Overview
- The right guard hole began when Mike Onwenu was placed on injured reserve with a broken ankle and deepened when Greg Van Roten left Sunday’s game with a thigh problem and did not return.
- Walter Rouse replaced Van Roten in the game but struggled, allowing four pressures and a sack according to Pro Football Focus, which has increased urgency to find a steadier option.
- Coach Mike Vrabel said Ben Brown — now healthy after a preseason knee issue — is expected to be more involved and could be used to stabilize the interior line this week.
- Alijah Vera-Tucker has told reporters he can move from left to right guard with a week of prep, while rookie Caleb Lomu was given extended snaps at right tackle as the staff evaluates internal solutions.
- The Patriots must monitor Van Roten’s test results and Morgan Moses’s limited practices before deciding whether to preserve Lomu at tackle, slide Vera-Tucker, lean on Brown and Rouse, or pursue an outside veteran signing.