Bill Belichick, Isaiah Wynn address position change heading into 2022 season
Despite playing left tackle for the entirety of his career with the New England Patriots, Isaiah Wynn is trying something new this summer. Although he sat out of voluntary workouts, Wynn reported to Gillette Stadium for minicamp. Things haven’t been business as usual, however. In the first two days, he’s been playing right tackle.
New England head coach Bill Belichick was non-committal about whether or not the former Georgia star stays at right tackle for the 2022 season.
“We build our depth in training camp and in the spring and we will see what we need in the fall,” Belichick said, via Mike Giardi. “I don’t know.”
Veteran RT Trent Brown has taken over left tackle duties at practice so far and Wynn isn’t complaining.
“It’s the same position, just a different side. From a technique standpoint, it’s all the same, instead of working with the left, it’s working with the right,” Wynn told reporters about the switch. “Do I like the change? Wherever they need me, playa.”
Wynn is getting ready for his fifth season in the NFL after playing at Georgia from 2015 to 2017.
New England selected Wynn as the No. 23 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and opted to pick up his fifth-year option. But he’s dealt with injuries and hadn’t played in more than 10 games in a season until last year when he appeared in 16 games for the Patriots.
Wynn was a first-team All-SEC selection as a junior in 2017 before heading to the NFL. He tore his Achilles prior to his rookie season in 2018, when the Patriots won Super Bowl LIII — their last Super Bowl title with Tom Brady under center.
Trent Brown logging reps at left tackle for Patriots
Trent Brown, entering his eighth season in the NFL, has logged the majority of his snaps at right tackle. In fact, the only season he primarily played left tackle was in 2018 with New England. He started 16 games there for the Pats before signing a four-year, $66 million deal with the Raiders.
After two seasons with the Raiders playing right tackle, Brown soured on Las Vegas and the front office sook a trade for the reliable O-lineman. New England swooped and gave up a fifth-round pick in exchange for Brown and a seventh rounder to bring him back to Foxborough ahead of the 2021 season. He appeared in nine games rotating between several positions.
On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this report.