Who is still available at OG???

jmt57 said:

A few names that are available at Guard; Seubert looks like the best of the bunch if he is healthy enough to play:

Rich Seubert, 32, Giants
Trai Essex, 28, Steelers
Brian Waters, 34, Chiefs
Leonard Davis, 32, Cowboys
Derrick Dockery, 30, Redskins
Doug Legursky, 25, Steelers
Will Montgomery, 28, Redskins
Chester Pitts, 32, Seahawks
Vince Manuwai, 31, Jaguars
Nick Cole, 27, Eagles
Reggie Wells, 30, Eagles
Steve Vallos, 27, Browns
Herman Johnson, 26, Giants
Mike Williams, 31, Redskins
Bryan Mattison, 27, Ravens

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Seubert is rehabbing a dislocated knee cap and torn patella tendon injury and hopes to be ready in two months.

The Lions, who have their own line issues, looked at Leonard Davis about two weeks ago, and apparently nothing came of that meeting.

OG is an easier position to replace thankfully. I bet BB waits to see who is cut this Tuesday and picks them up.

we do need another G. Ppl said put Light their I agree w/ that, but who is our back up LT? Did Minaeri Play? I missed a lot of the game. I didn't hear his name as I jumped 10 seconds frequently on "Pre-season" live this morning. Did I miss his name as I fast forwarded to get to the snap?

WhiZa said:

OG is an easier position to replace thankfully. I bet BB waits to see who is cut this Tuesday and picks them up.

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good call:rocker:

This should show everybody how stupid all the "We don't need Mankins, let him leave!" talk was a year ago. Can anyone imagine what the interior offensive line would look like right now if Mankins was gone? Thank god Mankins and Kraft put whatever happened behind them.

Maybe I'm way off base, but I don't like Solder at RG at all. We have 1-2 years (a generous estimate) before age catches up to Matt Light enough where he's too much of a liability or before he outright retires, that time should be used to groom Solder as the future LT and nothing more. Putting Solder at guard isn't gonna do anything to groom him as Light's replacement, and it looks like his center of gravity is WAY too high to be an interior lineman. The idea of him at LT and Light at RG is intriguing though.

A veteran guard seems like an obvious need. If Cannon is healthy at some point this year, it's not like a rookie coming off cancer treatment will be ready to step in, and even when healthy, Connolly at his best is a below average starter. Fortunately there are options available and as mentioned already it's a cheap position to fill, but interior Oline is by far their biggest hole right now.

I am not sure if there are going to be any interior linemen who are going to be worth pursuing in the first round of cuts on Tuesday when I would imagine that teams will be cutting their sixth or seventh choice interior linemen. It is more likely that someone comes available after the second round of cuts. Maybe the Pats are waiting for week 1 of the regular season to expire to take on board a vet whose salary will not be guaranteed due to injury concerns.

Does anyone have a decent handle on other teams with very good depth at the OG and OC positions who could potentially provide an upgrade to what we already have?

Personally I like the idea of Stephen Neal coming back. He knows the playbook and has familiarity with the others on the O-line and he did not seem to have lost his skills to a glaring degree when he played last year. Only thing is, I don't think he likes the idea so much (at this stage).

Re: Ohnberger, Austin - Our Healthy RG's

Kenneth Sims said:

Since practices are now closed with the end of training camp, we do not know if the Patriots are still experimenting with different OL alignments like trying Solder or Light at guard. I'd like to see is an alignment with Mankins moved to RG, Matt Light at LG and Solder at LT. I think it's probably asking too much of Light to change both position and side while Mankins should be able to move to the right side and form a pretty formidable combination with Vollmer. There would be some transition and in the case of Solder some growing pains, but it would have the potential to be the best OL they can put out there.

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I think on paper this makes a lot of sense and I am all for trying it but be careful you don't weaken 2 positions trying to fix one.

I think that if they were going to move Light inside, they'd move him to RG and leave Mankins at LG to give Solder help.

DaBruinz said:

I think that if they were going to move Light inside, they'd move him to RG and leave Mankins at LG to give Solder help.

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The Patriots will never consider moving Matt Light inside. He has been a LT his entire 13 year career and makes no sense at all to have him change positions at this point in his career. I can see the Patriots experimenting with Nate Solder at RG, since he is in his rookie season. I really hope Belichick gets him some reps inside on Thursday vs. the Giants to see what he's got in live game action.

The Dynasty said:

The Patriots will never consider moving Matt Light inside. He has been a LT his entire 13 year career and makes no sense at all to have him change positions at this point in his career. I can see the Patriots experimenting with Nate Solder at RG, since he is in his rookie season. I really hope Belichick gets him some reps inside on Thursday vs. the Giants to see what he's got in live game action.

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*sigh* Light's only been with the Pats since 2001.. This is his 11th season. And it used to be that older tackles moved inside to guard positions if they wanted to extend their playing careers.

I cannot see the Pats experimenting with Solder inside at all..

It's unlikely that the Pats will be playing the Giants on Thursday since the Giants MNF game is being postponed.. unless they outright cancel it..

DaBruinz said:

I think that if they were going to move Light inside, they'd move him to RG and leave Mankins at LG to give Solder help.

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I have the same thought. I wonder if anything has been going on in practice.

The Dynasty said:

The Patriots will never consider moving Matt Light inside. He has been a LT his entire 13 year career and makes no sense at all to have him change positions at this point in his career. I can see the Patriots experimenting with Nate Solder at RG, since he is in his rookie season. I really hope Belichick gets him some reps inside on Thursday vs. the Giants to see what he's got in live game action.

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According to reports, Solder has taken snaps at RG. It wouldn't be a shock to me if the Patriots trotted out

Light
Mankins
Koppen
Solder
Vollmer

to start Thursday's game.

Deus Irae said:

According to reports, Solder has taken snaps at RG. It wouldn't be a shock to me if the Patriots trotted out

Light
Mankins
Koppen
Solder
Vollmer

to start Thursday's game.

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Do you have links for those reports.. Been out of the country so I've missed a lot.

Lets talk to Heath Evans and just get an extra body to protect Brady in the middle. I would fancy Branch/ocho + Welker +Gronk/Hernandez + Woodhead/Lawfirm/Ridley against most teams so a true FB to protect Brady would cover it we are too slim at OL to play one of them there. The reason I say a FB is it needs to be someone experienced in picking up the rush not sure if Gronk could be that guy.

Realize he is a Center, but a possible veteran interior line addition might be Andre Gurode. He was going to have a sit down with the team about his future since he is being nudged out by a youngster. Good size, 5-time Pro Bowler (including last year)

I would consider trying him at RG and backup OC.

Perhaps we could interest them in one of our extra 3-4 DL...?

I vote for Lenoard Davis...or even Nick Kazcur <--ugh!!-:bricks:

A one-year contract with Woody makes sense to me.

Gunnails said:

I know he just retired, Damien Woody mite be convinced to come back one more year, if the price is right he could provide some experienced depth all over the line.

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Belichick has picked up RG's within the season. Sure, it might take a couple of weeks after the final cut for the player to be learn th play book, but it seems that the clock needs to start sometime. I would note that we do have Ohrnberger for now.

Atlanta Patsfan said:

Agreed. A late cut from another team is a possibility. I have to wonder how much of the play book can be digested in a week.

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DaBruinz said:

Do you have links for those reports.. Been out of the country so I've missed a lot.

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Most of the beat writers reported this during training camp.

The Patriots need to get tougher on the interior of their line. More often than not the pressure that gets to Brady comes from the middle, rather than from the outside. Brady is also better at stepping up to escape pressure, rather than moving to his right or left.

DaBruinz said:

*sigh* Light's only been with the Pats since 2001.. This is his 11th season. And it used to be that older tackles moved inside to guard positions if they wanted to extend their playing careers.

I cannot see the Pats experimenting with Solder inside at all..

It's unlikely that the Pats will be playing the Giants on Thursday since the Giants MNF game is being postponed.. unless they outright cancel it..

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My mistake on Light, was sort of guessing.

As of now the game Thursday is still on as scheduled, 2 days between games for the Giants does seem unfair (Jets in same boat). I could see them pushing the game back a few days, but whenever the game is played I'd hope to see Solder get some reps at RG.