New England Patriots: 5 Offseason moves to keep dynasty alive
4. Shore up offensive line
When the Patriots were on their way to winning Super Bowl LIII, one of the things that they were able to hang their hats on was their offensive line. That group, even with first-round pick Isaiah Wynn out of the lineup, performed like one of the best units in the league and simply allowed the New England offense to develop whatever they wanted. This season, however, things changed a bit.
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Though the New England offensive line ranked ninth in the NFL in pass protection according to Football Outsiders, where they particularly struggled was in regards to the run game. Sony Michel was much maligned this season and deservedly so to a degree, but the line also didn’t do him any favors with the push they were getting up front, which stands in stark contrast to last season.
Subsequently, the Patriots must work to shore things up in the trenches on offense. First on the docket should be retaining All-Pro guard Joe Thuney, who’s set to hit free agency this offseason. He’ll be a coveted commodity so it might be pricey to do so but it’s critical to keep their most reliable piece in place.
Beyond that, New England should look to the draft to improve at center (given David Andrews‘ uncertain injury status moving forward) and on the right side of the line. If they were able to trade back in the draft, targeting someone like Nick Harris out of Washington could be in the cards in the second round.
No matter what though, the Patriots need to get their offensive line right if they’re going to execute their gameplan effectively moving forward.