The New England Patriots finally got into real action on Thursday when they played against the Carolina Panthers in the first week of preseason play.
It was a great pleasure for the fans and players to play a few games again after a season break full of changes.
Although the starters didn’t play much, this was the first opportunity to impress the coaching staff. However, there is one position that still needs work. And that’s not the best news for Drake Maye.
Jerod Mayo says the Patriots plan to bring offensive linemen to practice today. He describes the group as “under construction” and shares that backup C/G Jake Andrews, in his second year, suffered an injury in the offseason that required surgery and landed him on the injured list.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) 9 August 2024
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Mayo said the Patriots would bring several offensive linemen to practice today, adding that the unit is “under construction.”
That’s not what anyone wants to hear with the regular season starting in a month. Mayo went on to say that backup center Jake Andrews suffered an injury in the offseason that required surgery and landed him on the injured list.
There were rumors earlier this week that New England would bench Maye due to the shaky offensive line, but that was not the case.
“There has been some speculation that New England might bench Maye given the current state of the offensive line, but that will not be the case.”
– Matt Geagan
Still, a questionable offensive line is not the right thing to have when you have a young signal caller at quarterback. In Chicago, Matt Eberflus stated that the health of the offensive line would determine Caleb Williams’ playing time in the preseason.
Now, the latest report from New England is causing concern. The Patriots could keep Maye on the bench rather than send him behind a weak offensive line.
The question is, how much better can the offensive line develop in August? We’ll have to wait and see.
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