It just needs to be better on the blindside.
Simple, right?
The Patriots didn’t get a chance to legally tamper with Ronnie Stanley before the veteran left tackle re-signed with the Ravens. Tough. New England also sat back instead of trading a draft-heavy haul for Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who the Commanders acquired from the Texans. The Patriots need to hit on their premier picks so it’s no surprise Tunsil isn’t headed to Foxboro, Mass.
Would it have been nice if the Patriots added either of those high-profile protectors? Obviously. But it feels like an important reminder needs to be delivered some 24 hours into the legal tampering period: The Patriots just need to improve at left tackle.
There are players available who fall somewhere between the worst-case scenario (Patriots 2024 starter Vederian Lowe) and the best (Stanley/Tunsil).
Story continues below advertisement
Cam Robinson fits that billing.
Robinson, who entered the offseason as the second-best offensive tackle behind Stanley, is available. No, he’s not perfect. Yes, he might come with an overpay. But he’ll provide average to above average play in front of Drake Maye. The former first-round pick has seven seasons of left tackle experience. He’d be, at the very least, a serviceable week-to-week starter.
Patriots fans wouldn’t curse their television sets like last season when Lowe got blown by on the edge.
Jedrick Wills, who worked with Mike Vrabel in Cleveland last season, and DJ Humphries also would be upgrades. Are either long-term locks? Maybe not. But at this point in the offseason, those aren’t available. Sometimes they never become available.
Story continues below advertisement
For the Patriots, it should be quite simple: Improve at left tackle immediately. Then double down by selecting a long-term solution like Will Campbell or Armand Membou in the 2025 NFL Draft.