Trent Brown doesn’t have much experience at left tackle in the NFL, but he has done it, and his small sample size says he can do it. So if the Patriots decide Brown is a candidate to replace Nate Solder, Brown is ready for the challenge.
“I’ve always played both sides,” Brown said, via quotes distributed by the team. “I started out playing college left. I played left in high school. I really started playing right when I got to the University of Florida. But switching sides has never been a real big issue for me.”
Brown moved from right tackle to the left in Week 9 last season when Joe Staley missed a game with a fractured orbital. Brown allowed one hurry and one hit against Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones, who got his sack from the other side that game, according to Doug Kyed of NESN.
In two career starts at left tackle, Brown has allowed three pressures and no sacks.
Do the Patriots trust him to protect Tom Brady’s blindside? After acquiring Brown in a trade with the 49ers, the Patriots likely let Brown compete with rookie Isaiah Wynn, Antonio Garcia, Cole Croston and LaAdrian Waddle for the job.
“I mean, I was competing every year,” Brown said. “Every year I was there, somebody was drafted or brought in so, you know, I’ve just got to rise to the level of the occasion and do what I do.”