The New England Patriots reportedly made their first notable move of the offseason Monday by acquiring offensive tackle Trent Brown from the Oakland Raiders in a trade involving multiple draft picks.
Brown played for the Patriots in their Super Bowl-winning season of 2018 and, judging by his Instagram activity, he's excited about returning to New England.
The offensive line wasn't a huge area of concern entering the offseason, but with former All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney potentially departing in free agency and starting center David Andrews also a free agent, there likely were going to be changes to the group.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Perry: What Trent Brown trade means for Thuney, Pats' o-line in 2021
We're starting to get an idea of what the offensive line could look like to begin the 2021 NFL season .
Here's the updated offensive line depth chart for the Patriots after making the Brown move.
Right tackle Marcus Cannon reportedly is expected to return after opting out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Justin Herron, who the Pats selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, also showed some promise as a rookie. Isaiah Wynn has played well when healthy, but injuries have prevented him from staying on the field consistently. Brown's ability to play both tackle spots also adds valuable depth and versatility.
New England Patriots
The Patriots are in a pretty good spot with their offensive line, assuming Andrews re-signs. He's a very good center and a highly respected teammate.
It's still possible that the Patriots could add even more depth to this group by using one of their 10 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. They've taken multiple offensive linemen in six of the last seven drafts. But right now, no substantial upgrades need to be made to the offensive line. It's one of the team's strengths as free agency approaches.