The Patriots’ interior offensive line took a brutal hit during the preseason opener against the Colts, forcing the club to scramble for solutions. They inked three players to fill the void, but one guy stands out big time: Greg Van Roten. This dude is a 12-season NFL veteran, and he absolutely could lock down a spot on the 53-man roster before the regular season even kicks off.
This 36-Year-Old Veteran Finds His Way Back To Familiarity
Signing Van Roten makes total sense for the Patriots. Not only does he bring a mountain of experience to a backup group that’s been rocked by injuries to Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich, but he also knows offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ system cold. These two overlapped in Las Vegas back in 2023, so there’s a serious history there. Van Roten himself even said it: “There is a lot of carry-over.” He mentioned it’s “just a matter of forgetting some of the things that aren’t the same, and trying to re-learn some of the things because I was with Josh in 2023. So, it’s been a few years. But the system is similar.” That kind of institutional knowledge, especially for a guy who is now the oldest player on the roster at 36, is gold. You can’t just teach that level of comfort with a system.
Van Roten’s Instant Linemate Chemistry Is Huge
The familiarity doesn’t stop with the offensive coordinator, either. Van Roten has actually started next to two of his new Patriots teammates before: Alijah Vera-Tucker, the left guard, and Morgan Moses, the right tackle. They were all on the New York Jets’ starting O-line back in 2021! How clutch is that? Van Roten, who mainly plays right guard but can swing to the left or even center, explained it perfectly. He said this preexisting connection is “huge just because you don’t have to make up so much time.” He knows these guys: “We’ve had plenty of games together and years together, so we have experience. We have our ways of communicating and just knowing , I know how Morgan’s going to set, I know how Alijah’s going to set, because we’ve had countless practices and games together.” That’s not just chemistry, that’s instinctual communication, and it’s exactly what you need on an offensive line that’s trying to gel fast.
Van Roten signed earlier this month, but the Patriots were sniffing around him even earlier, bringing him in for a free agency visit two weeks before he officially put pen to paper. That initial visit gave him a chance to check out their new facilities and reconnect with some familiar faces in the organization. He even said he has “a lot of familiarity with players and coaches in the building.” The dude has played a ton of games in New England over his career, maybe more than against any other team. For a unit that needs stability and experience right now, getting a veteran like Van Roten who literally knows the system, the players, and the stadium like the back of his hand? That’s massive. Keep an eye on the final 53-man roster, because this move could be the shot in the arm their O-line badly needs.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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