Wynn or Lose: Could Cannon Be Patriots Answer at Right Tackle?

FOXBORO — With the collective eyes of their fanbase focused on the upcoming return of “Pat Patriot” and the aesthetically-pleasing “throwback reds,” the New England Patriots may be positioning themselves to make a significant personnel change along their offensive line.

Amidst a series of roster moves, the Patriots promoted offensive tackle Marcus Cannon to their active roster on Wednesday.

Cannon signed with the team’s practice squad in September for his second tour of duty in New England. The Pats drafted him in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He appeared in 115 games with 69 starts over nine seasons, serving as the team’s right tackle from 2016 through 2019.

Following the placement of reserve swing tackle Yodny Cajuste on injured reserve with a thumb injury, Cannon was elevated to the Patriots' game day roster for Sunday’s Week 4 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Aligning as both a right tackle and extra blocking tight end, he was on the field for 25 of a possible 58 offensive snaps.

He also spent much of his time in the second half spelling incumbent starter Isaish Wynn.

This, as they say, is where the plot thickens.

Wynn has seen his share of struggles through New England’s first four games in 2022. The 26-year-old has allowed a team-high nine quarterback pressures, while having been whistled for five accepted penalties this season. By comparison, no other Patriots player has committed more than one.

On Sunday, Wynn’s struggles were seemingly magnified against a strong Packers defense line. The Georgia product was credited with surrendering two sacks (one of which resulted in quarterback Brian Hoyer suffering a concussion and another which resulted in rookie Bailey Zappe’s fumble, while also committing two costly penalties. As such, Wynn was benched in favor of Cannon.

Having performed well in his relief role in Week 4, Patriots fans and media are wondering whether Cannon may have earned enough on-field capital to snag the starting spot from Wynn in the Pats upcoming contest with the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium.

The idea is not as far-fetched as some may think.

When healthy, Wynn is one of the more fundamentally sound tackles in the NFL. Though a bit undersized for the position (listed at 6-3), his technique is as solid as any of his peers. At his best, Wynn has the necessary quickness and strength to win battles when going one-on-one against edge rushers, or creating openings for the running game.

Still, Wynn’s 2022 campaign has been plagued by untimely penalties and pass-protection breakdowns. In short, he has yet to look comfortable with his positional shift from left tackle to the right side, which occurred during training camp. Wynn has the talent to improve upon his performance. However, he must address some of the on-field struggles which caused him some difficulty down the stretch in 2021. At times, he had problems with his initial push out of his stance. He also surrendered his edge more often. Normally an aggressive pass protector, Wynn was a bit slower when positioning himself on schemed pressures. By returning to a ‘strike first’ approach to protecting the run, as well as stopping pass rushers before they hit their stride, he will likely find himself in better position to provide the protection New England needs to effectively operate their offense.

While Cannon has seen the field only sparingly since 2020, he provides both the knowledge and experience at the position which has seemingly been lacking from Wynn, thus far. After all, he is no stranger to the right tackle position, having served as the starter in that capacity for two of the Patriots Super Bowl winning squads. His fit within the system earned him significant playing time from the moment he stepped back on the field in Foxboro. In the process, it also impressed his head coach.

“Marcus came here healthy,” coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday. “He’s taken a lot of reps at practice. He played some last week. We’ll keep going and see how it goes. It looks like he’ll be able to help us.”

In addition to logistics, New England may also have some financial incentive to consider a move away from their former 2018 first-round draft selection.

Wynn is entering the final year of his rookie contract, hitting the Patriots’ books with a salary cap number of $10.4 million. New England exercised the fifth-year option in his deal last spring. While making such a move would usually indicate a team’s intention to retain his services, at least for the duration of his contract, Wynn’s case is a curious one as it relates to New England’s best interests. Since his fully guaranteed salary of $10.4 million would remain on the cap as dead money if he is cut, trading Wynn is a much more palatable way of severing their on-field ties with the talented, but injury-prone offensive lineman. However, the less he sees the field, the more his potential trade value is likely to diminish.

As the Pats continue their preparations for Week 5, the question over who will start at right tackle will linger until kickoff. The simple answer would be to say that New England would be best served by both Wynn and Cannon playing at their highest levels, in their current capacities. However, should Wynn’s struggles continue, a move to the reliable veteran may be in the best interest of all parties involved.

The Patriots have a decision to make … and will do so sooner rather than later. 

Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots

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