Updated
Updated · Patriots.com · Aug 15
Patriots Sign 2 Offensive Linemen as Ben Brown Faces 4-to-6-Week Absence
Updated
Updated · Patriots.com · Aug 15

Patriots Sign 2 Offensive Linemen as Ben Brown Faces 4-to-6-Week Absence

3 articles · Updated · Patriots.com · Aug 15

Summary

  • Two offensive linemen were set to join New England on Saturday morning, with Mike Vrabel saying the Patriots needed interior help and expected the newcomers on the practice field quickly.
  • Ben Brown will miss much of the remaining preseason with an injury Vrabel estimated at roughly four to six weeks, creating the immediate need for added line depth.
  • Christian Gonzalez still is not ready to practice, though Vrabel said his absence is injury-related rather than tied to contract issues and that the two sides remain aligned.
  • Carlton Davis III and Charles Woods are closer to returning, while Christian Elliss may do limited work as the Patriots manage a heavy week that includes four padded practices and two joint sessions with Philadelphia.
  • Vrabel said the coming days will help narrow what the Patriots keep in their core schemes, using red-zone and situational work to test additions before camp moves deeper into preseason.

Insights

With a battered offensive line, can the Patriots' emergency signings salvage their blocking scheme before the regular season begins?
Is Christian Gonzalez's delayed return purely medical, or is a massive pending contract quietly dictating his training camp timeline?