Donald Thomas Appreciation Thread: Another 100 Yard game Without Mankins

[PatsFan2]

Originally Posted by robertweathers

Both Solder and Seabass have gotten better and better every game they've played..

They could really extend Bady's career some as bookends.

[stcjones]

Big Props to Daniel Thomas for filling in for Logan definitely....but I would rather CONGRATULATE the ENTIRE OL for their great play overall this season. This is a unit that had ALOT of question marks going into the season after not looking particularly sharp in the preseason. However, they have been AWESOME overall and have protected Brady beautifully overall....and have been able to plow open holes so the "Riddler" can do his magic!!! Great Play by the OL....hope they got one of the game balls this past Sunday!!!! GO PATS!!!

Originally Posted by shmessy

Pretty impressive. Almost as impressive as the dual 100 yarders in the Buffalo game without Mankins.

Also noticed TFB didn't seem all that pressured yesterday.

Good work.

[Gumby]

Originally Posted by aluminum seats

Come on, now, Scar has nothing to do with how the line is performing--isn't that what the defenders of the secondary coaches say? It's all about the talent and the players, right?

Scar is really an amazing anomoly on the coaching staff.

I am always willing to be wrong; but willing to bet that other than Ernie Adams and BB; he is the only management/staff guy with the same exact job through (and actually pre-dating) the entire BB era.

BB likes to move his coaches around and round them out. Scar is the one constant.

That too speaks a lot to him.

He is definitely Pats HOF worthy IMMEDIATELY upon retirement (hopefully no time soon).

[shmessy]

Originally Posted by stcjones

Big Props to Daniel Thomas for filling in for Logan definitely....but I would rather CONGRATULATE the ENTIRE OL for their great play overall this season. This is a unit that had ALOT of question marks going into the season after not looking particularly sharp in the preseason. However, they have been AWESOME overall and have protected Brady beautifully overall....and have been able to plow open holes so the "Riddler" can do his magic!!! Great Play by the OL....hope they got one of the game balls this past Sunday!!!! GO PATS!!!

Which furthers my feeling that Mankins' contract importance was far overblown last year.

I'm not denigrating an excellent LG who is probably the toughest hombre on earth, however, they don't fold like a deck of cards without him.

[KontradictioN]

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.

I would absolutely support that. Connolly > Wendell and Thomas has done a very solid job playing LG. He should be able to transition to RG. Health willing, this would probably be the best O-Line that we could throw out there.

[Armchair Quarterback]

A lot of posters wanted to keep Koppen in favor of one of Thomas, Wendell or McDonald.

With Mankins out, would you rather have:

LG Connolly C Koppen RG Wendell

or

LG Thomas C Wendell RG Connolly

[Armchair Quarterback]

Originally Posted by KontradictioN

I would absolutely support that. Connolly > Wendell and Thomas has done a very solid job playing LG. He should be able to transition to RG. Health willing, this would probably be the best O-Line that we could throw out there.

Thomas started 12 games with Miami at RG, played the position in training camp with NE and filled in for Connolly in the starting lineup at RG vs Arizona.

I thought the Mankins -Connolly -Thomas lineup might be their best lineup when the season started but I don't see Wendell going to the bench at this point, he's been pretty solid.

[juny]

dante and the OL deserve a lot of praise for the VAST improvement they made. it was looking like trouble in the preseason but when the regular season started, it seemed like they flipped the switch and have become a solid unit. the big test comes later in the year with the back-to-back games against hou and sf.

[VJCPatriot]

Originally Posted by patfanken

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?

Mankins is an elite player and these guys we have right now in the middle are not. However it is a fair question to ask whether the 8.5 mill in cap space we spent on Mankins could be better spent on another area.

Logan Mankins contract details - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

Scar has done an awesome job coaching up and developing Pats OL however it helps if he has talented players to coach up. I think that Vollmer is a priority signing for the Pats in the offseason.

[mgteich]

So, you think that the players (and coaches) flipped a switch and played differently once the season began. Ya really think so?

The perceived trouble was in the eyes of the fans and posters.

Originally Posted by juny

dante and the OL deserve a lot of praise for the VAST improvement they made. it was looking like trouble in the preseason but when the regular season started, it seemed like they flipped the switch and have become a solid unit. the big test comes later in the year with the back-to-back games against hou and sf.