Nate Solder sucks this year

RIpats88 · Sep 26, 2014

Solder has too much talent to stay in this funk for too long. I think you give him time rather than bench him for someone whom has less talent

JackBauer · Sep 26, 2014

Solder has not looked good to date, but the team has made its bed and they're going to have to sleep in it. Removing Solder just means you're starting an additional inferior player somewhere on the line, and unlike Solder said player probably doesn't have the potential to rebound and play at a serviceable level.

VrabelJr · Sep 26, 2014

1) Shuffling around tons of players at OL is only going to make our problems worse
2) There is literally nobody we can trade for that will be better than Solder. Teams don't trade away LTs just for the hell of it, it's one of the most coveted positions in all of football.

Kontradiction · Sep 26, 2014

Solder should not be benched... at all. At least not this season. He's the best option we have at LT currently. The level of play next to him at LG and C needs to improve the most.

Mcp1982 · Sep 26, 2014

He looks very very slow coming off the snap. Maybe this relates to the concussions he's suffered in that he is either gun shy about contact or is mentally a step slow

MrNathanDrake · Sep 26, 2014

mayoclinic said:
1. You have a new line coach teaching new techniques. It takes time to learn them and adapt, and you revert to your old techniques, which are rusty.

2. You lost your wingman who has watched your flank for the past 2 years. Solder has always had a good and very experienced guard next to him - Brian Waters in 2011, Mankins in 2012 and 2013.

3. You play on a line with several young players and a lot of moving pieces.

4. Possibly, you play on a line with some issues in the center making the line sets and getting people into position.

All of those arguments have been advanced regarding Solder's poor play and possible "regression".

If you want to bench Solder, fine. Put Vollmer and LT and Cannon at RT. Then who are you going to put in the middle?

Work out the other problems and give Solder some time. The Pats thought highly enough of him that they picked up his 5th year option less than 5 months ago.

Did you even watch the videos in the OP?

Solder is getting DESTROYED one-on-one. It looks like he isn't even trying. That has nothing to do with the rest of the line. You can't make excuses for that and blame it on the rest of the OLine.

TBR · Sep 26, 2014

That 2nd one was just pathetic

MrNathanDrake · Sep 26, 2014

Solder doesn't even get a finger on Khalil Mack here.

Pathetic!!!!!

RIpats88 · Sep 26, 2014

MrNathanDrake said:
Solder doesn't even get a finger on Khalil Mack here.

Pathetic!!!!!

that was a really horrible whiff on that block. if solder keeps doing that, brady is going to get killed

mayoclinic · Sep 26, 2014

MrNathanDrake said:
Did you even watch the videos in the OP?

Solder is getting DESTROYED one-on-one. It looks like he isn't even trying. That has nothing to do with the rest of the line. You can't make excuses for that and blame it on the rest of the OLine.

Of course I saw them. Solder hasn't been playing well - that's a given. No one is suggesting otherwise. Not shocking that you can find some video clips of some bad plays. Being taught a new technique and thinking about it will slow your reaction times and make you hesitant. Thinking about the guy next to you will also do that.

Solder's not playing well, but he's far more talented than any other LT candidate we have. You work with him and try and coach him through it.

State · Sep 26, 2014

Remember Solder's first year as starting LT when he dominated Cameron Wake in Miami, except for one play, like nobody's business? He looked like a physical upgrade over Matt Light, who was nonetheless a true warrior. When did Solder have the sex change operation? His play is infuriating because we know he is capable of so much more.

VJCPatriot · Sep 26, 2014

ok so solder is playing badly. what can we do about it? we didn't draft a guy who could play LT. we drafted interior OL and we traded away Mankins who might have been able to help on the left side.

maybe you bench him for a week or give him a 'week's rest'. and see how Vollmer looks at LT. Other than that, I don't see a lot of in house solutions. 6'8 left tackles with NFL level athleticism don't grow on trees.

State · Sep 26, 2014

BB4PRez said:
Scar says to be patient - I think that applies to Solder more than any other player on that line.

What else is he going to say? You have an uncreative journeyman replacing me whom the players don't respond well to?

He might be thinking it, but he's not saying it.

This line has talent that is performing far below its ability. Cannon would have been a much higher draft pick if he hadn't had cancer. Vollmer was a brilliant draftpick. Solder was a consensus mid-first-rounder. Connelly developed into an effective, athletic center before he was forced into the guard position last year. We let an effective Nick McDonald walk. We have talent, though. Bench Solder for a game, with Cannon at LT. Or Vollmer. We have three good tackles--if they play to their natural ability.

SVN · Sep 26, 2014

MrNathanDrake said:
Solder doesn't even get a finger on Khalil Mack here.

Pathetic!!!!!

Thats bad but the fact that he just goes around solder, I wonder if its more technique than being getting beat 1 on 1 physically.

Miguel · Sep 26, 2014

Picking up Solder's 2015 option in May was a no-brainer since there was no downside of doing so. Having it become fully guaranteed at a cost of $7.438 million the first day of the 2015 League Year is a different story.

Thankfully, Solder has 13 regular season games to prove that he is worth $7.438 million in new money next year.

DaBruinz · Sep 26, 2014

Someone mentioned that they trust Bedard's breakdown of Solder over anyone on this board. I don't. Bedard has gone the way of Tom Curran.

I trust guys like Sciz and Patsfanken.

Sciz said:
Either I don't know what I'm looking at, the Raiders game was completely different and you're talking about the first two, or that part about him not playing on an island is completely incorrect. Watching every passing play focusing solely on Solder, I saw two schemed LT+LG doubles on edge guys, and Solder came off the double team to pick up a blitzer one of those times. There were four TE+LT double teams, two coming on hard play actions and one where Solder left the double team to pick up a blitzer. I saw one RB chip.

I don't remember if any of those plays were called back for penalties and there were plays that happened so fast that the blocking didn't matter, but officially there were 41 drop backs in the game. I counted him getting schemed help on the edge 7 times with 4 true double teams, only one of which was from an offensive lineman.

Deus Irae · Sep 26, 2014

Two Nate Solder tidbits:

Nate Solder is the highest offensive player drafted in the Bill Belichick era
Nate Solder is the only first round pick currently playing offense for the NE Patriots.

MrNathanDrake · Sep 26, 2014

SVN said:
Thats bad but the fact that he just goes around solder, I wonder if its more technique than being getting beat 1 on 1 physically.

I think it's more MENTAL than physical.

It's worrying because his body language looks like he doesn't even give a **** when he gets beat.

shmessy · Sep 26, 2014

KontradictioN said:
I think Stork to C needs to happen this week. He's looked great, though this would be a big test for sure. I think if they're going to toss him into the starting line-up any time in the next two weeks, I would rather it be this week instead of against the Bengals.

That's all well and good, but this would be a Rookie Center starting his first NFL game in one of the loudest 2 stadiums on Monday Night Football where Brady will probably be employing a silent count.

That's a situation where familiarity, communication and timing is of utmost importance. I agree, I'd normally rather have the kid in there as opposed to Wendell, but not on MNF at jet-engine decibel levels with a silent snap count.

Froob · Sep 26, 2014

Better off leaving him out there and hope he figures it out somehow. Don't think any of our backups will do much better. Sucks for Kraft (kinda not exactly breaking the bank)to pay that big 5th year option and get 500k level production.

Nate Solder sucks this year

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