Who Is Worth $7M For 2015? - An OL Perspective

We have 10 OL's at the moment, 6 vets and 4 kids (including Kline). We are fine for this year, both with regard to positions and with regard to cap. It seems reasonable to keep at least 5 vets and at least 3 kids. We can even keep Wendell as a backup if we wish (only $1.2M). I would note that both Connolly and Cannon are 2015 free agents.
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The issue comes in 2015 when we need cap money for Revis and McCourty. Mankins will be getting $7M of new money as part of his $11M cap hit. Mankins will also be getting $7M in 2016. Solder will be getting $7.4M for 2015 and is would be a free agent in 2016. As I indicated, as of now, both Connolly and Cannon are free agents for 2015.
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It seems that there be lots of decisions to be made in the OL next year. Options this year include extending Connolly and/or Cannon. We have already extended Wendell. Note that if the contracts are team-friendly, these players can be cut next year, if it seems right. Wendell is certainly in that situation.

Remember that we can also save a lot by cutting Wilfork. We also save a lot by just giving Revis a contract that matches Shermans in money per year(14). It would be nice to extend Cannon. But I feel like we might have to pay him on the higher end of what a backup RT gets. He looked pretty good when he played there.

Marinlik said:

Remember that we can also save a lot by cutting Wilfork. We also save a lot by just giving Revis a contract that matches Shermans in money per year(14). It would be nice to extend Cannon. But I feel like we might have to pay him on the higher end of what a backup RT gets. He looked pretty good when he played there.

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I start with a team without Revis and McCourty. We have $125M committed without them, 10th most in the NFL. We need to ADD Revis and McCourty.

I agree that Wilfork's $7M is just as relevant as the $7M for Mankins and Solder.

In 2015, we will need to add corners (Revis and McCourty). We also need to add a kicker and some running backs. Gostkowski, Vereen and Ridley are all free agents.

Well you can't have stud starters everywhere but the key to me is to keep Solder. He should not be overly expensive anyway and to me he is not a top 5 OT.

Mankins probably has to go. He has not played up to his contract due to injuries. We obviously would need a good replacement for him but I don't ever want us to invest that amount of money in a guard again. If we can not get a replacement for next year maybe we need to eat the money but I generally don't agree with the philosophy of paying a guard that much.

I don't really mind whatever we do with Cannon/Connolly/Wendell. All 3 are replaceable though i would prefer to keep Cannon as he is so versatile and probably the best of the 3 and youngest. However they are not guys you over extend for.

I think we need to do what we have to do to add Revis & McCourty. We can get safer starter level OL in the draft in the first 2 rounds to fill spots if need be but those 2 are pretty key to the defense. I sign both long term in hopes you get better deals.

Final verdict: Mankins and Wilfork are the past. We need to invest in the future.

BobDigital said:

Well you can't have stud starters everywhere but the key to me is to keep Solder. He should not be overly expensive anyway and to me he is not a top 5 OT.

Mankins probably has to go. He has not played up to his contract due to injuries. We obviously would need a good replacement for him but I don't ever want us to invest that amount of money in a guard again. If we can not get a replacement for next year maybe we need to eat the money but I generally don't agree with the philosophy of paying a guard that much.

I don't really mind whatever we do with Cannon/Connolly/Wendell. All 3 are replaceable though i would prefer to keep Cannon as he is so versatile and probably the best of the 3 and youngest. However they are not guys you over extend for.

I think we need to do what we have to do to add Revis & McCourty. We can get safer starter level OL in the draft in the first 2 rounds to fill spots if need be but those 2 are pretty key to the defense. I sign both long term in hopes you get better deals.

Final verdict: Mankins and Wilfork are the past. We need to invest in the future.

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I agree about Solder. You didn't mention Vollmer but I think when healthy he's a spectacular tree to have on the right side. Cannon is versatile and if the price tag isn't outrageous we should try to keep him. Well worth the 5th Rd pick, no question.

Apologies to Wendell, but Stork is the future. I believe Mankins still has some gas left in the tank. Connolly has one more good year left and think he will hold up. He's been a good soldier. I think the line will do well this year under Googs. Scar has laid a solid foundation and I hope these guys step up big this year to help Googs and honor the tradition Dante established.

Win the battle in the trenches and you'll win the war.

So hard to know, but our depth isn't a bad thing at the moment. The cap likely rises a bit each of next two years and a chance we get $3.25 M credit for AH.

Connolly and Wendell are fighting for jobs this camp. Mankins is worth it. Solder had concussion issues and we control him for two more years, so let's see him be reliable and sturdy before opening the vault. Vollmer's health has been a frequent issue (leg/back/etc...) - 56 games played and 49 games started through 5 seasons. Out of a possible 80 regular season games.

I would say that Solder/Vollmer/Mankins are worth the money. And there is clearly a big opportunity for a youth movement on rookie deals (Stork/Barker/Kline/Halapio/Fleming).

They can pay Cannon. They could probably pay him closer to $4-5 million though, but only if he becomes a starter on the right side (RG?). Not to be a backup.

There seems little downside to keeping WENDELL, even as backup. He signed a backup contract.

CONNOLLY could be gone before the season starts or he could be our starting RG, which seems more likely. He could even be extended at a lower salary than the $3M a year he makes now. He would be good insurance for this year and perhaps next.

CANNON is the question mark to me. It seems that we have already replaced him with Fleming, unless Cannon can show that he is a starting RG and is extended.

For 2015, I see MANKINS and CANNON going, and a decision made at LT, either with an extension or the use of a high draft choice. If Mankins goes and Solder is extended, this will free up lots of cap space.

BobDigital said:

Well you can't have stud starters everywhere but the key to me is to keep Solder. He should not be overly expensive anyway and to me he is not a top 5 OT.

Mankins probably has to go. He has not played up to his contract due to injuries. We obviously would need a good replacement for him but I don't ever want us to invest that amount of money in a guard again. If we can not get a replacement for next year maybe we need to eat the money but I generally don't agree with the philosophy of paying a guard that much.

I don't really mind whatever we do with Cannon/Connolly/Wendell. All 3 are replaceable though i would prefer to keep Cannon as he is so versatile and probably the best of the 3 and youngest. However they are not guys you over extend for.

I think we need to do what we have to do to add Revis & McCourty. We can get safer starter level OL in the draft in the first 2 rounds to fill spots if need be but those 2 are pretty key to the defense. I sign both long term in hopes you get better deals.

Final verdict: Mankins and Wilfork are the past. We need to invest in the future.

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Nate Solder

Does anyone know what Vollmer is due? He is solid when healthy. But health is an issue. It seems like people have Connolly and Cannon penciled in on he right side without mention of him. We would need him this year to ease the rookies in. Next year depending on the rookies development we could release Vollmer, Mankins and Wendell. Redue Solder and Cannon, hopefully plug the rookies in(that includes Kline). Could have a solid young line.

BUSTAMOVE said:

Does anyone know what Vollmer is due? He is solid when healthy. But health is an issue. It seems like people have Connolly and Cannon penciled in on he right side without mention of him. We would need him this year to ease the rookies in. Next year depending on the rookies development we could release Vollmer, Mankins and Wendell. Redue Solder and Cannon, hopefully plug the rookies in(that includes Kline). Could have a solid young line.

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Miguel who is one of the moderators for this board has a terrific page called patscap.com with the team’s salary cap information. Vollmer is on the books for $4M in 2015. His contract is a great value. The link is below.

http://patscap.com/vollmer.html#vollmer

Brady6 said:

Miguel who is one of the moderators for this board has a terrific page called patscap.com with the team’s salary cap information. Vollmer is on the books for $4M in 2015. His contract is a great value. The link is below.

http://patscap.com/vollmer.html#vollmer

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Thanks Brady6. Will check it out. I heard about Miguel. Brilliant effort. Will check it out

There are two key points here that intersect:

• the development and success of the OL draft picks this year is made even more critical by the contract turnover of the vets in the next two years
• the demonstration of health by Vollmer, Solder, and Mankins (play a full year without problems) will play a large role in determining the likelihood that they are retained for a longer term

mgteich said:

Mankins will be getting $7M of new money as part of his $11M cap hit. Mankins will also be getting $7M in 2016.

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IMO, Mankins is gone if he refuses to restructure.

Which means, he's probably gone.

mgteich said:

There seems little downside to keeping WENDELL, even as backup. He signed a backup contract.

CONNOLLY could be gone before the season starts or he could be our starting RG, which seems more likely. He could even be extended at a lower salary than the $3M a year he makes now. He would be good insurance for this year and perhaps next.

CANNON is the question mark to me. It seems that we have already replaced him with Fleming, unless Cannon can show that he is a starting RG and is extended.

For 2015, I see MANKINS and CANNON going, and a decision made at LT, either with an extension or the use of a high draft choice. If Mankins goes and Solder is extended, this will free up lots of cap space.

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I agree with your line of thinking. However, I suspect Connolly is gone this year based simply on his contract and non-exceptional performance. While Mankins is not performing at a $7M per year guard, his ability to step-out to LT has major value in building depth. I expect Wendell will hang around this year on account of his lower salary than Connolly, but not if the new coach wants to give Connolly reps at C and Wendell gets beat out. If Connolly moves or is cut, Cannon is the likeliest to step-in at RG, but then, somebody needs to be ready, if Cannon needs to step-out to RT to cover Vollmer's annual mid-season vacation. I think there's a lot of ways it could play out. Having a new OL coach certainly makes things interesting, and I wonder exactly how consistent things will be. I'm sure Belichick has some pretty clear ideas on what is most important for protecting the franchise, but the occasional softness of the interior line has been a recurring concern at the worst possible times in recent years. Connolly looked more reliable in that regard last year, but I wonder how much of that is related to the fact that he was able to focus on his own responsibility, rather than worrying about line calls and snapping the ball.

pencilneckgeek said:

I agree with your line of thinking. However, I suspect Connolly is gone this year based simply on his contract and non-exceptional performance. While Mankins is not performing at a $7M per year guard, his ability to step-out to LT has major value in building depth. I expect Wendell will hang around this year on account of his lower salary than Connolly, but not if the new coach wants to give Connolly reps at C and Wendell gets beat out. If Connolly moves or is cut, Cannon is the likeliest to step-in at RG, but then, somebody needs to be ready, if Cannon needs to step-out to RT to cover Vollmer's annual mid-season vacation. I think there's a lot of ways it could play out. Having a new OL coach certainly makes things interesting, and I wonder exactly how consistent things will be. I'm sure Belichick has some pretty clear ideas on what is most important for protecting the franchise, but the occasional softness of the interior line has been a recurring concern at the worst possible times in recent years. Connolly looked more reliable in that regard last year, but I wonder how much of that is related to the fact that he was able to focus on his own responsibility, rather than worrying about line calls and snapping the ball.

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Fleming was brought in to enable Cannon to be free to take the RG position. That enables Connolly at 6'4" to resume his starting position at C,while Stork learns.
No rookie need be forced tot play until the Coaches are convinced he is ready. No use jeopardizing the Franchise's health.

Stork, Fleming and Halapio may fit in in the future but none of them need be tossed in sink or swim.

I fully expect Stork to be a good to great Center. He was one of the biggest ones at 6'4" and 315, so he is not undersized and needing a year in the weight room. But he will need time to adjust and learn the line calls for the Offense and the Defenses we will face. One of the good things, is he comes from the best collegiate conference, the SEC, and has been already blooded against great players.

Likewise Fleming is a pure RT so he was available in the 4th, but he had to pass block for Andrew Luck in a pro style Offense in the Pac 12, a throwing conference. So he can pass block, the usual bane of RTs. He can adapt to the NFL while a reserve and needn't start as a rookie. If called on early the Pats may sub Canon back for a game or three, but by mid-season and beyond, he should be a passable swing RT.

Halapio may never start, but should be a key swing Interior OG from the power SEC. He could eventually challenge for a starting Guard position in a year or three. He more than likely will provide the 2015 challenge to Connolly /Wendell for the swing OG position.