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One of the biggest questions this year for newly minted head coach Jerod Mayo and the New England Patriots regards their offensive line, which was one of the worst units anywhere in the NFL a season ago. The lack of stability in that department has given some fans cause to wonder whether that will affect Mayo's quarterback decision, and with the season quickly approaching, the Patriots are now taking strides to address those shortcomings by claiming players on waivers.
According to Field Yates of ESPN on X, formerly Twitter, the Patriots on Thursday claimed both Zachary Thomas and Demontrey Jacobs off of waivers in order to bolster their offensive line depth.
Jacobs previously suited up for the Denver Broncos, while Thomas previously played for the Los Angeles Rams.
Adding an interesting wrinkle to the proceedings, Mayo on Wednesday announced that he and the Patriots staff had made up their minds on who the starting quarterback would be between rookie Drake Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett, but that they hadn't yet communicated it to the players, so the public would be informed on Thursday, per Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team on X.
Whoever earns that distinction is almost guaranteed to be playing behind one of the worst offensive line units in the NFL, but at least the Patriots have recognized that shortcoming and are attempting to address it by taking players off of waivers.
While Drake Maye is certainly expected to be the future man for the job in New England, it's certainly worth considering whether it would be in his and the team's best interest to throw him into the fire right away considering the Patriots' lack of competence in protecting the quarterback.
In any case, the Patriots are slated to get things underway vs the Cincinnati Bengals on September 8.
