Donald Thomas Appreciation Thread: Another 100 Yard game Without Mankins

[mgteich]

Scar can work with plug-ins like Mankins and Koppen who were ready to play when they arived.

Scar can work with raw studs like Solder and Vollmer, and develop them quickly.

He also can take unknowns and make them part of the one of the very best offensive lines in the league. Connolly, Wendell and Thomas were developed. Many posters here didn't even want Wendell and/or Thomas on the 53 this year. Scar knew better.

Cannon and McDonald are still in Dante's Academy.

And to think that the whiners complained about our weak offensive line based on pre-season action.

Originally Posted by edboc

Give some appreciation to Dante Scarnecchia.
Thomas seems to do quite well on Guard pulling run plays as well.

[DarrylS]

When Scarnecchia retires hopefully he gets special recognition for his outstanding efforts and loyalty to the franchise.

He is the type of guy, the Patriots HOF need to make an exception for..

[The Gr8est]

Originally Posted by mgteich

Scar can work with plug-ins like Mankins and Koppen who were ready to play when they arived.

Scar can work with raw studs like Solder and Vollmer, and develop them quickly.

He also can take unknowns and make them part of the one of the very best offensive lines in the league. Connolly, Wendell and Thomas were developed. Many posters here didn't even want Wendell and/or Thomas on the 53 this year. Scar knew better.

Cannon and McDonald are still in Dante's Academy.

And to think that the whiners complained about our weak offensive line based on pre-season action.

We shouldn't go too overboard with Scar. Yes he does a good job with plug-and-play, as well as raw football players, but for a real accomplishment, I'd like to see him take just a raw athlete, with physical tools but no experience, and make him into a player.

Take, for example, an Olympic quality wrestler who has never.......


Wait, nevermind....

[jmt57]

Originally Posted by The Gr8est

For all of the bad mouthing Thomas has received in the past, the fact remains that he was a very physically talented individual who started playing football late.

Combine that talent with a good work ethic and training under the best OL coach in the business, and that is a formula for success.

In the off-season I didn't even envision a place for Thomas on the roster. Based on what we saw of them last year I thought Nick McDonald was the guy who would step up this year. I figured McDonald, Wendell and Cannon would be the backup lineman (with Waters returning), with Thomas being cut and maybe Kopa or Hix as a ninth offensive lineman depending on whether Cannon was going to be a guard or a tackle. Not to downplay McDonald's contribution, but Thomas seized the opportunity in training camp when McDonald was hurt and never looked back; he's been the better of the two so far this season.

[patfanken]

Originally Posted by mgteich

Scar can work with plug-ins like Mankins and Koppen who were ready to play when they arived.

Scar can work with raw studs like Solder and Vollmer, and develop them quickly.

He also can take unknowns and make them part of the one of the very best offensive lines in the league. Connolly, Wendell and Thomas were developed. Many posters here didn't even want Wendell and/or Thomas on the 53 this year. Scar knew better.

Cannon and McDonald are still in Dante's Academy.

And to think that the whiners complained about our weak offensive line based on pre-season action.

My guess is that Cannon and McDonald will soon emerge from Dante's Academy and take their place among the Pats OL elite.

I wonder if its fair to say that that Pats might have paid too much for Mankins, compared what they've gotten in value for him, since he signed his big contract.....on one of those perfect 20-20 scenario's. I wonder how many people would be calling to pay him as the top OG in the the league if you knew what you knew about Thomas, Cannon, and McDonald. Granted Mankins is better than those 3 guys, but the question is he THAT much better?

[patfanken]

BTW- I feel compelled to state that I wanted NOTHING to do with Thomas OR Wendell this off season or training camp. Neither were on a any 53 man roster I drew up....like many others. However I have long been a fan of McDonald and Cannon.

I guess that doesn't bode well for either of them.

[QB12]

I'm glad the OP brought this up. At the risk of sounding heretical to some, Mankins should be made to win his starting job back.

[The Gr8est]

We all hear the musings of what will the Pats be like once Brady and/or BB are gone.

We may want to add Scar to that question since he has, arguably, been just as important to the Pats' dynastic success.


If we weren't so fortunate that Scar doesn't want to leave NE and hasn't expressed any interest in being a HC, we'd have gotten our answer a long time ago.

[nekromantique]

Originally Posted by robertweathers

I do wonder once Mankins gets 100%, will BB consider sliding Thomas to RG and Connolly to C.

Wendell is decent but Connolly is a better C than a RG IMO.

no. as much as bb may like him for being a multi position player...he really isnt. he struggled a lot at RG when they played him there. LG is his natural position and it shows.


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[jmt57]

Originally Posted by patfanken

BTW- I feel compelled to state that I wanted NOTHING to do with Thomas OR Wendell this off season or training camp. Neither were on a any 53 man roster I drew up....like many others. However I have long been a fan of McDonald and Cannon.

I guess that doesn't bode well for either of them.

I was of the same identical opinion regarding those four.

If I recall correctly that was if not the consensus at least the majority opinion amongst Pats fans at that point in time.