Will Campbell has spent the offseason answering the loudest question hanging over him after the Patriots’ Super Bowl LX loss to the Seahawks.
The rookie left tackle’s play dipped after his injury, and his Super Bowl showing drew plenty of criticism. Some even wondered whether the Patriots should move him inside to guard instead of keeping him at Drake Maye’s blindside. New England has said it is not considering that switch, and Campbell remains in place at left tackle.
What he has done, though, is lean into the work.
A recent video posted to Eagles tackle Lane Johnson’s Instagram showed Campbell training with Johnson, Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins and Cowboys tackle Tyler Guyton. It was not the first time this offseason that Campbell has been seen working with some of the league’s top linemen, and the message is hard to miss: he is treating the criticism like a challenge, not a verdict.
The group around him is about as strong as it gets for a young lineman trying to sharpen his game. Campbell has taken the harshest takes from the Super Bowl and used them as fuel, rather than letting them drag him into a quiet offseason.
That matters for the Patriots, who used the No. 4 overall pick on him in last year’s draft and need that investment to keep trending in the right direction. Campbell flashed plenty as a rookie, but there were also rough edges, and the injury only made the late-season concerns louder.
Now he’s getting real work in with Johnson, Dawkins and Guyton, and the hope in New England is that the payoff shows up where it counts: on the field.
In Other News...
Patriots May Have No Choice But To Make This Tight End Trade
The Patriots went into the offseason knowing tight end was a position they had to address, and the plan briefly looked manageable after they added Eli Raridon for depth. Julian Hills injury changed the equation, though, and it left New England in the market for a young veteran who could help sooner rather than later as the roster takes shape after the Super Bowl loss.
One possible path is a trade, especially if a tight end sitting behind a star on another depth chart becomes available. The Raiders have reasons to listen, and New England has the kind of draft capital and young receiver talent that could help grease a deal, but the real question is whether the Patriots are willing to pay enough to get the kind of player they need at a spot that suddenly feels a lot more urgent. [Read more 🡒]
CBS Just Gave Drake Maye Another Patriots Fans Wont Forget
CBS Sports latest quarterback rankings gave Drake Maye a respectable but still eye-catching spot in the middle of the pack, placing the Patriots young passer 16th among NFL starters and in the outlets Borderline Stars tier. For a player who led the league in completion percentage and passer rating while helping push New England to the Super Bowl, it is a reminder that the national conversation has not quite caught up to the production.
The comparison at the top of the list only sharpens the debate, with Matthew Stafford landing above Maye despite the Patriots quarterbacks standout season. CBS pointed to the difference in surrounding conditions, noting Maye took more sacks and worked with a less effective receiving corps than Stafford did, and that context will matter again as New England keeps trying to build a more complete offense around him. [Read more 🡒]