Despite his poor showing in the playoffs and terrible performance in Super Bowl LX, New England Patriots officials never missed an opportunity to emphasize that Will Campbell will remain their left tackle in the NFL. Now official Eliot Wolf commented on the reasons for this.
Wolf spoke to reporters on Tuesday on the sidelines of the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, about Campbell, whom he drafted with the fourth overall pick in last year’s draft. The Executive Vice President of Player Personnel cited Campbell’s knee injury from November – a tear in the medial ligament – as the main reason for his poor performances at the end of the season.
“When he came back from that injury, I personally didn’t see the same lower body strength that you saw in him before the injury. I think the video footage proves that,” Wolf said. “He probably had three of his four worst games in the playoffs. Before that, I thought Will played really well all year.”
Especially in the Super Bowl, Campbell was probably the weakest link in an overwhelmed offensive line. Depending on the source, Campbell alone allowed eight (“PFF”) or even 14 (“Next Gen Stats”) pressures against the Seahawks. Quarterback Drake Maye was under constant fire and ultimately recorded six sacks and threw two interceptions.
Video: Amon-Ra St. Brown comes to Munich
Campbell doesn’t use injury as an excuse
According to “ESPN”, Campbell will not need an operation and will be able to regain his old strength with conventional rehab. He is also expected to be able to participate in New England’s voluntary offseason program starting in mid-April.
Campbell himself said a few days after the Super Bowl: “It obviously wasn’t 100 percent. If you tear a ligament in your knee, it’s not going to be the same as before. But I was healthy enough to play. I won’t say it hindered me.”
Wolf continued, “I know everyone talks about arm length, but he has a skill set that allows him to compete despite that arm length. He’s extremely quick to get off the ground. He’s technically proficient. He’s adding different pass protection techniques to his repertoire that allow him to counter different pass rushes. And again, he’s only 22 years old, and we expect him to continue to improve as well.”
Another weak point in the O-line was rookie guard Jared Wilson, making the Patriots the first team to start in the Super Bowl with two rookies on the offensive line. “I think with him we are open to anything,” said Wolf. “He’s never played the guard position before. He’s had good moments and bad moments, but he definitely has the physical ability to play there. He also has the game intelligence and communication skills to play center. So those are conversations we’re still having internally.”
It is possible that after a year as a guard he will now return to his natural center position, which he played in college at Georgia. In that case, firing Garrett Bradbury would be the logical consequence.
