After signing two veteran starters in free agency, the Patriots plan to improve the offensive line is starting to take shape this offseason.
New England ranked near the bottom of the league in pass-blocking (31st) and run-blocking (32nd) win rate last season. Providing a stable environment for second-year QB Drake Maye is key to Maye realizing his potential, which starts up front with better pass protection and a viable run game, meaning upgrading the O-Line was at the top of the to-do list.
The Patriots got to work by signing vet RT Morgan Moses and former Vikings center Garrett Bradbury in free agency. The two veterans have combined to make 246 career starts in 17 combined seasons. Bradbury and Moses are proven commodities, adding some much-needed comfort in projecting them as starters. Earlier this week, we broke down Moses, a savvy veteran tackle with great play strength, in a film review. With Bradbury's signing now official, we'll discuss his film and playing style.
Bradbury entered the NFL as the 18th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The former first-round pick's calling card is elite athleticism. At the 2019 combine, Bradbury posted a 9.96 relative athletic score, ranking 11th all-time in RAS among centers in combine history. You don't see centers selected in the top 20 often, but the Vikings went against the grain because Bradbury's athletic profile and smarts were so highly regarded.
The 29-year-old's excellent movement skills are still present on his tape from last season, giving him great range in the run and screen game. Bradbury is a controlled mover while climbing to the second level, pulling, or getting out in front of ball carriers on screens. He's also a very good lateral mover who can reach blocks on the line of scrimmage, with the offenses that Bradbury has played in majoring in zone schemes (more on that later).
In pass protection, Bradbury has a smaller frame to handle elite power rushers (6-3, 300 lbs). However, he has solid core and grip strength to latch onto defenders. Above, Bradbury pops out of his stance to fire his hands into the chest of the mugged pass-rushing linebacker in the A-Gap, establishing meaningful first contact with a quick punch to win the rep.
Minnesota often put Bradbury in a three-man slide to avoid defensive lines targeting him in pass protection down the stretch last season. The Pats might use similar pass protection calls to protect Bradbury from being isolated vs. charged-up bull rushers. Helping him handle power is doable, with bigger guards like RG Mike Onwenu being there to hold the middle of the pocket. It would also help Bradbury to have better chemistry with his teammates against line stunts.
From a scheme perspective, it'll be interesting to see if signing Bradbury is a move that signals OC Josh McDaniels might run more zone schemes this time around. In his coaching history, McDaniels has majored in downhill gap blocking to play power football from two-back formations. However, Vrabel ran a West Coast offense in Tennessee initially installed by Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, featuring more zone blocking. Although we shouldn't overreact to one signing, (Moses is a power-oriented blocker) Bradbury is a zone-blocking specialist.
Given his experience coaching offense, this scribe believes that McDaniels will be free to run the scheme he has specialized in his entire coaching career. That said, the Pats could meld some of Vrabel's Titans offense with the typical McDaniels system. During his first few days as head coach, Vrabel emphasized wanting to be scheme versatile on offense. With the center setting the pace of the offensive line, Bradbury would allow the Patriots to run zone schemes.
New England adding two pieces to the offensive line gives them three proven starters in Bradbury (center), Onwenu (right guard), and Moses (right tackle). Although the left side remains uncertain, it's a step in the right direction towards rebuilding this unit.
After making two additions to the offensive line, let's reset where the Patriots could go from here at left tackle and left guard while discussing some more O-Line-related thoughts.
Left Tackle Need Looms Large for Patriots
With the Patriots signing a veteran center and right tackle, we're stating the obvious by saying that left tackle looms as arguably the biggest need on the current roster.
So far, New England hasn't signed a free-agent left tackle. The market thinned out after the Ravens (Ronnie Stanley) and Rams (Alaric Jackson) re-signed their starters before free agency. The biggest contract went to former Steelers LT Dan Moore Jr., who reportedly signed a monster four-year deal worth up to $20.5 million a year in Tennessee. It's understandable that the Pats passed on Moore, who allowed the most sacks among OTs in 2024 (12), at that number.
The other left tackles to move were former 49ers spot-starter Jaylon Moore and former Vikings OT Cam Robinson. Moore had some high-level flashes on tape but only started 12 games in four years, with Trent Williams as the entrenched starter in San Francisco. Moore has upside for a team like Kansas City who can take on some unknowns, but the Patriots are in a different place than the Chiefs. As for Robinson, he agreed to a deal with Houston.
New England could still dip into the veteran market to add an experienced left tackle, with Tyron Smith and Jedrick Wills available. Smith would be a viable stop-gap if he came to New England. Last season, Smith was solid for the Jets. However, the 34-year-old might be ring-chasing at this point in his career. If they can sell Smith on the Patriots, I'd be on board with that signing.
The Patriots options in the draft are to trust the tape with LSU's Will Campbell, flip talented Mizzou RT Armand Membou to the left side, or be aggressive with pick No. 38 to target Kelvin Banks (Texas), Josh Simmons (Ohio State), Josh Conerly Jr. (Oregon), or Aireontae Ersery (Minnesota). That larger group might require a trade-up into the late first round.
Putting my general manager hat on, the preferable route is to draft a receiver at No. 4 overall, then trade back into the late first round to take a tier-two left tackle. Would drafting Travis Hunter and Conerly be something you're interested in? It's a resounding "yes" from me.
Recent Draft Picks in a Left Guard Competition?
After the initial wave of free agency, it stands to reason that the Patriots recent draft picks still on the roster will compete for playing time at left guard.
Cole Strange (29th overall in 2022), Sidy Sow (117th overall in 2023), and Layden Robinson (103rd overall in 2024) were all drafted relatively high as far as guards are concerned. The last coaching staff viewed Strange as a center, but with Bradbury added to the roster, it seems unlikely that the former first-rounder will find playing time at the pivot. Sow and Strange have gone through coaching turnover over the last few seasons, which has also led to scheme changes from a downhill run scheme to a zone-heavy approach under former OC Alex Van Pelt. Stabilizing the coaching staff with a more experienced line coach in Doug Marrone could lead to better returns on the Pats investments at this spot.
Although they've recently invested in the interior in the draft, I'm not ruling out another top-150 pick to create more competition at guard. The guard class is considered a strength of the 2025 draft, especially when you factor in college tackles that project to move inside at the next level (Grey Zabel, Donovan Jackson, Wyatt Milum, Jonah Savaiinaea, Emery Jones, Jr., etc.). Zabel and Jackson are terrific prospects, but they'll likely be selected in the top 50.
In a recent deep-dive into the guard class, Georgia LG Dylan Fairchild and Miami T/G Jalen Rivers stood out as fits in the middle rounds. Fairchild is raw but had great flashes in Georgia's conference championship and playoff games. He won consecutive state titles as a high school wrestler, finishing his career with a perfect 67-0 record. You see that wrestling background in Fairchild's game in how he leverages and grapples with defenders.
The Patriots might bank on one of their recent draft picks emerging as a starting-caliber left guard, but adding a mid-round pick couldn't hurt.
Mike Onwenu Bounce Back, Bigger Guards, Etc.
Another theory that crossed my mind following the Bradbury signing was that the Pats could be back in the business of deploying bigger guards.
Following an uneven season where he was moved around constantly, Mike Onwenu would seemingly be entrenched as the starting right guard. That's excellent news for Onwenu, who is in the second year of a lucrative three-year contract and has a clearer path to a bounce-back season if he can focus on playing his natural position. The 340-pound Onwenu is at his best playing on the interior, where his power-oriented playing style can truly shine in a scheme that'll likely feature more downhill runs under OC Josh McDaniels. From this perspective, Onwenu playing right tackle inside a more zone-heavy run system never felt right.
As mentioned, Minnesota would put Bradbury in a three-man slide toward the end of last season to protect him from getting isolated in pass protection. That leaves the non-slide side man-on-man, so one of the guards will often draw a one-on-one. Onwenu's stout anchor could help Bradbury, while the Pats might also bank on their well-paid right guard to hold up in one-on-one pass protection more often next season.
Along those same lines, bigger left guards like third-year pro Sidy Sow would help mitigate any play strength concerns at center. Sow showed some promise as a rookie inside Bill O'Brien's offense, which overlaps with what McDaniels has done historically. At nearly 6-foot-5, 323 pounds with 33 â…ť" arms, Sow has very good size for a guard. In theory, Sow is a better fit in McDaniels's offense than he was for Alex Van Pelt's scheme. Second-year G Layden Robinson (6-3, 302) isn't as big as Sow, but he's also a power blocker who fits well in a downhill run scheme.
These are all just theories floating around my brain right now. Still, the Patriots interior O-Line could come together with maulers on both sides of Bradbury.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
