The New England Patriots offensive line has regressed from its days of protecting the legendary quarterback Tom Brady and winning multiple Super Bowls over the 20-year span.
No matter the reason for the struggles up front, whether it be attrition or injuries, something had to change after a disappointing 2022 season where the Patriots finished 8-9. So along with relieving Matt Patricia of his duties as the offensive coordinator, he was also let go of his duties in charge of the offensive line.
With Adrian Klemm, the former offensive line coach at Oregon, replacing Patricia as the new voice up front, former long-time Pats coach Dante Scarnecchia lent advice to Klemm.
"I think it would be the same as it is for the whole staff this time of year," Scarnecchia said in an interview with NBC Sports Boston. "Go back over the game tapes, look at the players, decide who you like, decide what your needs are, rank the players. If you have 13 offensive linemen, rank 'em from one to 13. 'These are guys we really like, these are guys we can work with and develop. These are guys we can maybe move on from.' Get to know the personnel, what do they look like when they play, how do they play? Who can we rely on? Are they all on board? All those things."
Scarnecchia knows what it takes to develop a successful position group, especially up front, as he was the architect of all six Super Bowl-winning offensive lines.
He even added his thoughts about the Patriots' newest hire after seeing Klemm coach back during his stint at UCLA.
"I've seen Adrian coach before," the former Patriots assistant said. "Very demanding with his players. Very tough-minded with them. I saw him at UCLA and was very impressed. He's an ABC guy: Step with this foot; get a hat there; get our hands there."
Klemm joined the Patriots coaching staff at a time when he'll have to evaluate both offensive tackles Isaiah Wynn, whose contract is expiring, along with Trent Brown, who only has one year left, along with the rest of the offensive line.
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