Bill Belichick offers spiky response to criticism after Patriots trades
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick bristled at a question which suggested the team failed to address its offensive line at the start of the offseason, leading to a pair of last-ditch moves over the weekend.
The Patriots added tackles Tyrone Wheatley Jr. and Vederian Lowe via trade, giving up 2022 fourth-round running back Pierre Strong Jr. and a sixth-round pick. Still, Belichick doesn't believe right tackle has been a problem position through training camp and the pre-season. "We signed Riley Reiff, we drafted three players on the offensive line. I'm not sure what you're talking about," he said.
New England's offensive line ranked last in the NFL in run-blocking success rate in 2022, and the right side was particularly troubling. Reiff, whom Belichick mentioned by name, was listed atop the depth chart at right tackle before the additions of Wheatley Jr. and Lowe. He signed as a free agent but could miss the start of the season with a knee injury.
"We'll see how it goes with the offensive line; it would be nice to have all the players available, but that hasn't been the case," Belichick said. "We'll see how that pans out here over the next few days and coming weeks. We have some versatility and guys that have played different positions."
Former Patriots lineman Sebastian Vollmer told ESPN, "I'm not super concerned - yet. We haven't really seen starters together. I feel like we had a similar conversation last year, when I think the media viewpoint was that they couldn't block anybody, especially in the run game. I think those worries went away once the regular season started. They have to hope that's the case now.
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“The starters might not all be there Week 1, but at some point during the season the offensive line needs to find itself. Are they going to be the most dominant offensive line in football? Probably not. But I think they’ll be just fine. I think they’re all tough.”
New England must protect quarterback Mac Jones as the 24-year-old attempts to bounce back from an underwhelming 14-touchdown, 11-interception campaign in which backup Bailey Zappe crept closer to him in the pecking order.
The New England Patriots face a tough AFC East that now includes new Jets addition Aaron Rodgers. (The Boston Globe via Getty Images)However, a rumoured rift between Jones and Belichick has been smoothed out, which will work in the Patriots' favour as they compete in a loaded AFC East.
"I think we're good," Jones said. "I think the biggest thing that we've all talked about is just having a fresh start. I think there's a lot of learning experiences from last year that we've talked about and this year, it's all about just working together, right? You've got to come up with a plan, obviously talk about it, and then execute it. So, I'm excited for that part of it."
Belichick has yet to name his starting right tackle for a Week 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, who feature a strong defence that could cause problems for Jones and Co. New England have already completed all three pre-season contests, so the coach will make his decision based on performances in the next week of practice.
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