With some down time before training camp, we're inspecting the Patriots roster position by position. Today, an examination of the offensive line.
LOCKS
David Andrews, Marcus Cannon, Shaq Mason, Joe Thuney, Isaiah Wynn, Yodny Cajuste (rookie), Hjalte Froholdt (rookie)
BUBBLE
Cole Croston, James Ferentz, Ted Karras, Brian Schwenke, Dan Skipper
LONG SHOTS
Cedrick Lang, Tyree St. Louis (rookie), Tyler Gauthier (rookie)
BREAKDOWN
One of the more interesting position groups to keep an eye on during training camp will be the offensive line. After losing Trent Brown to free agency, the Patriots will be looking to fill the void at left tackle. At the Patriots mandatory minicamp in June, we saw Joe Thuney taking reps at left tackle. It seems to be something the fourth-year starter is working on.
There are still a lot of questions around Patriots 2018 first-round draft pick Isaiah Wynn. The Georgia product suffered a torn Achilles last August during the preseason. Wynn was spotted at minicamp however he did not participate in position work leading me to wonder what his health status will be come training camp.
In this position group, the Patriots certainly have a veteran presence. It is just a question of who will play where. Health will be the main factor in determining the groupings. In April, the Patriots drafted two offensive linemen in Cajuste and Foholdt. Both picks should be roster locks, but there is a big question mark next to Cajuste, who underwent surgery to repair a quad muscle in March. I am sure we will find out more about Cajuste's status based on how involved he is during training camp. Pending the health of Cajuste and Wynn, more we could see other players solidify their roster spots.
Still, the biggest question is at left tackle. Given position coach Dante Scarnecchia's track record of developing versatile offensive linemen, I wouldn't be surprised to see any one of the "bubble" or "long shots" to solidify their place on the roster.
