [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag], signed his rookie contract with the New York Jets at a value of $20.5 million, all of which was fully guaranteed.

You can see the updated status of each of Penn State’s draft picks and their rookie contract status with our updated rookie contract tracker.

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Louis Riddick views this Patriots rookie as one to watch

It probably isn’t who you think

A New England Patriots rookie is getting high praise from a nationally acclaimed analyst. Louis Riddick had a strong endorsement for offensive lineman Caedan Wallace.

Wallace, who played right tackle at Penn State, worked in at left tackle at rookie minicamp. He has indicated that he’s up for the challenge of switching positions with the Patriots looking to fill the vacant left tackle position on their roster. Despite playing right tackle, he practiced on the left side in college and even played left tackle in high school.

Riddick is a strong evaluator of NFL talent, and he sees serious potential in the rookie.

“Remember his name. Caedan Wallace,” Riddick posted on social media.

Riddick then followed up in another post, “Louis Riddick became a big supporter of Caedan Wallace when he was studying the Penn State Offense in preparation for the Peach Bowl back in December ‘23. Nothing about hype. Just believed he was a very good OT that had skills that translated to the NFL level very well.”

The Patriots certainly view Wallace as a building block for the offensive line. Even with a potential position switch, his upside is extremely strong.

Rookie OT Caedan Wallace ready for position change with Patriots

Patriots rookie Caedan Wallace doesn’t find it too hard to play left tackle

New England Patriots rookie offensive tackle Caedan Wallace feels comfortable and optimistic about his position change, as the former Penn State star adjusts to life in the NFL.

The organization drafted Wallace in the third round with the 68th overall pick. He started 13 games at the right tackle position last season for Penn State and was an All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention.

Now, he is expected to play left tackle in the NFL. He practiced at the position during rookie minicamp, and he is welcoming the challenge with open arms, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Sean T. McGuire.

“Honestly, just little things,” Wallace said, when talking about switching from right to left tackle. “I don’t find it all too hard to switch over. I guess flipping things in my mind — hand placement, certain kicks, angles, things like that.”

Athleticism along the offensive front is important, and it’s something executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf suggested when drafting Wallace back in April.

It will be interesting to see how the pieces fit, as the organization looks to protect its rookie quarterback and start the rebuilding process once again.