Patriots Sign Greg Van Roten, Reuniting Veteran Guard With OC Josh McDaniels

Following New England's 13-13 preseason tie with the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday, it was revealed that interior offensive lineman Ben Brown would miss time due to injury. Brown required assistance exiting the field after being sacked by quarterback Tommy DeVito, and will be sidelined for a few weeks to potentially several months, though he will likely still be available for the conclusion of the preseason.

In response to the loss, the Patriots signed free agent guard Greg Van Roten on Monday. Van Roten, 36, is a seasoned veteran with over a decade of NFL experience, having played for Green Bay, Seattle, Jacksonville, Carolina, New York, Buffalo, Las Vegas, and New York again. He has started 105 games across his 11-year career, including all 17 of the past three seasons for the Giants and Raiders.

During his time with the Raiders, Van Roten was under the guidance of now-New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. In his most recent season with the Giants, Van Roten earned a PFF grade of 65.4, placing him 35th among 81 qualified guards, and a pass-block grade of 70.2, ranking 22nd. With a total of 1,151 snaps under his belt, Van Roten led all guards in the league last season.

Now, at just 36 years old, Van Roten returns to McDaniels' side as one of the market's top available linemen, providing New England with a much-needed boost in the offensive line's interior flexibility as the team looks to make another Super Bowl push.