When it comes to evaluating the offensive and defensive lines, there isn't much to glean from early training camp practices in the trenches.
The NFL's ramp-up period requires teams to be on the practice field for four sessions before clubs can practice in pads. As a result, the Patriots will begin padded practices early next week. Still, New England's offensive line is a major 'X' factor in first-year head coach Mike Vrabel's team turning things around after consecutive 4-13 campaigns, where the line play was a major reason why the Patriots ranked 30th in scoring offense in 2024.
Until the pads go on next week, the offensive line room is focused on building chemistry on and off the field so that their bonds translate to improved play.
"It starts with the foundation, and it starts with the camaraderie and the brotherhood," said newcomer Morgan Moses. "When I first got here, there weren't a lot of offensive line dinners and things like that. We've hung out a couple of times already. The key is being able to get to know each other outside the building. Coach Vrabel has done a great job of allowing us to get up in team meetings and tell our stories, which allows us to come together."
The Patriots signed the 34-year-old Moses as a free agent this offseason. Moses is projected to be the starting right tackle, where he can stabilize the position as a steady veteran while the 12-year pro is already emerging as a leader. Along with leading post-practice technique sessions and organizing dinners, Moses also had a message for his younger teams on approaching these early camp practices without pads.
"Don't get discouraged, man. Rome wasn't built in one day," Moses said. "It takes foundation to build these things. We play a position that's based off of technique and the knowledge of the game, so being able to build off of one bad day, come back and correct some things. Just don't make the same mistake over and over. That's what growth is."
Individually, Moses has been easing into things heading into his 12th NFL season. Moses has been rotating at right tackle with Demontrey Jacobs early in camp. Although he started 14 games for the Jets last season, the veteran played through a knee injury in 2024, so it appears the Patriots are easing the veteran in reps-wise with a long season ahead. On Thursday, Moses explained his mindset when it comes to rotating reps.
"I just come in and try to put my best foot forward every day. The good thing about where I'm at right now is that I still feel like I can continue to learn. It's a way different offense than I've been in in my previous years. That's what keeps me going is knowing that I can keep getting better every day and the opportunity is there," Moses said.
Along with signing Moses to play right tackle, New England also brought in veteran center Garrett Bradbury to replace longtime captain David Andrews, who retired this past offseason. Bradbury was a six-year starter in Minnesota before moving from the Vikings to the Patriots. He has been consistently repping as the top center in practices, with incumbent starting RG Mike Onwenu and LG Cole Strange on the interior, while rookie C/G Jared Wilson is also in the mix.
On Friday, Bradbury spoke glowingly about second-year QB Drake Maye as the favorite to be the Patriots' starting center as he gets acquainted with his quarterback.
"I can't believe how mature he is at such a young age," Bradbury said of Maye. "I spent a lot of time with him this spring, and I have to remind myself he's 22, right? He's light years ahead of where I was, where most [young players] I've seen [are]. In terms of his approach, his mentality, he doesn't act like a 22-year-old. He understands the weight of the position he plays."
As for rookie Jared Wilson, the third-round draft choice has been an early riser in Patriots camp. After being limited in the spring, Wilson has proven to be a quick study to mentally prepare for practice before he was physically ready to participate in team drills. In the first week of camp, the highly athletic former Georgia Bulldog has taken reps with other frontline players at all three interior spots, but has mostly focused on center and left guard. From this vantage point, Wilson's heavy involvement signals that the Pats are eager to get the rookie involved.
"He's a quick learner. He's been able to learn two positions inside, as far as center and guard," Vrabel said of Wilson before Friday's practice. "He was one of those players that maybe wasn't out there as much on the field in the spring, but really was able to grasp it mentally and allow that to carry over when he had an opportunity to be on the field. So, he was able to show, for a young player, some of those things to be ready when he got his opportunity to be on the field."
The Patriots drafted Wilson with the 95th overall pick in last April's NFL Draft. The talented rookie was a one-year starter at center for the Bulldogs, but excelled at the pivot for the SEC powerhouse and then posted a 9.84 out of 10 relative athletic score at the NFL Scouting Combine, ranking 12th out of 673 centers at the combine since at least 1987. The 22-year-old is a dynamic mover for an interior lineman with a very high ceiling, and is being given the opportunity to earn a starting job at either center or guard in his first NFL season.
The last piece to the current group along the offensive line is first-rounder Will Campbell, who has been a mainstay at left tackle since stepping on the practice field in New England. Campbell has taken every rep at left tackle with the top offense and is already making a positive impression.
"He's eager to learn. He's hard on himself," Moses said. "I tell him sometimes you've got to give him grace, and he's like, [expletive] that. It's good to see because, obviously, we come from two different types of football. I'm not saying I'm old or anything, but just to be able to see that attitude and aggression to get better every day, that makes me want to be better. When you got somebody like that who's pushing you at the opposite end, that's when you become bookends."
Although there are always some observations whenever the Patriots take the practice field, evaluating offensive line play in non-padded practices is premature. It's challenging to grapple with the defensive line, anchor, and finish when the contact is minimal. Plus, there isn't a huge threat of the run, and it's easier to time up the snap count when you know your own team's cadence. That's not to make excuses for a group that immediately had an inconsistent first day, followed by two days where the practice script didn't lend itself to much drop-back passing.
For now, we'll stick to who is in the mix for prominent roles and how the group is building toward padded practices next week, where the real evaluations begin. From that standpoint, Wilson's emergence on the interior offensive line is promising, Campbell is settling in at left tackle, and Moses has displayed terrific leadership since arriving in the spring.
The Patriots will hold one more non-padded practice that is expected to be more up-tempo than Friday's walkthrough. Then, we'll see how the early developments for the offensive line translate to next week's fully padded sessions on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium.
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