Analyst Pinpoints Glaring Problem Patriots Must Solve

The New England Patriots entered the offseason with myriad problems up and down their roster, and armed with significant cap space, they did an impressive job of addressing them in free agency. They also had a very impressive NFL Draft.

However, it would have been very difficult, if not impossible, for the Patriots to plug all of their gaps in one fell swoop, which means they still have weaknesses heading into the 2025 campaign.

Michael DeVito has identified one glaring hole for New England in particular: the left guard position.

"Mike Vrabel did a lot in the offseason to transform his offensive line. Yet, the one position that still represents a major uncertainty is the left guard, and it's unclear if Vrabel has anyone on hand to fill the position effectively," DeVito wrote. "[Wes] Schweitzer was presumably brought in to play there as a stopgap, but he didn't make it to training camp before exiting the picture. Now, Vrabel is left with just a lot of question marks. He's well aware that everything begins and ends with the big guys upfront on offense, and he can't afford to have any weak links."

Schweitzer retired earlier this offseason, which was definitely a tough blow for the Pats. It now seems likely that the Patriots will roll with Cole Strange, a former first-round pick who was initially a center. Not exactly the best option in the world.

Of course, this is still a big step up from last year, when New England's entire offensive line was one big mess. The Pats selected Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick of the draft and added veterans like Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury to patch some of their leaks in the trenches, so the unit should be quite a bit better this time around.

There is no question, however, that left guard could ultimately become a rather prominent issue for the Patriots if a clear answer does not emerge in training camp and preseason.