The Patriots have been comically unstable along the offensive front this season, so it’s safe to say they’re looking to make changes.
Vederian Lowe, Layden Robinson, Ben Brown, Mike Onwenu and Demontrey Jacobs make up the current unit, starting each of the last two games together. New England isn’t happy settling with that five, however, because it looks like a couple more changes are coming.
Cole Strange and Caedan Wallace are almost ready to return.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo has done everything but confirm both would factor into plans over the final three games, but the former has already been added to the active roster. New England can’t afford to waste time at this point in the season, so you can probably expect the former first-round pick to return Sunday against the Buffalo Bills — with Wallace potentially joining him.
Strange likely will be playing in a new role when he does return, as he exclusively has repped at center since returning to practice.
“He’s done a good job,” Patriots offensive line coach Scott Peters said on Friday, per Chris Mason of MassLive. “He’s learning it. It’s new for him, but he’s picking it up pretty quickly. I think he’s done a pretty good job so far… he knows the system. I think the fundamental techniques are getting closer. I think for him, it’s more just kinda feeling confident and giving the green light.”
The Patriots have been patient with Strange, who only recently returned to the field after spending several months on the physically-unable-to-perform list after suffering a torn patellar tendon last December.
Strange being able to prove that he has the versatility to play both guard and center, while also displaying the health of his knee, would go a long way toward answering one major question along the offensive line.
Wallace, on the other hand, seems awfully close to returning and has been repping exclusively at right tackle. New England likely will want to plug him into that spot as soon as possible, not only because they need to get Jacobs off the field but because it might cause people to forget the debacle they endured trying to flip him to left tackle during training camp.
New England has a couple of decent options at guard, with Onwenu and Robinson displaying enough to have folks comfortable with them sticking in the starting lineup moving forward. Strange and Wallace potentially joining them, and leaving left tackle as the only spot worth worrying about this offseason, would be huge.
It’s a big if, though.
