Report: Patriots to interview Ryan Wendell for open offensive line coaching position

Jan 28, 2023 - 12:27 AM

With an offensive coordinator in place, the New England Patriots have apparently set their sights on finding a new offensive line coach. The latest candidate on the team’s radar is Ryan Wendell, currently the Buffalo Bills’ assistant O-line coach.

According to a report by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the 36-year-old will fly to Las Vegas to meet with the Patriots’ brass at the East-West Shrine Bowl.

Even though he spent the last four seasons in Buffalo, Wendell and the Patriots share a common history: an undrafted free agent out of Fresno State in 2008, he spent the first eight seasons of his nine-year career in New England.

Wendell appeared in a combined 91 regular season and playoff games for the club, including 56 as a starter at either center or right guard. Among those starts was the Patriots’ win over Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX; Wendell went wire-to-wire at right guard in what turned out to be his final start as a member of the team.

He spent one final season in Carolina in 2016 before calling it a career. Two years after his retirement, Wendell resurfaced as a member of the Bills’ coaching staff.

Now, Buffalo’s division rival has an eye on him to fill a seemingly vacant position. While there has been no official word about 2022 offensive line coach Matt Patricia departing the organization, it appears that he will at the very leas fill a different role for the Patriots this coming year.

When it comes to filling his shoes, Wendell is now one of two known candidates. The other is fellow former Patriots lineman Adrian Klemm, currently an assistant at the University of Oregon; Klemm was invited for a second interview that will also take place in Las Vegas in the coming days.

Both men bring plenty of experience to the table, but Wendell appears to have one advantage: he spent four years of his time in New England alongside recently-hired offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.