You don’t need me to tell you that this season’s been rife with injuries for the NFL. Doesn’t matter the team, everybody’s been hit. The successful teams have managed to adapt and overcome. The Kansas City Chiefs under Andy Reid stand out, and Tomlin’s Steelers have done pretty well too. Both teams have engaged in useful trades and had enough talent on the bench to get by. The Patriots under Jerod Mayo haven’t had the same kind of success.

At 2-7, the 6-time Super Bowl champions are, if not firmly, at the bottom of the AFC East. It’s a lot for Jerod Mayo to take in his first year as head coach of the Patriots. And the HC recently came out with his biggest frustrations halfway through his first season as a coach. Apparently, the offensive line’s been a headache, “It’s been frustrating throughout the year as far as the combinations we’ve had to work through.”

Mike Onwenu, who Mayo praised openly, as did offensive line coach Scott Peters, could tell you the full story. The Patriots had the experienced right guard practicing in the left guard position, even though they’re not playing him there. He played at the right tackle as well, earlier in the season. It almost seems like they’re trying to squeeze as much utility out of a versatile player as they can, rather than letting him stick to his specialization. Injury and desperation have forced the Patriots into this hole.

And then there’s the quarterback dilemma. On the one hand, they’ve got Drake Maye, the #3 overall pick this year, and a legit gifted kid. On the other, they’ve got Jacoby Brissett, a 32-year-old quarterback on a 1-year contract who’s got the second lowest yards-per-game figures in the league, just ahead of Bryce Young. But you know who Mayo went with. There’s just been a series of baffling choices from the Patriots this year, beyond just injuries. At this point, it’s best to look to next season, honestly.

What can Mayo change about the Patriots next year?

It’s sad to see the New England Patriots reduced to this. The New England Sports Network recently went into what the Patriots should be looking for come the next draft. There are some interesting takes on what they can build the future of their franchise on. A low finish will guarantee a higher draft pick, and it looks like the Patriots are likely to finish very low indeed. Once again, NESN pinpointed the offensive line as the area most in need of improvement.

There are interesting prospects in LSU’s Will Campbell and University of Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr., both offensive tackles. Of course, they can’t pick both, so they’ll have to prioritize their needs. Banks is the better tackle, and with Maye’s scrape with a concussion just recently, you want someone who can keep him safe. Maye’s a long-term prospect after all, and investing in him means more than just paying him.

But then you have Campbell, who’s quite versatile at this stage, but who they might want to play at either left tackle or guard. If he doesn’t work out as a left tackle, the Patriots are stuck with another guard, so what’s the play? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.