After hiring ex-Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to the same position Thursday, the Patriots are already moving to build a staff around him.

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According to ESPN, the Patriots are targeting ex-Seahawks and Rams assistant Andy Dickerson to be their new offensive line coach. Dickerson coached Seattle’s offensive line the past two seasons after joining the organization as a run game coordinator in 2021. He worked as the Rams’ assistant offensive line coach from 2012-2020, following prior stops with the Jets and Browns.

Last season, under Dickerson and ex-offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, the Seahawks finished as the 15th-best run-blocking team in the league, per Pro Football Focus, and 17th-best by ESPN’s run-block win rate. Seattle ranked even lower in pass protection, registering 28th at PFF and 25th according to ESPN.

In 2022, Dickerson’s first season as O-line coach, the Seahawks performed similarly in pass protection and when run-blocking; ranking 8th and 24th, respectively, per ESPN, and 20th and 18th, by PFF.

Dickerson’s experience aligns with Van Pelt’s, as a coach who’s spent several years teaching variations of the Shanahan offense. Over the past two seasons, however, Van Pelt’s offense executed far more man-blocked run schemes, while Dickerson’s Seattle line zone-blocked most of its rushing plays. They have never coached on the same staff.

Dickerson got his first full-time NFL job with the Patriots, working as a football operations assistant in 2005. He left in 2006 to become a coaching assistant/defensive quality control coach with the Jets. In 2009, Dickerson joined the Browns, who gave him his first offensive line job a year later. He eventually returned to the Jets for one more season en route to Los Angeles.

Dickerson played college football at Tufts from 1999-2002. He also earned a master’s degree from Tufts, while serving as a graduate assistant on their coaching staff. If hired, he would replace Patriots offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, who was not expected to return at the end of last season.