Patriots

Patriots reportedly re-sign Conor McDermott, helping them with OT depth

McDermott started the final six games for the Patriots in 2022.

By Conor Roche

February 19, 2023

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The Patriots re-signed a pair of their own players on back-to-back days.

A day after it was announced that Matthew Slater would return, the Patriots agreed on a contract with offensive tackle Conor McDermott, The Boston Globe’s Jim McBride reported late Saturday.

McDermott joined the Patriots late in the 2022 season as the team struggled with their play at both offensive tackle spots. Just over a week after he was signed from the New York Jets’ practice squad, McDermott started at right tackle in the Patriots’ Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He remained the starter at the position for the remainder of the season with Isaiah Wynn on injured reserve.

McDermott gave the Patriots some decent results, at least relative to expectations. He didn’t give up a sack but allowed 11 pressures over six games. Pro Football Focus was more impressed by McDermott’s run-blocking ability, giving him a 78.9 run-blocking grade over the final six games of the regular season.

McDermott, 30, was originally drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. After getting cut following the preseason that year, McDermott spent three seasons with the Bills before joining the Jets midway through the 2019 season.

The terms of McDermott’s contract are unknown, but the Patriots bringing him back at least gives them another body at the important position. Trent Brown was the only other veteran offensive tackle under contract before Saturday’s news. Wynn’s set to become a free agent when free agency officially opens on March 15.

What other moves the Patriots make at offensive tackle this offseason remains to be seen. Teams can start discussing contracts with free agents on March 13, and trades can’t be made official until March 15, so there’s still some time before any real movement is made.

Many analysts see offensive tackle as arguably the Patriots’ biggest need this offseason. Brown’s inconsistent play at left tackle has left some wondering if he should switch back to right tackle, where he played in 2021, on a full-time basis. In addition to being a free agent, Wynn didn’t seem to take the move from left tackle to right tackle too well in 2022. After a tense exchange when asked how he felt about it, Wynn underperformed during the regular season, getting benched multiples times before suffering a season-ending foot injury in Week 11. He was in the final year of his rookie deal.

The Patriots can continue to re-sign their own players in the meantime, with Jakobi Meyers and Jonathan Jones being their top free agents. Devin McCourty is also set to become a free agent, but like Slater before Friday, it’s unknown if he’ll play again as he hinted at retirement in the final weeks of the 2022 regular season.