Mike Onwenu addresses ‘surprising’ position change on Pats o-line

Mike Onwenu addresses ‘surprising’ position change on Pats o-line originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New England Patriots paid Mike Onwenu offensive tackle money this offseason. So, it was a bit eye-opening to see the 26-year-old take reps at guard on the first day of training camp.

Onwenu lined up at right guard during Wednesday’s session outside Gillette Stadium, with veteran Calvin Anderson slotting at right tackle. Ownenu also played a bit of right guard during organized team activities and minicamp this spring despite recently signing a three-year, $57 million contract that would make him the NFL’s 11th-highest-paid offensive tackle or fifth-highest-paid guard.

Onwenu admitted he wasn’t exactly expecting to be back at right guard but is taking things in stride at this stage of training camp.

“It was a little surprising,” Onwenu told reporters Wednesday in Foxboro. “But pretty much as a football player, I’ve done it in the past. Started as a guard, started as a jumbo tackle, then I played tackle. So, it’s just one of the positions that I play.”

Onwenu has bounced around quite a bit since the Patriots selected him in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Michigan. He appeared mostly at right tackle as a rookie, played both tackle positions in 2021, moved to right guard in 2022 and finished the 2023 season as the team’s starting right tackle.

“Wherever the team needs me to play, that’s where I’ll be,” Onwenu said. “As the days go on, I’ll keep practicing at whatever position, and we’ll see where I am.”

The Patriots don’t have much depth at either right guard or right tackle, so it will be interesting to see how they deploy Onwenu, who’s arguably the team’s top offensive lineman after the departure of Trent Brown. Their options at right tackle behind Onwenu include Anderson, who played just five games in 2023, and rookie Caedan Wallace, who played right tackle at Penn State but might be asked to take reps at left tackle as well. Their…

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Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-07-24 20:22:10

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