The New England Patriots are now in rebuilding mode. While the team’s main focus is on who will be their starting quarterback next season, other areas of the offense, including the offensive line, require improvement. The Patriots understand this, based on their most recent move. According to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, the team reached an agreement on Thursday with former Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Chukwuma Okorafor.
Okorafor played six seasons with the Steelers, who drafted him in 2018. Throughout his career, the 6-foot-6, 320-pound lineman played 77 regular-season games, starting 59 of them. Last season, Okorafor appeared on 436 offensive snaps.
Last season, the Patriots struggled with pass-blocking, so their frontline might use some shaking up. Aside from free agency and trades, the team may choose to select a raw prospect in the draft, given that they are near the top of each round.
Regardless, having different faces on the offensive line won’t matter until the Patriots have strong skill-position performances. As previously said, the quarterback position is at an all-time high in New England. Mac Jones is set to be traded after a quiet 2023, thus a potential club turnaround this year is heavily dependent on who takes the captain’s job.
In addition, the team is looking to supplement their potential future QB with new receivers next season. The Patriots finished 2023 with Ezekiel Elliot, a running back, as their leader in total receptions, and it doesn’t help how another running back (Rhamondre Stevenson) and a tight end (Hunter Henry) take up slots in the team’s top five reception leaders.
