NFL.com: Solder best OL in NFL so far

[Uncle Rico]

Midseason Report: Top 5 rankings for each position - NFL.com

Well, I have to say, I went in the season expecting great things from Solder but that hasn't always happened. But I'm no expert. Guess Chris Wesseling, whoever he is, IS an expert and sees things differently. He sees this too:

Solder has been the most valuable offensive player on a 6-2 Patriots team.

Um, well, yeah. Guess there aren't a lot of other candidates so, sure, why not.

 

[Deus Irae]

Wendling apparently hasn't been watching Patriots games.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Wendling apparently hasn't been watching Patriots games.

and definitely NOT reading our game threads.

 

[Ozymandias]

Solder has been the best at nearly getting his quarterback killed.

Whomever made that ranking needs to be drug tested ASAP.

 

[Rob0729]

Solder has been having an inconsistent year, but he has been elite at times. He has been a turnstile others. I think Wendling is way overrating him, but many people on this board is way underrating him.

I can see Solder as a low end of the top 10, but certainly not in the top 5.

 

[PATRlOT]

LOL

This guy should be fired

 

[Deus Irae]

LOL

This guy should be fired

He's probably been hanging out with Blackmon.

 

[Ivan]

Couldn't disagree more with the responses here, I think Solder has had a few bad moments in an otherwise stellar season. he's been their best OL all year.

 

[Ivan]

and definitely NOT reading our game threads.

Anyone who takes anything more than absurdity out of the game threads should have their head examined. If you used at as a barometer for the % of Patriot fans who believe in this team at any given time then they wouldn't have any players or coaches, let alone fans.

 

[Rob0729]

Couldn't disagree more with the responses here, I think Solder has had a few bad moments in an otherwise stellar season. he's been their best OL all year.

I would say over the first five or six weeks, he was arguably one of the best LTs in the game. I would say the last two or three weeks, he has been inconsistent.

 

[Sciz]

I can't really think of a position judged on a lower percentage of their plays than offensive tackles. If they give up a few sacks, then they're terrible according to most, even though sacks allowed make up 1-2% of the typical tackle's snaps in a season.

 

[Brady6]

Midseason Report: Top 5 rankings for each position - NFL.com

Well, I have to say, I went in the season expecting great things from Solder but that hasn't always happened. But I'm no expert. Guess Chris Wesseling, whoever he is, IS an expert and sees things differently. He sees this too:



Um, well, yeah. Guess there aren't a lot of other candidates so, sure, why not.

The writer must have relied heavily on PFF in making the determination, Solder is the #1 ranked LT based on PFF metrics. Personally I have not been overly impressed with Solder this season and would be surprised if he was actually the best performing LT in the NFL.

 

[Fencer]

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report uses PFF stats, and he has Solder high. The Top 50 Players at the NFL's Midseason Mark | Bleacher Report

32nd player in the league overall, with a "previous ranking" of 24, and one of the top OTs (I only recall Joe Thomas as being higher).

The New England Patriots have one of the NFL's best-kept secrets at left tackle. At 6'8", Nate Solder is a former tight end, and he has been a consistent stud on the edge of the offensive line. And not just when he's protecting Tom Brady. Solder has been phenomenal in the run game this season as well.


Check out his play against the Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Atlanta Falcons, and you'll see him dominating the edge and springing the New England rushing attack.


It's easy to just focus on Brady when the Patriots are playing, but take a look at their big left tackle and you'll be impressed.

 

[Claremonster]

The line as a whole has been great this year...at not doing their job!

 

[Ivan]

The writer must have relied heavily on PFF in making the determination, Solder is the #1 ranked LT based on PFF metrics. Personally I have not been overly impressed with Solder this season and would be surprised if he was actually the best performing LT in the NFL.

That's like saying that a writer must rely on PFF to say that Aaron Rodgers is a really good QB. PFF is useless but that doesn't mean that they can't see the obvious, and it's obvious to pretty much everyone that Nate Solder is a really good LT. I realize in messageboard fanland if a tackle allows a sack or a WR drops a ball then they clearly suck but the truth is a little different than kneejerk perceptions. It's pretty much amazing to me that Patriot fans have so little respect for most of the players on this team, if they were all bad individually as people here make them out to be then this team would be picking first every draft.

 

[Brady6]

Re: Re: NFL.com: Solder best OL in NFL so far

That's like saying that a writer must rely on PFF to say that Aaron Rodgers is a really good QB. PFF is useless but that doesn't mean that they can't see the obvious, and it's obvious to pretty much everyone that Nate Solder is a really good LT. I realize in messageboard fanland if a tackle allows a sack or a WR drops a ball then they clearly suck but the truth is a little different than kneejerk perceptions. It's pretty much amazing to me that Patriot fans have so little respect for most of the players on this team, if they were all bad individually as people here make them out to be then this team would be picking first every draft.

I never said he was bad my man, he is clearly a franchise LT in my opinion. I am by no means unhappy with Solder that said I have not overly impressed with play this season and would be surprised if he is the best LT in the entire NFL at this time.

 

[mgteich]

When our 6th OL is healthy (Gronkowski), we'll discover that this OL is very good indeed.