Patriots miss out on left tackle Cam Robinson, who reportedly signs with Texans
The New England Patriots are in desperate need of a left tackle, but missed out on another one in free agency on Wednesday. Veteran left tackle Cam Robinson has reportedly signed with the Houston Texans, according to Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports.
The Patriots weren't reportedly interested in adding Robinson, according to Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal, as the teams had "Questions about football character and beyond." Robinson previously worked with Patriots offensive line coach Doug Marrone, who was his head coach for the first four years of Robinson's NFL career in Jacksonville.
Robinson started 17 games last season as he split the year between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings. The eight-year veteran had an up-and-down season, but would have been an upgrade for New England.
But now Robinson will be blocking for CJ Stroud in Houston instead of Drake Maye in New England, and the Patriots are still looking for a left tackle to protect their quarterback's blindside.
Patriots Offensive Line
The right side of the New England offensive line appears set for 2025, with free-agent signing Morgan Moses locked in at right tackle and Mike Onwenu back at right guard. The Patriots also filled their void at center (created by the surprising release of David Andrews last week) by signing veteran Garrett Bradbury on Tuesday.
But the left side of the line is a big collection of question marks. At the moment, Vederian Lowe and Caedan Wallace make up the team's depth chart at left tackle, while Layden Robinson and Cole Strange are options at left guard. That side of the line is in need of a big upgrade if the Patriots want to protect Maye during his second NFL season.
Left tackle options for the Patriots in the NFL Draft
Left tackle options in free agency are drying up for New England, which may force the team to address the need in the NFL Draft. The Patriots own the fourth overall pick on April 24, though the left tackles in this year's draft each have a slew of question marks. It's also to ask a lot of a rookie to come in and be a Day 1 starter at left tackle.
LSU's Will Campbell has been a hot pick for the Patriots in mock drafts, but his short arms (which measured in at 32.63 inches) have many scouts believing he'll eventually end up as a guard in the NFL. Missouri's Armond Membou has been shooting up draft boards after an impressive showing at the Scouting Combine, but he was at right tackle for the Tigers last season and may also have to move to guard in the pros.
Texas' Kelvin Banks Jr. is a possibility if the Patriots trade down in the first round, but he could also end up at guard due to his 33.5-inch arm measurement. Josh Simmons of Ohio State is a possibility for New England early in the second round if he falls that far, and Boston College's Ozzy Trapilo -- who played both left and right tackle for the Eagles -- is an option as a third-round pick.
