The New England Patriots are bolstering their offensive line. According to multiple reports, the team of head coach Mike Vrabel will bring veteran free agent Greg Van Roten in to improve the depth up front.
The signing comes in response to some injury losses being suffered during the preseason opener versus the Indianapolis Colts last week. With that in mind, let’s assess what it means for New England and its offensive line from a big-picture point of view.
Safety-net player
When the Patriots lost Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich to their respective injuries in the preseason opener against the Colts, they also lost their two most experienced backups along the interior offensive line. While their replacements, Jacob Rizy and Mehki Butler, might have some developmental promise, them being one snap away from meaningful action was not an ideal situation either.
Signing Van Roten is a step in the right direction in that regard. The 36-year-old is a veteran of 146 regular seaon and playoff games in the NFL, and has spent time with eight different teams since entering the league in 2012. He might not be anything more than a placeholder until Brown is able to return, but his presence at the very least gives the team a much-needed safety net along its interior offensive line.
Versatile skillset
Van Roten has played a combined 6,898 offensive snaps over the course of his NFL career and seen signififcant action at both guard spots: he has played 1,763 snaps at LG plus 4,795 at RG — including a career-high 1,146 as a starter for the Giants last year. From that perspective, he would slot right into the top backup role behind starters Alijah Vera-Tucker and Mike Onwenu, at least until the aforementioned Ben Brown is cleared to make a comeback as a the Patriots’ nominal OL4.
Like Brown, Van Roten also is able to provide depth at center. While his snap count at that particular position is a comparatively minor 306 reps, there is little doubt he could handle the mental and physical pressure of the position should a need arise.
Trickle-down effect
During Monday’s practice, the Patriots’ backup interior offensive line consisted of left guard James Hudson, center Jacob Rizy and right guard Mehki Butler — a group that has played a combined zero regular season snaps at its respective positions. Again, not ideal.
With Van Roten likely to slot into one of those spots, the second-string interior line will immediately become more formidable, predictable and proven against NFL-competition. It also means that one of probably Hudson or Butler will slide down a depth chart that currently projects as follows:
Interior offensive line (11): Alijah Vera-Tucker (75 | LG), Jared Wilson (55 | C), Mike Onwenu (71 | RG), Ben Brown (77), Greg Van Roten (—), James Hudson III (51), Mehki Butler (63), Jacob Rizy (64), JonDarius Morgan (69), Darrian Dalcourt (61), Joseph Michalski (60)
IR (1): Andrew Rupcich
The starting trio of Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jared Wilson and Mike Onwenu is locked in. The true questions start as soon as we enter the second-string level. Under normal circumstances, Brown would be the clear No. 4, but with him unavailable for the time being, and with Andrew Rupcich on injured reserve, the need for reinforcements became clear.
Familiarity
Despite being a veteran of 12 NFL seasons and eight teams, Van Roten has never played in New England before. That said, he still has some experience with members of the team’s current offensive line: back in 2021, he was the New York Jets’ starting right guard and therefore part of an offensive line that also featured current Patriots Alijah Vera-Tucker and Morgan Moses at left guard and right tackle, respectively.
Five years later, all three are reunited in Foxborough, albeit under different circumstances and working different projected roles.
New oldest player
Speaking of Morgan Moses, he was the Patriots’ oldest player entering this week at 35 years and 168 days. That title will now belong to Van Roten, who is almost exactly a year older at 36 and 173 days. As the old saying goes, age is only a number. In Moses’ and Van Roten’s case, however, it is a higher one than can be found elsewhere on the team.
Minor cap impact
Assuming the Patriots are signing Van Roten to a veteran’s minimum contract without any guarantees, his base salary and therefore cap hit will be $1.3 million. That number takes a relatively small chunk out of the team’s salary cap, but it will nonetheless leave a mark on its books even with the Top 51 rule in place.
The $1.3 million, after all, is high enough to push second-year kicker Andy Borregales from that 51-player list. As a consequence, signing Van Roten will cost the team $295,000 in cap room — that is in case the follow-up transaction needed to fit him on the roster does not involve any player higher up on said list.