Mike Onwenu Slams ‘Ridiculous’ Report From Ex-Patriots Staffer

New England Patriots offensive lineman Mike Onwenu is currently being tasked with yet another position change, but this one has been different from those in years past.

Onwenu is being forced to answer questions about a ridiculous report regarding the whole thing.

Michael Lombardi, who was an assistant to Bill Belichick from 2014-2016, said on the “GM Shuffle” podcast that Onwenu had put on weight and that it led to his move from tackle to guard at the start of training camp.

“They signed Michael Onwenu and wanted him at right tackle but he gained 80 pounds, so they gotta move him to guard,” Lombardi said.

Onwenu is big, but he’s not that big.

The Patriots list the 26-year-old at 6-foot-3, 350 pounds — the same as last season. He was listed at 344 pounds when entering the league. It’s pretty ridiculous to claim that someone who was already one of the larger human beings on the team, suddenly became one of the largest humans in the entire NFL.

Onwenu agrees.

“I’m the same weight, the same player, the same person,” Onwenu told MassLive on Wednesday. “I’ve played both positions. Weight has nothing to do with it. That sounds kind of ridiculous.”

The Patriots’ decision to move Onwenu, and then move him back, has everything to do with how the roster was constructed. New England has holes to fill, and as one of the best offensive players on the team, Onwenu has been called upon on a few different occasions.