The New England Patriots shocked the world by returning to the Super Bowl in the second year of the Drake Maye era.
Head coach Mike Vrabel turned the franchise around overnight, thanks in part to the major roster overhaul they went through last offseason.
However, as good as they were, their offense got exposed in the playoffs against three of the best defenses in the game.
That’s why Rob Gronkowski thinks they still haven’t done much to improve on that side of the field. In an interview with Forbes’ DJ Siddiqi, he urged the team to bolster the trenches and give Maye another weapon.
Rob Gronkowski wants the Patriots to fix the offensive line
“They didn’t really make too many splashes in the free agency. They got Romeo Doubs at the wide receiver position, which I think is a great play. But they need Drake Maye just to go out there and be dominant on every single drive,” Gronkowski said.
Gronk expressed some concerns about Maye’s protection in the pocket. With Morgan Moses in the backend of his prime and Will Campbell struggling as a rookie, it’s time the Patriots take care of business there:
“Definitely go out and get another offensive lineman or two just to protect Drake Maye, because that’s where it all starts,” added Gronkowski. “If you got a dominant offensive line that can run block and also pass block, then you know you’re going to move that ball down the field and you’re going to have Drake Maye, your star quarterback, comfortable in the pocket at all times. That’s what you want as a football team, absolutely.”
The Patriots can also explore moving the struggling Campbell to guard and taking another OT in the NFL Draft.
Whatever the case, this team is ahead of schedule, and they just need a couple of tweaks to get back to the mountaintop.