PFW Ranks Dan Connolly #2 of NFL's Most Underrated (VIDEO)

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Who is the NFL's most underrated player? | #2: Dan Connolly - YouTube

Gotta love big Dan

I am actually hoping he can start at center over Koppen who has been away from the game....Connolly did an outstanding job snapping off to Brady and protecting the middle of the pass rush better than Koppen IMO.

Dan is the ultimate Patriot....he does everything he is asked to do and will play anywhere on the line.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Re: PFW Ranks Dan Connolly #2 of NFL's Most Underrated

Who is the NFL's most underrated player? | #2: Dan Connolly - YouTube

Gotta love big Dan

I am actually hoping he can start at center over Koppen who has been away from the game....Connolly did an outstanding job snapping off to Brady and protecting the middle of the pass rush better than Koppen IMO.

Dan is the ultimate Patriot....he does everything he is asked to do and will play anywhere on the line.

Loved how Connolly filled in last year. The one thing that might favor a return to the bench is that he can play anywhere on the inside of the line whereas, as far as I know, Koppen is center-only. Always good to have your swing players available on the bench, although if need be the Pats could always respond to a guard injury by sliding Connolly over and putting Koppen in at center.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Re: PFW Ranks Dan Connolly #2 of NFL's Most Underrated

Loved how Connolly filled in last year. The one thing that might favor a return to the bench is that he can play anywhere on the inside of the line whereas, as far as I know, Koppen is center-only. Always good to have your swing players available on the bench, although if need be the Pats could always respond to a guard injury by sliding Connolly over and putting Koppen in at center.

I was thinking about Koppen earlier today and him playing center only...I do think that center is Koppen's only position he is good at but I would assume Belichick has used him in other positions in practice,but maybe he is just not suited for anything but that.

 

[JackBauer]

Re: PFW Ranks Dan Connolly #2 of NFL's Most Underrated

Love me some Connolly. Best OC on the Patriots' roster and terrific versatility. Now hopefully Dante can mold McDonald in a similar fashion.

 

[Kontradiction]

Connolly fit SO much better at center than he did at guard. Looking forward to reading about the camp battle between him and Koppen.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Glad we extended him. He's a solid starting center (better than Koppen IMO), as well as a good guard. I hope McDonald can make the team as the last OL/3rd Center because he could be molded into a very good player in time.

The O-line is stacked at G/C, it makes you wonder if Dante can do any magic with one of the worst busts at T ever/a good guard in Robert Gallery and make him play T.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Re: PFW Ranks Dan Connolly #2 of NFL's Most Underrated

Obligatory PFW sucks post.

PFW != Pro Football Focus

 

[JackBauer]

Re: PFW Ranks Dan Connolly #2 of NFL's Most Underrated

PFW != Pro Football Focus

Oops. I should really pay closer attention.

 

[Calciumee]

Great return man aswell!

 

[Rob0729]

I gotta agree Connolly was vastly underrated for his play last year. You barely noticed that he was there which for a center is a great thing.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Speaking of offensive lineman I also want to tip my hat to Ryan Wendell who was also a fantastic addition and did play center when Connolly got injured....while Wendell does not have the talent that a guy like Connolly has,I am glad to have him as a backup player who just like Dan,can play just about anywhere on the line.

This team may not have the best OL starting lineup in the league but they certainly have the deepest talent of OL depth in the entire league and I don't think its even a question.

 

[leehanu]

Who can forget Connolly's great return skills as well as Vince Wilfork's interception skills.

 

[mgteich]

We usually have 4 roster spots for OT's. This year's four are Solder, Vollmer, Cannon and Gallery. Gallery may start at LG, but it seems convenient to list him as an OT for roster development purposes.

Glad we extended him. He's a solid starting center (better than Koppen IMO), as well as a good guard. I hope McDonald can make the team as the last OL/3rd Center because he could be molded into a very good player in time.

The O-line is stacked at G/C, it makes you wonder if Dante can do any magic with one of the worst busts at T ever/a good guard in Robert Gallery and make him play T.

 

[Kasmir]

Connolly fit SO much better at center than he did at guard. Looking forward to reading about the camp battle between him and Koppen.

I graded Connolly better at guard in 2010 than at center in 2011. He was really pretty good as a pulling guard and was involved in a lot of key 2nd level blocks. His mobility was less valauable at center and his tendency to get overpowered at times was visible both years.

I started paying attention to Connolly in 2010 because he-who-does-want-to-be-called-out was so bizarrely repeatedly trashing him (probably to help make the case that the Patriots desperately needed Mankins). That disrespect then picked up by the mob here and he acquired the bad rep on this board.

I watched him in replay on every play that season. What I saw was a decent starting guard. He was excellent in space but sometimes could be overpowered. Ironically, I thought he wasn't quite as impressive at center last year, but was still a more than adequate replacement for Koppen, who I think has been overrated.

I think Connolly's actually a very similar player to Koppen as a center, but his greater mobility makes him a more versatile and valuable player. It's a real stretch to call him "elite", and that's more because the league-wide competition as center is much weaker than at guard -- center is probably the least important player on the OL.

 

[captain stone]

Speaking of offensive lineman I also want to tip my hat to Ryan Wendell who was also a fantastic addition and did play center when Connolly got injured....while Wendell does not have the talent that a guy like Connolly has,I am glad to have him as a backup player who just like Dan,can play just about anywhere on the line.

Nick McDonald will be better than Wendell ever hoped of being. Mac is bigger, stronger, and
more athletic. I'm glad to see Bill finally move away from the midget, arena league talent
of Richie OBurger, Billy Yates & (I hope) Ryan Wendell. I also hope that Donald Thomas makes
the team ahead of Wendell, whose only chance of making it should be if Mankins is PUPed
and Waters retires.

 

[Raymond]

Who can forget Connolly's great return skills as well as Vince Wilfork's interception skills.

Nail head hammer.

 

[bagwell368]

Nick McDonald will be better than Wendell ever hoped of being. Mac is bigger, stronger, and
more athletic. I'm glad to see Bill finally move away from the midget, arena league talent
of Richie OBurger, Billy Yates & (I hope) Ryan Wendell. I also hope that Donald Thomas makes
the team ahead of Wendell, whose only chance of making it should be if Mankins is PUPed
and Waters retires.

x2 McDonald is going to beat out Wendell.

Koppen has been getting mashed by powerful NT's for a few years, he's a fallback IMO. That was a tough

Sorry, I like Connolly's versatility, but he too gets munged by tough bull rushers.

I'm hoping for a better Center to start next year.