The New England Patriots offensive line is in flux right now as the team tries to find the best fits for each position and deals with a new injury.
Potential starting left tackle Vederian Lowe left Wednesday's practice early with an apparent injury. He was absent at Thursday's practice. MassLive's Mark Daniels reported Thursday that Lowe is battling a minor oblique injury.
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Chukwuma Okorafor was at left tackle in Lowe's place during Thursday's session. He was joined in the starting offensive line group by Sidy Sow at left guard, David Andrews at center, Layden Robinson at right guard and Mike Onwenu at right tackle.
Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt admitted Thursday that the offensive line is still a work in progress, and he's hopeful the team will have more clarity after Sunday's preseason finale against the Washington Commanders.
"That's a work in progress as well. We're really still evaluating -- you'll see different lineups each practice, you'll see guys switch sides, go from guard to tackle and right tackle to left tackle," Van Pelt told reporters Thursday.
"We're trying to find the best five guys -- maybe not the best five players, but the best five guys that work together as a unit. ... Hopefully this game will solidify that for us."
Offensive line is probably the most glaring weakness on the Patriots roster right now. It's a hugely important part of the team, and outside of David Andrews and Mike Onwenu, there's not much to feel optimistic about right now.
It'll be interesting to see if the Patriots bring in any outside help as more players become available due to roster cuts ahead of Tuesday's league-wide deadline. The Patriots reportedly have inquired about left tackle Dennis Daley, who was released by the Arizona Cardinals earlier this week.
