Patriots trade OT Caedan Wallace to Dolphins

The Patriots selected Wallace with the 68th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but now, the third-year vet will hit waivers in hopes of continuing his career elsewhere. Injuries have taken their toll on Wallace early in his career. He’s been limited to just 10 games since entering the league and has made only two starts. Wherever he lands next, Wallace will likely have to make the roster as added depth in hopes of eventually playing his way into a more meaningful role.

Wallace was placed on injured reserve back on October 4th after suffering an ankle injury in Week 4 against the 49ers. The rookie has played exclusively at left tackle this season and started in the team’s Week 3 game against the Jets. On 70 offensive snaps, Wallace has earned a PFF blocking grade of 55.1 and has allowed one sack on three pressures. The Patriots will have 21 days to activate him from injured reserve or rule him out for the season.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, is “sounds like he’s out at least six weeks.” Wallace has played all four games at left tackle this season, making one start, which came in Week 3 against the Jets. The injury to Wallace is just the latest to a Patriots offensive line that is also expected to be without center David Andrews (shoulder) for the remainder of the season. Already one of the worst lines in the league, the Patriots can ill-afford to continue losing linemen in what is already shaping up to be a lost season.

The Patriots’ thin offensive line suffers another loss. Wallace was helped off the field by two teammates, with his arms draped over both sets of shoulders. He appears unable to put weight on one leg.

This same time last year, Wallace (6'5/314) was considered one of the top 10 tackles in the 2024 draft class. While his 2023 season was a letdown compared to the buzz he was generating in an injury-shortened 2022 season, he quietly played himself into all-conference honors. Wallace’s calling card is his heavy boxer hands that stunt rush progress and redirect defenders at will. This is especially helpful when diagnosing and addressing stunts and games from defensive lines. The issues for Wallace arise when he gets out of control. This often happens against speed rushers when he loses control of his momentum on a vertical set. Wallace handles power rushers with his heavy hands and is able to knock away a defender’s hands when he attempts to convert speed to power. He is probably not the best option to lead the charge on a run play, though he has shown a mean streak propensity that needs to be curbed to avoid penalties. He has a good understanding of the angles that he is assigned in creating, but needs to have the awareness to see how he can contribute beyond the man in front of him. Although every single college snap came at RT, Wallace may fit best on the interior to avoid such drastic vertical sets and instead utilize his ability to pass off defenders.

Wallace was considering most of the big players along with Penn State; including Oklahoma, Auburn, Notre Dame and Florida; just to name a select few. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound guard ranks 84th overall in the latest 247 Sports composite rankings, and the fourth-best guard overall. It’s a huge -- literally and figuratively -- get for James Franklin and company. We wonder if Wallace could compete for playing time for the Nittany Lions in 2019.