The Patriots have made several roster moves ahead of Saturday’s game against the Chargers at Gillette Stadium, with some possible changes on offense.

On Friday, New England activated rookie OT Caedan Wallace (ankle) from injured reserve while also signing WR/returner Alex Erickson and LB Monty Rice from the practice squad for Week 17. The Patriots also placed CB Marcus Jones (hip) on injured reserve and starter C Ben Brown (concussion) was downgraded to out. Jones’ season is now over, while Brown’s loss opens the door for former first-rounder Cole Strange to start at center this week.

The activation of Wallace is an important development as the Patriots look to learn more about their roster in the final two weeks of the season. The rookie third-rounder was placed on injured reserve in early October after Wallace suffered a serious lower leg injury. Wallace returned to practice on December 9, meaning the Pats had until December 30 to activate him from injured reserve or his season would have been over. With two games left, the hope is to get a small sample of Wallace at right tackle before the end of 2024.

When the Patriots selected the Penn State product with 68 overall picks in the 2024 draft, the original plan was for Wallace to move to left tackle, with top OL Mike Onwenu slotted in at right tackle. The rookie made his first career start in Week 3 against the Jets, but he understandably struggled at left tackle, allowing a sack and three total pressures and drawing three penalties. Ultimately, the Pats’ original plan for the offensive line did not come to fruition: Wallace was injured, Onwenu was moved back to right guard, and backup LT Vederian Lowe and waiver-claimer Trey Jacobs (RT) served as the team’s starting tackles.

Due to several factors, the Patriots’ offensive line has been a significant weakness for the offense, ranking last in both pass-blocking and run-blocking win percentage over the past 16 weeks. However, two big changes this week could improve the group’s talent level and serve as a precursor to things to come.

First, Wallace has been thriving at right tackle since returning to practice earlier this month, according to offensive line coach Scott Peters. In college, Wallace made 40 starts at right tackle for Penn State. As his draft positioning suggests, teams viewed Wallace as a potential starter at right guard given his ability to create initial movement in the run game and stay at right angles to rushers as a pass blocker. The 24-year-old improved significantly in his final college season and made it into the top 100 draft picks.

Although nothing is official, Wallace could get playing time at right tackle on Saturday against the Chargers. With all due respect to Jacobs, Wallace should get reps in the final two games so the team can evaluate whether Wallace can factor into its plans for 2025 and beyond. Additionally, Jacobs opened the door for this move by struggling in Buffalo (five pressures, two penalties, missed cut block on reverse pass/fumble).

The other expected change is that former first-rounder Cole Strange will start at center for the Patriots. With incumbent starter Ben Brown ruled out (concussion), Strange told reporters he ran with the starters during practice this week. Before his serious knee injury last December, Strange was playing his best football. Now the Pats coaching staff sees Strange as a long-term addition to their system at center rather than as a defender. Although captain David Andrews is expected to return in 2025, Andrews will be 33 years old and has suffered a serious shoulder injury that ended his 2024 season after four games. Strange could also figure into the team’s future plans if he plays well at center in the next two games.

Ultimately, Strange and Wallace’s two-game sample size is too small to make big statements about their abilities to start on the offensive line. Still, evaluating the Pats’ returning offensive linemen adds a little more momentum to Saturday’s game as we continue to look at this team through the lens of the future. The Patriots’ projected starting offense against the Chargers is LT Vederian Lowe, LG Layden Robinson, C Cole Strange, RG Mike Onwenu and RT Trey Jacobs. But here too there is a chance that Wallace will get the nod at right tackle.

Finally, the Patriots’ practice squad additions will likely fill the same roles as they did in Buffalo. Erickson was promoted for the second straight season to replace injured returner Marcus Jones (out, hip) on punt returns. Erickson also filled in on kickoff returns when RB JaMycal Hasty was inactive in Week 16, but Hasty is ready to go this week. As for Rice, the veteran linebacker played a three-phase special teams role in last week’s loss to the Bills.

As for Los Angeles, the Chargers activated lead back JK Dobbins (knee) from injured reserve. Dobbins leads the Chargers in rush attempts (158), rushing yards (766) and rushing touchdowns (8). Earlier this week, head coach Jerod Mayo said he expected LA to run the ball due to their run-oriented approach and New England’s difficulty stopping the run. With their best running back returning, it’s even more likely that the Chargers will run some more, run some more.

With two games remaining in their season, the Patriots hope to come out on top against a Charger team fighting for a spot in the AFC playoffs. If the Pats can put together another competitive performance against a playoff-caliber opponent, it will help build some momentum heading into a crucial offseason. The other side of the coin, however, is how a win down the stretch will impact the Patriots’ draft positioning. New England currently holds the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 draft.

The Patriots host the Chargers with kickoff Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium.