Jerod Mayo Keeps Door Open On Patriots Adding At This Position

It’s no secret the Patriots have talent issues on the roster, but there is one position they might consider an upgrade on during offseason camp.

Chukwuma Okorafor and Caedan Wallace are expected to compete for the starting left tackle job. Okorafor didn’t stand out during his Pittsburgh Steelers tenure, and Wallace didn’t play left tackle at Penn State. However, New England executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf expressed confidence he could adapt to the position.

Head coach Jerod Mayo praised the progress the pair of offensive linemen have made during OTAs, and he affirmed Mike Onwenu likely will be locked in at right tackle. However, he wasn’t locked in on just a two-man competition.

“I mean, I think, look, we’re always trying to bring in good players,” Mayo told reporters Tuesday, per team-provided transcript. “Those guys are doing well. We’ll see what happens as the roster continues to play out. Realistically, we’re still early in the process, and training camp will reveal a lot.”

The Patriots still have plenty of cap space to use, but they don’t need to go too deep in the reserves for the veterans available on the market.

New England’s coaching staff will be the one to decide if it needs to increase its urgency to add more offensive line depth. The decision will depend on how patient Mayo and his staff will be with Okorafor and Wallace.