Patriots Tasked to Overcome One Major Offseason Loss

Heading into the 2025 NFL season, the New England Patriots will certainly have their fair share of upgrades coming into the picture on both sides of the ball to form what should be a much better outcome on the year compared to the results of just one season ago.

However, in the midst of the Patriots' offseason with many moving parts coming in and out, there might be one absence on the roster seen from the past few months who emerges as the team's biggest loss to overcome this coming season: center David Andrews.

CBS Sports analyst Jared Dubin outlined each NFL team's biggest loss from the most recent offseason, where Andrews was ultimately the choice for the Patriots' most significant.

"Andrews also retired this offseason after a long career in New England," Dubin wrote. "He only played in four games last year as he went on injured reserve with a season-ending shoulder injury, and now the Pats will have to shuffle their offensive line, which will be almost totally remade after they drafted Will Campbell and Jared Wilson and signed Garrett Bradbury and Morgan Moses. "

This year will be the first time across the past decade that Andrews won't be a part of the Patriots roster, which makes for a much different outlook on the interior of this offensive line compared to what New England has known throughout recent history.

But thankfully for New England, they've had some time to prepare, and even get a bit of prior experience for the eventual loss in Andrews.

August 8, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots center David Andrews (60) watches from the sideline during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

After the two-time Super Bowl champion went down with his season-ending injury early last season and had questions about returning to play as is, the Patriots brass decided to make two big-time additions to the center position this offseason with rookie Jared Wilson and free agent signing Garrett Bradbury.

And throughout the course of the final three-fourths of their previous campaign, Drake Maye had to deal with an offensive line without the presence of Andrews–– it was an interior frequently led by Ben Brown at the starting center spot through 2024, a season that had a considerable amount of questions on the offensive line as is. So simply put, the situation at center for the year ahead shouldn't pose any tougher problems than have already been encountered.

Jul 24, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots center David Andrews (60) waits for a drill to start during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

For 2025, not having Andrews in the facility and on this line per usual is a tough pill to swallow for any Patriots fan. But, when it comes to looking at the glass half-full, there's tons of upside to note when looking at the improvements not just at center, but for the entire unit upfront. For the progression of this offense as a whole and Maye's best interest, that's a ginormous step in the right direction.