Who is Ryan Wendell and why do Patriots see him as potential OL coach?

Who is Ryan Wendell, and why do the Patriots see him as a potential offensive line coach?
Wendell will reportedly interview with the Patriots for their open O-line coach position.

[www.patspulpit.com]

Bernd Buchmasser



The New England Patriots have already made one change to their offensive coaching staff, bringing in Bill O’Brien as their new coordinator and quarterbacks coach. It appears that they are not done, however: the team is reportedly also pursuing a new offensive line coach to replace Matt Patricia.

So far, two candidates have emerged. The first is Adrian Klemm, who already unsuccessfully interviewed for the OC position; he is expected to talk to the team again at the East-West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas. Also meeting with the Patriots there will by the second candidate, Ryan Wendell.

Let’s get to meet him.

Who is Ryan Wendell?

Current position: Buffalo Bills assistant offensive line coach

Age: 36

Playing background: Playing along both the offensive and defensive lines in high school, Wendell joined Fresno State in 2004. After already starting nine games as a true freshman, he went on to establish himself as a fixture along the Bulldogs’ interior O-line. Despite ending his career with 35 consecutive starts and as an experienced guard and center prospect, Wendell did not hear his name called in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Instead, he had to go the free agency route to find a pro team. Find one he did, rather quickly: the Patriots picked him up shortly after the draft, and eventually kept him on their practice squad for most of his first two seasons in the league.

Late in 2009, Wendell was promoted to the active roster and he would not look back. He saw action in 33 games the next two seasons, including five as a starter, and by 2012 had established himself as New England’s staring center. He went on to start 36 games over the next two years, before kicking out to right guard for the 2014 campaign.

He added 15 more starts to his résumé that season, including the Patriots’ win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. That game, however, turned out to be the final start of Wendell’s career.

After being voted a captain for the 2015 season, he missed the first five games of the year due to an illness. Wendell returned to the field in reserve capacity for two weeks before eventually being shut down for good. He left New England the following offseason and had to wait until Nov. 2016 to find a new team.

Wendell joined the Carolina Panthers, played one special teams snap in his debut, and never saw another down in the NFL.

Coaching background: After spending the 2017 and 2018 seasons away from the NFL, Wendell returned in 2019 to took a coaching assistant job with the Buffalo Bills. The following season, he was promoted to assistant offensive line coach under coordinator Brian Daboll and O-line coach Bobby Johnson.

Johnson left Buffalo after the 2021 season, but the team opted for an outside hire rather than promote Wendell. He spent 2022 assisting new Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer.

Why do the Patriots see him as a potential offensive line coach?

Wendell’s experience as a coach is comparatively limited, but New England taking a look at him to take over the vacant O-line spot does make some sense. There are three primary reasons why:

1.) His experience as a player: Wendell appeared in a combined 92 regular season and playoff games during his active career in the NFL, including 56 as a starter at either center or right guard. He knows a thing or two about that side of the position, and had one of the best possible mentors during his time in New England in Dante Scarnecchia.

2.) His experience with the Patriots: While Wendell was never directly coached by the Patriots’ new offensive coordinator, the two men did work alongside one another for four years. During that time, Wendell developed into a valuable depth piece along the interior O-line, with O’Brien moving from wide receivers to quarterbacks coach to eventual OC by 2011. The Patriots’ coordinator, and the team as a whole, know the 36-year-old and vice versa.

3.) His time in Buffalo: Granted, he always played second fiddle to the actual offensive line coach during his last three years with the Bills, but Wendell’s input still cannot be underestimated. He played a role in the team’s O-line finishing seventh, second and eighth in sack percentage between 2020 and 2022, despite the team having few blue-chip players up front.

That all being said, as former Buffalo Rumblings managing editor Matt Warren pointed out, Wendell departing would probably not be considered a big loss for the Bills.

“I don’t think any Bills fans would blink an eye over losing Wendell,” he said. “The Bills’ offensive line has been underperforming for a couple years while trying to skate by with replacement-level players. The one major draft investment they made was a third-round pick, who hasn’t developed into a consistent starter in his first two seasons.

“If you’re going to point to a positive, Ryan Bates went from sixth OL to a solid-enough starting right guard during Wendell’s tenure, and signed a contract with the Bears that the Bills matched.”

Still, one can see why the Patriots at least deem Wendell worthy of bringing in for an interview. And with his outlook in Buffalo uncertain after three years as an assistant, he might have some motivation as well to move within the AFC East back to his old franchise.