With the 2024 regular season a week away, offensive line remains a primary concern for the New England Patriots.
The team announced it will be veteran Jacoby Brissett under center to start the regular season, but whether it’s Brissett or rookie Drake Maye at quarterback, protection is likely going to be an issue.
Considering New England’s questionable offensive line, Alex Kay of Bleacher Report proposed a trade that would send current Chicago Bears offensive lineman Larry Borom to New England in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick.
“The Pats’ makeshift offensive line has struggled throughout the preseason and has undergone several changes as new head coach Jerod Mayo works to find the most effective combination,” Kay wrote on August 27. “The team may not be done tinkering just yet either, especially if a veteran like Larry Borom is available via trade.”
“Borom shouldn’t cost the Pats too much given his status on Chicago’s roster bubble and recently suffered an ankle injury in the preseason finale,” Kay added. “He’s still an ideal short-term upgrade for a club with plenty of questions in the offensive trenches, especially one that can’t afford to let its first-year signal-caller get battered.”
Should the Patriots Attempt to Trade for Chicago Bears Swing Tackle Larry Borom?
It wouldn’t hurt to inquire about Borom’s availability.
Borom has been with the Bears since 2021, and he has been a solid contributor. Selected in the fifth round of the draft that year, the versatile offensive lineman has played in 39 games for the Bears in that span, starting 23 of them. The 25-year-old OL has played 1,012 snaps at right tackle, 493 snaps at left tackle, and 62 snaps combined at both left and right guard, according to PFF.
He allowed a lone quarterback hit in 24 pass rush snaps this preseason.
An experienced swing tackle, Borom is starting the season on the short-term injured reserve list with a leg injury. At minimum, he’ll miss at least the first four games of the season.
That said, the Bears might be willing to move him if their line performs well to start the season. It might be worth a phone call to Bears GM Ryan Poles to find out.
A Look at New England’s Current Offensive Line After Roster Cuts
Here’s an updated look at the current group of offensive linemen on New England’s 53-man roster: Chukwuma Okorafor, David Andrews, Jake Andrews, Layden Robinson, Nick Leverett, Cole Strange, Sidy Sow, Calvin Anderson, Vederian Lowe, Caedan Wallace, Michael Onwenu and Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
New England also claimed tackles Zach Thomas and Demontrey Jacobs off waivers, so they’re currently on the active roster, as well.
“I think it’s very clear — we have to improve as a whole,” Pats coach Jerod Mayo said on August 28. “We have to improve up front. We felt like we did that with claiming those players.”
When asked about his team’s O-line heading into the regular season, Mayo tried to ease concerns.
“I think some of that stuff is being overblown. I would say we averaged 5 yards a carry, it was 1 sack and 2 quarterback hits,” Mayo said, referring to New England’s final preseason game against the Washington Commanders.
“If you were to say that was the stat line, you would be okay with that. Now in saying that, we’re still just trying to get better. … I think it would be naive for us to say going to that first game – where really no one has played four quarters of football – to think that guys won’t have to rotate in there at times, no matter what the position, would be just not right, in my opinion.”
The Patriots kick their 2024 regular season off on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 8.
