Greetings Patriots fans, from your designated trenchman. Seems I've assumed default oversight of the pig-pen, where the big boys battle, so in an effort to continue to uphold that role I bring you the latest in the ongoing saga of the Patriots' offensive line.

After bringing him in for a workout yesterday, the Patriots have signed Massachusetts homeboy Mike Flynn to a one year contract. The former standout at Springfield's Cathedral High and the University of Maine has played in the big leagues for 10 seasons, all of them for the Baltimore Ravens.

Flynn is the latest signing in a bewildering array of free-agents old and new that the Pioli/Belichick team has brought in to shore up the front wall. Spurred by a merry-go-round of injuries all along the front five, the Patriots now enter officially desperate waters. To bring in an o-lineman this late in camp is beyond cause for concern--it's indicative of a serious issue. That issue is depth.

More on Flynn and the rest of the fat guys over the jump.

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The Globe's Mike Reiss shifts his concern from the defensive backfield to the offensive line.

There have been some "stop-the-bleeding" signings up front in the last couple of days.  In addition to first-year free agent Pete McMahon, two long in the tooth vets were brought in.  McMahon, who played his college ball in Iowa under the tutelage of Kirk Ferentz and OC Ken O'Keefe, was drafted in 2005 by the Raiders, but has never played a down in anger and was out of the game completely for the last two seasons.

Joining him are Barry Stokes and John Welbourn.  You can read Reiss' article here, and I'll leave it for him to put this in perspective.  Needless to say, this kind of juggling on the front does not bode well for the early season.  With Matt Light out this entire time and perennial back-ups O'Callaghan and Oliver Ross recently joining him, things are even more uncertain than I thought them to be earlier.  Here's a run-down on Stokes and Welbourn:

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