The New England Patriots have additional questions at offensive tackle after three preseason games.
In the days leading up to the 53-man roster deadline, the club sought an answer, acquiring developing depth in Tyrone Wheatley Jr. from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for running back Pierre Strong Jr.
The deal was initially reported by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, and it is subject to physicals.
Wheatley went undrafted in 2020, the son of former New York Giants first-round pick and current Wayne State head coach Tyrone Wheatley Sr. He was a converted tight end who played collegiately at Michigan and Stony Brook before transferring to the offensive line in The Spring League.
Wheatley spent time with the Chicago Bears and the Las Vegas Raiders before joining Cleveland’s practice squad last September. The 26-year-old did so after working out at Gillette Stadium. He signed a futures contract in January and has yet to make his regular-season debut.
Wheatley, on the other hand, played 98 offensive snaps between left and right tackle in August and was only penalized once. Over that time, the 6-foot-6, 320-pound bookend allowed one quarterback hit and two quarterback hurries in pass protection, according to Pro Football Focus.
In the preseason, his 95.6 run-blocking grade ranked second among all tackles in the NFL.
“I think, and we think, that he’s still growing into his body,” Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan said of Wheatley at a press conference early in training camp. “He’s still making tweaks and adjustments, but he’s really athletic.” He’s demonstrated the ability to go to the edge and pass protect against fast rushers. Now it’s just a question of putting it all together — his run technique, his pass technique — but we’re extremely excited about what he brings to the table in terms of swing value.”