The New England Patriots suffered a rude awakening in Super Bowl LX. Will Campbell's baptism by fire came at the worst possible time, as he struggled to give Drake Maye any blindside protection in the biggest game of the season.
That's why it's not much of a surprise to hear that they might be in the hunt for a bona fide veteran. According to Green Bay Packers insider Easton Butler of Packer Report 66, they will be in the mix for LT Rasheed Walker. However, that may not be in the team's best interests.
The Patriots Need to be Carefull with their Pursuit of Rasheed Walker
"The Patriots and Chiefs are expected to be top suitors for LT Rasheed Walker, per Jason La Canfora. The league expectation is that Walker will likely receive a contract that surpasses the one Dan Moore got last year from the Titans, being a 4-year, $82 million deal," Butler wrote on X.
The Patriots are still committed to Will Campbell. There have been rumblings about possibly moving him to left guard, a position he's better suited to take in the pros from a physical standpoint. Then again, Patriots GM Eliot Wolf said at the NFL Scouting Combine that Campbell's struggles may have been due to a late-season knee injury.
Perhaps they want to give the former No. 4 pick a chance to establish himself as their starting blindside protector. That makes sense to a degree, but that would then force them to move Walker to left guard.
Before being drafted by Green Bay, Walker told the Draft Network that he would be open to switching positions in the pros (h/t Nittany Lions Wire). A lot has transpired since, though, and he hasn't played a single snap at guard in his four years in the league, so that may not be an ideal solution for Mike Vrabel's team.
More than that, the Patriots would probably have to overpay for Walker's services to outbid other teams interested in signing him, especially if they want him to switch positions. That could force them to pay him elite LG money rather than average LT money, which is what he'd probably get from the Chiefs.
It is worth noting that Wolf downplayed any interest in Walker, refuting La Canfora's reporting, while meeting with the media at the combine. However, he did mention that New England would be in the market for an offensive tackle this offseason. Whether it is ultimately Walker or another veteran, there is a Will Campbell aspect to whatever decisions come in the coming weeks and months.
The Patriots are clearly ahead of schedule in their rebuild, but they must figure out how to keep Drake Maye out of harm's way. And while it's still way too early to give up on a 22-year-old former top-five pick, this team needs to consider all options. This just may not be the smartest one.