After an eventful offseason filled with numerous departures and additions from players to coaches, Patriots football is finally back with the start of training camp. This is, hopefully, the start of reviving winning football back to New England after two disastrous seasons.
For Patriots fans, there are many things to keep an eye on throughout camp. All eyes will be on Drake Maye, with hopes he takes a big leap and that the offense looks much improved under Josh McDaniels.
While Maye’s development is extremely crucial to the team’s success, another thing to keep an eye on is the offensive line, specifically the left guard camp battle.
Why is it Important?
The Patriots' offensive line ranked 27th in sacks allowed last season and allowed a combined 100 sacks over the previous two seasons. Because of this, Eliot Wolf emphasized improving the line play, drafting Will Campbell and Jared Wilson, and signing Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury.
Heading into camp, Campbell, Moses, Bradbury, and Michael Onwenu were the presumed starters, while the starting left guard was to be determined during camp. That puts Cole Strange, Caedan Wallace, and Wilson, who rotates from center to guard in drills, in competition to take the final spot.
Left guard isn’t considered to be the most important position on the line, but whoever wins the starting spot will play a crucial role. They’ll have to work alongside rookie Campbell and assist him in running and passing situations.
Although Campbell is regarded as the best offensive lineman in this year’s draft class, his arm length was a big topic of discussion because it was measured below the 33-inch preference that teams have for tackles. Whoever wins the left guard spot must be able to hold their own and work well with Campbell to ensure he’s performing well.
Is the Camp Battle Already Over?
Through three practices, it seems like Strange has already secured the starting job, as he was the left guard on first-team reps in all three practices. Strange has the upper hand on Wallace and Wilson, as he’s had the most experience playing the position.
He was also the Patriots' starting left guard in 2022 and 2023, before he went down with an injury that cost him most of last season. Once he returned, he played the final two games at center as a tryout, since David Andrews went down with an injury earlier in the season.
In his two years as a starter, his performance didn’t match up to his first-round selection, receiving a 54.6 and 64.6 overall grade per PFF. This will be Strange’s last season on his contract, as the Patriots declined his fifth-year option, and he’ll have to use this season to prove he’s a starting-caliber player.
Even though Strange has been the guy in camp, we should take it with a grain of salt. The Patriots haven’t put on the pads yet and have used the first few days to get accustomed to the schemes.
We can only hope this is the reason why the Patriots' line allowed seven sacks. Hopefully, we can see some improvement before the season begins.