Mike Vrabel Announces Patriots Starting LG

With Will Campbell (left tackle), Garrett Bradbury (center), Mike Onwenu (right guard) and Morgan Moses (right tackle) all solidified across the New England Patriots' offensive line, the one spot that was still up for the taking prior to Week 1 was left guard. According to head coach Mike Vrabel, the job has been won following a summer-long positional battle.

"Jared (Wilson) will start at left guard," Vrabel announced Friday afternoon. "He's worked hard and competed. Again, we're going to end up playing different combinations of guys, but Jared will be there Sunday and the other guys will be ready to go in there. I think the more he plays, the better he'll get."

Wilson was drafted with the 95th overall pick this past draft, and was ranked among the top center prospects coming out of college. Since coming to New England, Wilson has worked at all three interior positions along the line, but has found his footing at left guard.

He won't be the only rookie in the starting lineup for New England. Campbell -- the team's first rounder -- is set to be at left tackle, should he improve from his questionable status. He's dealing with an ankle injury, but according to The Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan, he wasn't seen with a limp in the locker room.

As for the rest of the rookies, Vrabel is aware of the wide-eyes they might experience in their NFL games. He says that they all, Wilson included, need to focus on the work they put in during the summer.

"Well, I think we have to put a lot of work in before the game, and certainly not sure what they’re going to be in," Vrabel said Monday on the younger players on the roster. "There’s going to be a lot of unknowns, and there’s going to be a lot of things that come up in that game that none of us are going to be sure about, whether that’s Will (Campbell) or TreVeyon (Henderson) or any other young player that we have or any veteran player. There’s going to be things that happen. We have to be poised. We have to keep our composure. It’s going to be emotional. I want it to be emotional. I want them to be excited, and we have to build for Sunday. There’s going to be things that come up, and we’ll have to go on to the next play and figure out what that situation calls for and try to keep our composure the best that we can, whether that’s after a positive play, (or) that’s after a negative play.”