New England Patriots: 3 positions of need as trade deadline approaches

New England Patriots position of need No. 2: Offensive line

The Pats offensive line was supposed to be a position of strength heading into the season, but instead, they have been the position that has been holding the offense back. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones has been under constant pressure all season long, and the running game has been sputtering for most of the season. Maybe a midseason move could help fix things up.

In fairness though, the fix may have already been found. Ever since Trent Brown picked up an injury in Week 1, the logical move seemed to be to move the current left guard, Michael Onwenu, to the right tackle spot he made his own last season. That would allow backup guard/center Ted Karras to slide right into the suddenly vacant left guard position without missing a beat.

The problem is this solution didn’t get put into place until halfway through their Week 6 game against the Dallas Cowboys. It wasn’t any surprise to see their offense kick things up a notch in the fourth quarter after stalling out for most of the second and third quarters. Then, when used against the New York Jets last week, the offense exploded for 54 points.

Maybe the solution is already in place, and things can only get better if Brown returns off the injured reserve. But adding another depth piece wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Justin Herron and Yasir Durant have both been horrible in their attempts to replace Brown at right tackle, and Isaiah Wynn has been pretty poor himself at the left tackle position too.

The Patriots obviously aren’t going to go swing a deal for a star offensive lineman, but a solid backup level player for a late round draft pick could be a huge help. The offensive line has been plagued by injuries and a COVID outbreak already, so adding another fresh face wouldn’t be the worst thing, and it may just be the difference between playing postseason football or watching it from the couch.