The New England Patriots likely aren’t making a splash at the guard position in free agency, according to a recent report from MassLive’s Mark Daniels and Karen Guregian.
There have been some concerns at the left guard position for the Patriots. They initially drafted Jared Wilson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft to play at center. However, they ended up moving him to left guard in an effort to keep their five best offensive linemen on the field.
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In 2026, they could look into moving Wilson back to center for a competition with veteran Garrett Bradbury. If Wilson wins the job, the team would then need to add a guard. At the very least, they could be looking to add depth at the position.
Daniels and Guregian wrote:
“Sources said they don’t expect the Patriots to be major suitors in the veteran free agent market. Some names that would provide help are David Edwards and Joel Bitonio.
Instead, the Patriots are hoping to add another guard in the middle rounds of the draft. The team believes they could find a future starting-caliber player here in the spring.”
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If anything, this emphasizes the importance of the draft and how the Patriots are hoping to build their roster. They are looking to create depth by drafting and developing young talent, which is something the team failed to do well enough before Mike Vrabel was hired as the head coach.
There is no skipping that step if they hope to create a perennial championship contender.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Don’t expect Patriots to spend big in free agency at one trouble spot
