Patriots coach Bill Belichick discusses offensive line injury woes

Bill Belichick commented on the offensive line struggles for the Patriots this season

The New England Patriots have had problems at the offensive line position, as injuries and inconsistent play have marred the unit throughout the year.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick offered his thoughts on how things have unfolded along the offensive front, when speaking with media members.

“That’s not the way we thought it would happen when we acquired some of the guys at the beginning of the year…but it is what it is,” said Belichick, via Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar.

The offensive line has been decimated by injuries. Calvin Anderson and Riley Reiff were free agent pickups, while Connor McDermott was re-signed this year as a free agent.

Injuries have made it difficult for the Patriots to build any form of consistency. At one point in the season, the Patriots’ entire offensive line was dealing with injuries.

This was simply a case of the Patriots rolling the dice and things not working out. It was something the usually-prepared Belichick could not foresee.

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Patriots announce veteran offensive lineman being placed on injured reserve

Patriots offensive tackle Calvin Anderson has been placed on injured reserve.

The New England Patriots announced they have placed veteran offensive tackle Calvin Anderson on injured reserve. Anderson has not practiced the past couple days, and he was out of Friday’s practice with an illness.

He appeared in six games and started at right tackle for the first two games of the season. However, he hasn’t played recently, and he has been inactive for the past two games.

The offensive line has struggled from inconsistency this season. Getting every starter healthy at once has been a challenge on the unit, and New England has had to go with several different line combinations.

Anderson might no longer be the starter in New England, but he did help with the depth on the unit. So his absence is another hurdle the team will have to leap in a season plagued with injuries from the start.

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Patriots injuries stacking up at key positions at Wednesday’s practice

The New England Patriots were missing several key players on Wednesday.

The New England Patriots were missing several key contributors at practice on Wednesday. Wide receiver DeVante Parker, offensive tackle Trent Brown, offensive tackle Calvin Anderson and tight end Pharaoh Brown were all missing, per NESN’s Zack Cox.

Parker left Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins with a head injury, and Trent Brown has been playing through multiple injuries, including knee and ankle issues.

Parker’s absence is notable in particular, and it could pave the way for more snaps for players like rookie wide receiver Kayshon Boutte. On top of that, Kendrick Bourne is out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury. Depth at wide receiver is becoming thin. So Parker’s absence will be worth monitoring in particular.

Trent Brown has also been one of the most productive players on the Patriots’ offensive line this season. He has been playing at a high level in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Pharaoh Brown’s injury is notable, given that he has become a key cog in the New England offense. Brown caught two catches for 33 yards against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

New England’s season has been an uphill climb. These injuries will be worth monitoring, as they could potentially further complicate things for a 2-6 team that has already hit rock bottom eight games into the season.

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Patriots stock watch: Who’s up, who’s down heading into Week 3?

Who’s stock is up and who’s stock is down for the Patriots?

The New England Patriots have a conundrum on their hands. They are an improved football team from last season, but they’re still sitting at 0-2 on the year ahead of Sunday’s meeting with the New York Jets.

A big reason for those struggles has been the hellacious regular season schedule. The Patriots faced two potential Super Bowl contenders right out of the gates in the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins.

They still lack explosive offensive talent, but other players have stepped up on both sides of the ball to give them a chance to compete and stay in games. Today, we’re taking a look at several players and checking in on their stock with the team heading into the Week 3 matchup with the Jets.

Who’s stock is up and who’s stock is down for the Patriots?

10 burning questions heading into Patriots’ season opener vs Eagles

10 burning questions for the Patriots ahead of Sunday’s season opener.

There are a bunch of questions facing the New England Patriots in Sunday’s opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

It will be their first real opportunity to wash away the stink of the 2022 season. They went 8-9 last season and missed the playoffs for the second time in three years.

That same model of consistency the Patriots have been known for hasn’t been there since Tom Brady was the quarterback. Coincidentally enough, Brady will be attending the game as an honorary guest of the team.

Perhaps his presence can help fuel the Patriots to beat the odds and knock off arguably the best team in football. Here are 10 burning questions facing the team ahead of Sunday’s matchup.

Patriots Wire Podcast: Previewing Week 1 and Patriots’ upset potential over Eagles

One of the hosts of the Patriots Wire Podcast picks the Patriots to upset the Eagles on Sunday.

A busy offseason for the New England Patriots culminates into a tough head-to-head meeting with the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Football is back, ladies and gentlemen, and so is the Patriots Wire Podcast.

It was a reunion of sorts for Ryan O’Leary and I, sort of like there will be this weekend, when quarterback Tom Brady returns to New England to be honored by the Patriots.

This week, we delved into some of the offensive line concerns and hopes surrounding the newest offensive additions with players like Ezekiel Elliott, Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte coming into focus. We also previewed the Week 1 matchup with the Eagles with a surprise upset pick.

Follow the Patriots Wire Podcast:
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Are you worried about the Patriots in 2023? Will they shock the world by knocking off the Eagles on Sunday? You can find us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Patriots veteran OT returned to practice after missing training camp

The Patriots’ offensive line gets another boost with recent return.

New England Patriots offensive tackle Calvin Anderson was activated from the non-football injury list on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Field Yates.

In addition to his activation, he was working at the right tackle and left tackle positions during practice.

This is a notable development, given New England’s need for depth on the line. They also made multiple moves on Sunday, acquiring offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr. from the Cleveland Browns and lineman Vederian Lowe from the Minnesota Vikings.

Anderson’s return in addition to the other signings is certainly welcome news for the Patriots. He signed with New England as an unrestricted free agent on March 16 and missed all of training camp.

The offensive line will be put to the test right away, as New England opens the season on Sept. 10 against a Philadelphia Eagles team that had the most sacks in the NFL in 2022.

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3 moves made by Patriots on the eve of training camp

The Patriots made three transactions on Tuesday

The New England Patriots were reportedly doing some last minute roster tinkering on Tuesday

Offensive tackle Calvin Anderson was placed on the non-football illness list, and defensive lineman DaMarcus Mitchell was put on the non-football injury list. Meanwhile, undrafted rookie defensive tackle Justus Tavai was removed from the PUP list.

Anderson is one of the veteran offensive lineman that could be competing for reps at the right tackle position. Riley Reiff, who currently has the edge as the starter, is 34 years old and has yet to cement himself as the go-to player for that role.

As for Mitchell, he played in 310 special teams snaps for the Patriots as a rookie last season, and he was surely hoping to build on that effort in training camp.

The good news is Justus Tavai, who is the brother of Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai, is coming off the physically unable to perform list. It’s crucial for him to get reps in training camp if he hopes to have a shot at making the team.

The Patriots are set to open training camp with their first official practice on Wednesday.

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5 takeaways from Day 2 of Patriots’ mandatory minicamp

The Patriots defense is firing on all cylinders, and the offense looks improved.

It was another strong day for the New England Patriots in their second official outing at mandatory minicamp. The offense wasn’t a catastrophe, and the defense looked like a potential juggernaut in the making.

As far as attendance is concerned, it wasn’t much better on Tuesday, but most of the players were accounted for on the practice field.

Veteran defensive tackle Lawrence Guy, who is believed to be holding out for contract reasons wasn’t on the field, and the team was also still missing offensive guard Michael Onwenu, along with wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton.

The list of absences are as follows:

  • WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
  • WR Tyquan Thornton
  • G Michael Onwenu
  • WR Kayshon Boutte
  • EDGE Keion White
  • DT Justus Tavai
  • CB Quandre Mosely

The Patriots have one more minicamp practice remaining on their schedule before the team breaks until training camp in late July. Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s practice:

Could Trent Brown be out in New England?

Could Trent Brown be a surprise cut for the Patriots?

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With the New England Patriots still looking into options to fill their tackle depth with the tryout of former first-round draft pick D.J. Fluker, there are questions as to what it might mean for Trent Brown.

I wrote in a previous article this spring that Trent Brown could be a cap casualty, and if Fluker signs with New England, it could be more realistic. Fluker will likely be depth, as the Patriots would have Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson to fill the two starting tackle slots, but his signing could be noteworthy.

At times last season, Brown looked like he checked out and was part of the offensive line issues overall. Better play could have potentially saved the season, but there was likely issues with the former offensive line coach and offensive coordinator, Matt Patricia. It also wouldn’t be the first time that Patricia rubbed veteran players the wrong way.

Just ask Darius Slay.

Fluker could be a veteran addition for a team still looking for answers at their two starting tackle slots. Brown being cut could save the team around $8 million, which when paired with a potential cut of DeVante Parker ($ 6.2 million saved) in a DeAndre Hopkins scenario would ideally allow the Patriots to keep their operating costs for the 2023 season, while giving Hopkins whatever he asks.

If Brown is truly checked out, which is likely with his absence at OTAs, then Bill Belichick, who has let players go for less, would cut ties and start anew. Now that Adrian Klemm is the offensive line coach in New England, there is optimism they could patch together a tackle group with Anderson, Reiff, Conor McDermott, Fluker, Andrew Stueber, or even Sidy Sow.

Belichick and crew are likely trying to change perspectives on the operation from 2022 and could cut ties with an unhappy camper who has skipped OTAs and performed poorly in 2022 to save the team cap.

If the team feels the drop-off between Brown to Reiff/Anderson isn’t major, then they could move on. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve moved on from Brown. They did so back in 2019, when he signed a massive deal with the Oakland Raiders.

If they did it before, they could certainly do it again.

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