6 Patriots on the Bubble Ahead of 2024 Training Camp

4. Calvin Anderson, Offensive Tackle

After Patriots OTAs and mandatory minicamp, it sounds like free agent acquisition Chukwuma Okorafor is in line to be the team's starting left tackle for this season. The Patriots re-signed Mike Onwenu in free agency, bringing back their best all-around offensive lineman and someone who has played a variety of positions in recent years.

With Onwenu moving back to his more natural right tackle spot, the Patriots are in an interesting situation at the left tackle spot.

Okorafor was let go by a Steelers team that wasn't exactly thriving and bursting at the seams with their offensive line depth. Unfortunately, the options for New England are somewhat limited in terms of proven quality. Calvin Anderson is a player who started some for the Denver Broncos before he came to New England as a free agent acquisition last year, but he suffered a life-threatening case of malaria in 2023 and was given a 50-50 chance of even surviving by doctors.

It would be incredible to see Anderson go from that horrifying situation to potentially earning a starting role in New England, but the reality right now is that even a backup job could be in jeopardy for him.

The Patriots used a third-round pick on Penn State tackle Caedan Wallace, and even though Wallace played right tackle at Penn State, the plan has always been to shift him to the left side long-term. Wallace was playing the right side at Penn State because Rasheed Walker (starter for the Packers) and Olu Fashanu (1st-round pick of the Jets) were playing the left side.

Now, Wallace could be the most realistic threat to Okorafor at the left tackle position, especially over the long haul. And the Patriots won't feel obligated to keep Anderson around if they feel he's not providing value.