Starting left tackle Matt Light has missed the last 13 practices with an undisclosed ailment, while Oliver Ross, a free agent signed in June to add depth at right tackle, remains on the physically unable to perform list, presumably because of the collarbone injury he sustained earlier in the offseason while stepping out of his camper.
Meanwhile, top backup right tackle Ryan O'Callaghan has been shelved for the last five sessions with an undisclosed ailment. Veteran Anthony Clement, a depth player signed on the eve of camp, already has been placed on season-ending injured reserve after hurting his knee.
On top of all that, starting right guard Stephen Neal - knocked out of the Super Bowl with a right knee injury, and having experienced shoulder problems in the past - remains on the physically unable to perform list. Reserve center/guard Gene Mruczkowski, a bubble player to make the roster, unexpectedly retired early in camp.
It would seemingly be reason for concern, although at this point, coach Bill Belichick is chalking it up to standard training camp roster issues. Every year, he said, certain areas of the team must be managed for a variety of reasons, injuries among them. This year, it's the offensive line.
"I don't think it is much different, as a team, than where we have been in the past," Belichick said.
Still, it's not the best of times when the team is signing players such as first-year man Pete McMahon (July 27) and veteran free agents Barry Stokes (Saturday) and John Welbourn (Monday) after camp starts.
McMahon has not appeared in an NFL game, and while Stokes (34) and Welbourn (32) have considerable experience, they are also the type of players who are available for a reason - their best days have passed them by. They also come with some risk, because older players on the line, especially those who didn't participate in a team's offseason workout program, are generally more prone to injuries - as was seen with the 32-year-old Clement.
That's why teams often prefer to develop their own linemen, an area in which the Patriots have been proficient in recent years.
