We are seven Sundays away from seeing the New England Patriots play their first regular-season game. Before we can think about regular-season play, training camp begins on Tuesday, where we’ll get our first look at the Mike Vrabel-led Patriots.
There are numerous reasons to be excited for this upcoming season. Eliot Wolf signed some big names in free agency, bringing in Stefon Diggs, Milton Williams, Carlton Davis III, and Harold Landry III.
Wolf continued making noise in the draft, this time adding support for Drake Maye, selecting Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, and Kyle Williams. The additions to the offensive line, specifically Campbell, could indicate that one Patriots' offensive lineman's days with the team are over.
Vederian Lowe’s Days in New England Are Numbered
Vederian Lowe has been a part of two of the Patriots’ worst seasons this century. In the last two years, the Patriots have combined for eight wins, partly due to their horrendous offensive line.
Lowe was the starting left tackle last year, and in 13 starts last season, he received a 54 overall grade per PFF, ranking 101st out of 140 tackles. His six sacks, 11 penalties, and 23 hurries were costly to the Patriots’ offense, which ranked 27th in sacks allowed (52).
While Lowe hasn’t performed well, he shouldn’t be solely blamed for the team’s blocking issues. Since Lowe is tasked with protecting the quarterback's blindside, arguably one of the most important jobs in football, he’s received more criticism than any other lineman.
Now that the Patriots drafted Will Campbell, Lowe will no longer be the starting left tackle. There is no guarantee that Lowe will be a backup either, as he’ll have to compete with seventh-round pick Marcus Bryant for that spot.
With an entirely new coaching staff at the helm, Lowe could be on the chopping block. He must impress in training camp if he wants to remain with the team as a backup.
Personally, I think Lowe would be a fine backup that could potentially serve as a swing tackle. I’d take him over Demontrey Jacobs, but I wouldn’t have him above Caedan Wallace or Marcus Bryant. Whether the coaching staff agrees, however, remains to be seen.