Kaczur at OG...and other interior OL thoughts

[BradyManny]

With Belichick masterfully getting two potential stud tackles in the fold on very affordable rookie contracts, I am hoping/assuming we can now pay Logan Mankins what the man deserves (I say this after saying some pretty nasty things about him and his agent...but I openly eat crow that I underestimated his value - his agent is still a piece of work, though).

Assuming that - our top two interior line choices left are naturally Koppen at Center and Connolly at right guard.

I'm surprised we didn't take a successor to Koppen in this draft, unless they think maybe Connolly is that man. Connolly played well in his time at guard, but was occasionally overmatched (replaced in one of the games, I'm forgetting which...Browns?) But perhaps ultimately Connolly's position is at center, where he has played for us in the past - and where we have great long term need.

I also come to this conclusion since to start the 2010 camp, Nick Kaczur was our starting left guard in Mankins' place, not Connolly. And I wonder if Belichick has the same plans for this year.


IF Kaczur is cut out for guard - and that remains to be seen since the experiment was cut short due to injury - it would be an ideal situation, given he also provides starting-caliber depth at both tackle positions.

If he can start at guard, we'd have a bigger line which excels at both run and pass blocking. In Vollmer and Solder, Belichick has grabbed two mammoth tackles, and added our biggest interior linemen in this era (Cannon) in the draft. It seems he is trying to beef up this line - while keeping it athletic, a difficult task, but one he appears to have done.

 

[Doggin94it]

Well, at least your expectations are realistic . . .

 

[eom]

I hate to even post thai because it barely qualifies as opinion, but I think bb justbuilds the team to guarantee himself flexibility and depth then lets the game day roster work themselves out.

For example, everybody's guessing where cannon will fit in if there's a wek one, whereas bill just looks AT it like he added talent and he'll decide on the week one roster according to who's the best AT the time.

Kaczur was working AT guard because it gives him that option and he might need the guy there but that doesn't mean he's locked in there the following year or even that he'd hold the spot if he gt it.

I think it may be frustrating for fans who like to play through the schedule as soon as it# released,, but I think many of these things are unknown to even bb right now

 

[WhiZa]

Kaczur was going to start at guard last year before he begun having back problems. He was practicing with the first stringers while Mankins was out. I always thought he would play better there since he wasn't really cut out to play tackle.

 

[mgteich]

It would seem that Connolly would be a better OG for 2011 than Kaczur. We need Kaczur to play OT if Light plays elsewhere which seems likely.

 

[WhiZa]

It would seem that Connolly would be a better OG for 2011 than Kaczur. We need Kaczur to play OT if Light plays elsewhere which seems likely.

Another option is to cut Kaczur to reap his cap savings (if there is a cap) since a OL with back issues and no pain killers probably won't last long in this league. That would give Light the opportunity to return hopefully on the cheap.

 

[Urgent]

...if Connolly isn't primary KR...

Interesting question on Kaczur.

On the one hand, the rumor before lock-out was Patriots wanted to restructure his $3.5mm cap hit.

On the other hand, Neal retired, Mankins is unhappily tagged, and they drafted a rookie just starting chemotherapy. Kaczur could potentially be a top guard on the depth chart, with the versatility to back up at four positions.

On the other hand, would you rather pay Kaczur $3.5mm a year to back up either tackle position for another year or two, or pay Light $7-8mm a year?

The potential savings from Light to Kaczur might fund a free agent move at OLB or WR if the Patriots choose to target one of the top available candidates.

 

[sbpatfan]

1) I thought the team told Kaczur they had no intent of resigning him.

2) Does anyone know for sure if Kaczur would have started over Connolly? One week of camp with the ones doesn't really mean a whole lot.

I honestly expect Kaczur to be gone.

 

[mgteich]

You can believe that Light will "return hopefully on the cheap". I suppose that Light might be so stupid as to do that. Perhpas he doesn't understand the nitty gritty of the nfl, agents and what a starting LT is worth.

Light isn't returning on the cheap to train Solder for a year. It just isn't happening. get used to it!

As for Kaczur, perhaps he is gone. If we cut him, perhaps we can find a starting LT who can learn our system in a few weeks and who dante will trust to protect Brady.

QUOTE=WhiZa;2541150]Another option is to cut Kaczur to reap his cap savings (if there is a cap) since a OL with back issues and no pain killers probably won't last long in this league. That would give Light the opportunity to return hopefully on the cheap.[/QUOTE]

 

[BradyManny]

1) I thought the team told Kaczur they had no intent of resigning him.

2) Does anyone know for sure if Kaczur would have started over Connolly? One week of camp with the ones doesn't really mean a whole lot.

I honestly expect Kaczur to be gone.

Fair points - for point #1, that has been reported. But, with the drafting of Solder, it seems unlikely we'll get Light back on the squad, and we simply can't go into camp planning on Solder starting from Day #1.

That'll have to play itself out - so Kaczur, at the very least, is a natural choice to return as some ultimate swiss army knife on the OLine - providing depth at left tackle and the guard positions.

Heck, maybe he even starts at LT until Solder is ready, just as we did with Vollmer - but then we're back to having a potential hole at RG.

 

[Deus Irae]

It would seem that Connolly would be a better OG for 2011 than Kaczur. We need Kaczur to play OT if Light plays elsewhere which seems likely.

Why would it seem that Connolly would be a better OG for 2011 than Kaczur?

 

[mgteich]

I officially don't get it. We had one of the best offenses in the league in 2010. Who were our guards going down the stretch? As I recall, Mankins and Connolly were our starters, except for a week when Wendell started. Ojinnaka was a backup and Ohrnberger was the last man of the bench (the inactive bench).

Everyone is back at OG (except perhasp Ojinnaka) PLUS we arguably drafted the second best OG in the draft (Watkins #1 and Pouncey as a center per Gosselin's list).

How do we have a possible hole at RG?

Yes, IF we trade Mankins and IF Cannon isn't ready, we have a potential problem at RG with only Wendell there, with Orhnberger as a backup. if this is the case, we would sign a vet OG as we have so many times in the past. If this is a worry, I suggest re-signing Ojinnaka early in free agency. He won't have a learning curve, and will surely help. Personally, I prefer him to Orhrnberger in a any case.

My BOTTOM LINE is that Belichick was concerned, he would ahve draft another OG like Rackley, Boling or Moffit. He had the choice of any of these when we drafted at 73 and 74.

I was concerned with OG; clearly, Belichick is not.

Fair points - for point #1, that has been reported. But, with the drafting of Solder, it seems unlikely we'll get Light back on the squad, and we simply can't go into camp planning on Solder starting from Day #1.

That'll have to play itself out - so Kaczur, at the very least, is a natural choice to return as some ultimate swiss army knife on the OLine - providing depth at left tackle and the guard positions.

Heck, maybe he even starts at LT until Solder is ready, just as we did with Vollmer - but then we're back to having a potential hole at RG.

 

[eom]

going into the draft I figured they'd draft 2 'starting' caliber OL guys --- probably 2 tackles as they like to convert tackles into guards, and I'd say that's pretty much how it played out if you count cannon as a higher round talent.
I'm not saying this to pretend like I have some crystal ball, but just that 2 should pretty much cover it, and for every extra guy you add you subtract at another position --- that's the worst thing about some posts is it's always regarded as they actively don't want a position if they draft some other position.
you can only take one guy with one pick.

I'm sure they'd like tosave the kaczur money, and if his market isn't there they can almost unilaterally restructure him via the cut.
that said, there's no cap, and their payroll is already less than the staus quo cap of 2009, so the only real reason not to keep kaczur is the actual money savings or the roster spot.
I think belichick has some idea of the number of o-line that will survive final cuts, and it pretty much comes down to that, not that kaczur isn't worth anything.

personally, I'd be fairly uncomfortable going into the season with solder and vollmer as our only tackles, but if they sign light then maybe the whole thing adds up differently.

 

[mgteich]

Perhaps it is because Kaczur has played his entire career at OT.

Why would it seem that Connolly would be a better OG for 2011 than Kaczur?

 

[ausbacker]

Injury prone and a reasonably poor performer. Happy to have him moved on.