Belichick Reveals Reasons For Patriots' OL Trades

As Tuesday’s 53-man roster deadline approaches, the New England Patriots are wasting little time in addressing what is arguably their most pressing position of need. 

The Patriots on Sunday executed a pair of trades to address their need for depth at offensive tackle. The Pats traded running back Pierre Strong, Jr. to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr. Just hours later, New England shipped a future sixth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for second-year lineman Verderian Lowe.

For Belichick, the reason for making such moves amounted to a simple quid-pro-quo. 

"It was a situation where they were looking for depth at running back and we were looking for depth a offensive line,” Belichick said of the Wheatley trade during his Monday radio appearance on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show. “It worked out the way trades should."

The 71-year-old also weighed in on Lowe’s acquisition shortly thereafter when speaking with reporters via video conference. 

“[Lowe is] a player we feel like could compete on the offensive line, give us some depth and potential there. We’ll see how it goes,” Belichick said. 

While some may lament the loss of Strong’s speed and potential within the team’s corps of running backs — and to a lesser degree, a future sixth-rounder — it is important to remember that they have gained two high-upside contributors, capable of providing a more expeditious return on investment. 

According to Belichick, the commodity in this case is depth. 

“Depth’s important at every position on your roster. You just don’t know when you’re going to need it,” Belichick said. “It’s an insurance policy … One of the things about the offensive line is the amount of teamwork and communication that goes with those five players. Putting in a new one is not the easiest thing to do.” 

Despite having yet to appear in an NFL game, Wheatley’s training camp and preseason output suggested that he was expected to play a significant role with the Browns prior to Sunday’s trade. Throughout his two preseason appearances, he surrendered just three pressures, one hit and two hurries in 66 pass blocking snaps. Still, Wheatley should be considered more as a pupil, than proficient in this area. Some inconsistencies with his posture have led to improper positioning. As such, he is likely to remain an on-going project

Wheatley’s more immediate contributions to the club will most likely come as a run blocker. With the ability to identify the positioning of both defensive linemen and linebackers at the snap point, he can use his size and foot speed to effectively wall-off an opposing defender. 

Though the Patriots most pressing need is on the right side, Lowe may be best poised to make his mark as a reserve option on the left side. Though his pro-level resume is still relatively thin, he started 49 games at left tackle during his collegiate tenure at Illinois. 

After being drafted in the sixth-round (No. 184 overall) in 2022 by the Vikings, Lowe once again settled into a reserve role at left tackle, taking 33 snaps at the position over the course of four games. That trend continued into this preseason, where he lined up for 129 snaps at left tackle, while only taking 11 snaps at right tackle. Standing at 6-6, 320 pounds, Lowe’s massive frame make it difficult to envision a scenario in which he is easily bypassed on a block or protection attempt — that is, once he settles into his role within New England’s offensive line.

In the final analysis, the trades signify that not only is New England aware of their need for improvement along the offensive line, but also that they are willing to invest valuable capital to achieve it. Beyond starting left tackle Trent Brown, the Pats positional group is currently scant. Both Conor McDermott and Riley Reiff are set to enter the regular season with more injury questions than answers. Fellow offseason acquisition Calvin Anderson has remained on the non-football injury/illness list (NFI) since the start of training camp. While rookie Sidy Sow has shown signs of potential, he has also exhibited his share of struggles commensurate with being a rookie amid a positional switch. 

As such, the Pats selected a pair with promise … but most of all, availability. 

"They were available,” Belichick said of both Wheatley and Lowe. “We're looking forward to working with both of them."

The Patriots are set to return to the practice fields on Tuesday, with the NFL’s roster reduction deadline set for 4 p.m. ET