Patriots continue to bolster tackle depth by reportedly trading for Vikings’ Vederian Lowe

Patriots

Vederian Lowe logged 33 snaps with the Vikings as a rookie in 2022.

On the same day that the Patriots dealt second-year back Pierre Strong to the Browns for tackle depth, New England continued to add more reinforcements on its offensive line.

According to Jordan Schultz of The Score, the Patriots traded for Vikings tackle Vederian Lowe on Sunday. NFL reporter Aaron Wilson tweeted that New England gave up a sixth-round pick in order to pry Lowe out of Minnesota. 

Lowe, 24, was drafted in the sixth round (184th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Vikings. The 6-foot-5, 314-pound tackle appeared in four games with Minnesota as a rookie last season, recording 33 total snaps.

Much like Tyrone Wheatley Jr., who New England acquired earlier on Sunday in their swap with Cleveland involving Pierre Strong, Lowe doesn’t have a lot of experience in the NFL ranks. 

But given the state of New England’s depth at the tackle position, it’s clear that Bill Belichick and his staff are prioritizing more help on the outside of their offensive line following a lackluster preseason from that entire unit.

Beyond Trent Brown, the Patriots have struggled to find steady play at tackle all summer. Not only have younger players like Andrew Stueber and Sidy Sow labored against opposing teams during preseason play, but injuries have further sapped at an already thin position on New England’s depth chart. 

Beyond Brown, the Patriots tried to shore up their spots at tackle by bringing back veteran Conor McDermott, as well as signing veteran tackles Calvin Anderson and Riley Reiff in free agency. 

Little has gone right since then. 

McDermott struggled for extended stretches of camp and has now been absent due to an undisclosed injury. Anderson has yet to take part in a team practice this entire summer due to a non-football illness (NFI), while Reiff was shifted over to right guard midway through preseason play, only to suffer a leg injury during Friday’s preseason finale against the Titans. 

Even though Wheatley and Lowe are unproven products, they at least stand as capable depth options at a position where New England has little to turn to with two weeks remaining until the regular season gets underway.