Possible Patriots Draft Target, OT Le'Raven Clark

Possible Patriots Draft Target, OT Le'Raven Clark

Steve Balestrieri



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I'm guessing we can get him with one of our 3rd's. Read some good things about this guy, good feet, good against speed rush, pretty good run blocker. You win in the trenches, let's address both sides.

Plus, we'd lead the league in guys with apostrophies in their names.

scott99 said:

I'm guessing we can get him with one of our 3rd's. Read some good things about this guy, good feet, good against speed rush, pretty good run blocker. You win in the trenches, let's address both sides.

Plus, we'd lead the league in guys with apostrophies in their names.

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I really doubt that he would last into the 90s. In fact, he's my #1 target at 60 if Jason Spriggs is off the
board. The drop-off after Clark to the next-best OT with the potential to play Light/Solder LT is huge.

I've seen measurements for Clark that cite 36.25" arms and 10.8" hands. In addition to his size, his wingspan would make him a formidable tackle for passrushers to try to run the arc around. I'd be pretty excited to get a guy like Clark, but we'll see. Everyone is all potential up until they are drafted!

captain stone said:

I really doubt that he would last into the 90s. In fact, he's my #1 target at 60 if Jason Spriggs is off the
board. The drop-off after Clark to the next-best OT with the potential to play Light/Solder LT is huge.

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they both have flies.......spriggs arms are pretty short

he's pretty agile though

He's going to be another work in progress but his ceiling is ridiculous. I wouldn't mind him with one of our 2nd's.

I am not familiar with Clark, but we need an upgreade behind Solder/Vollmer. We don't want to see Cannon starting in a playoff game again.

ashley1992 said:

I am not familiar with Clark, but we need an upgreade behind Solder/Vollmer. We don't want to see Cannon starting in a playoff game again.

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Moreover, we need someone young to groom.

Vollmer turns 32 in July, and he has had plenty of injuries, although to his credit he has mostly played through them (tough guy, obviously). 32 is the age that Ferguson just retired. Light retired at 33.

We need somebody ready to step up in another few years.

IllegalContact said:

tspriggs arms are pretty short

he's pretty agile though

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34" arms are fine.

ashley1992 said:

I am not familiar with Clark, but we need an upgreade behind Solder/Vollmer. We don't want to see Cannon on this team again.

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Fixed it for ya.

Vollmer is 32 and solder has a big cap hit in 2017. Would like to see us draft both of their replacements.

TommyBrady12 said:

Fixed it for ya.

Vollmer is 32 and solder has a big cap hit in 2017. Would like to see us draft both of their replacements.

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Sure lets have rookie tackles with a soon to be 40 QB without mobility...

Luxusdk said:

Sure lets have rookie tackles with a soon to be 40 QB without mobility...

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Did i say that the draft picks would replace them next year?

No you didn't. I think that most of us knew that you meant "draft their Eventual replacements."

This is more than likely Vollmer's last season here if his projected cap hit for 2017 is not reduced.

Solder, though younger, is not exactly the picture of health either. His cap hit for 2017 might also need
to be, ahem, adjusted.

We need to have their Eventual replacements drafted, trained, and ready to go before any of these situations arise. I never, ever want to see what happened to Brady in the AFCC happen to him ever, ever again.

Edit: I meant Solder's cap hit for 2017, not 2018. Thanks for the heads-up.

captain stone said:

No you didn't. I think that most of us knew that you meant "draft their Eventual replacements."

This is more than likely Vollmer's last season here if his projected cap hit for 2017 is not reduced.

Solder, though younger, is not exactly the picture of health either. His cap hit for 2018 might also need
to be, ahem, adjusted.

We need to have their Eventual replacements drafted, trained, and ready to go before any of these situations arise. I never, ever want to see what happened to Brady in the AFCC happen to him ever,
ever again.

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I agree with your thoughts.

On another note, Solder is only under contract here for 2 years, through the end of 2017. He also has the second highest cap hit on the team behind Brady in both of those years. It looks like we'll be having to try and groom at least one rookie OT--if not both sides.

Draft 2 OTs.

Release Cannon.

Restructure Vollmer contract.

Le'Raven Clark?

If we get him, I say we make him the eligible receiver vs Harbaugh and his team.

zipster9 said:

Draft 2 OTs.

Release Cannon.

Restructure Vollmer contract.

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I am all for releasing cannon and fleming, but can we get two upgrades over them in the draft?

supafly said:

I agree with your thoughts.

On another note, Solder is only under contract here for 2 years, through the end of 2017. He also has the second highest cap hit on the team behind Brady in both of those years. It looks like we'll be having to try and groom at least one rookie OT--if not both sides.

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I have this feeling that, assuming he bounces back in 2016, the Pats will extend him next offseason. I think the cancer diagnosis in 2014 affected the negotiations in a big way.

ctpatsfan77 said:

I have this feeling that, assuming he bounces back in 2016, the Pats will extend him next offseason. I think the cancer diagnosis in 2014 affected the negotiations in a big way.

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I agree with this because like it or not he plays a premium position that is hard to draft. Large men with foot speed is a very rare commodity and even Soldiers haters have to admit he is average to slightly above average LT with all the measurables. I would say he is somewhere between the 10th-20th best in the league and those guys get 8-10 million a year. The only kind of upgrade usually go in the top 10 or cost you a ton of money on FA neither of which the patriots have. Go with the good enough you know works in the system and spend the money on other places that upgrade the roster. I am just fine with Soldier getting top 5 player on the roster money purely due to the position he plays. Though obviously if he is open to a long term extention for less money due to health and injury you do at least have a conversation with him. I do put a vollemer replacement for next year as the number 2 draft priority after RB though.

ctpatsfan77 said:

I have this feeling that, assuming he bounces back in 2016, the Pats will extend him next offseason. I think the cancer diagnosis in 2014 affected the negotiations in a big way.

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Agreed. Without extraordinary luck, left tackles are extremely hard to find without a top (of the first round) draft pick. We have a 27 year old LT that is somewhere between top 15 (which would be above average) and top 10 (Scar certainly believes the latter, he called him one of the top few in the league). Clearly he is valued by the Pats based on his cap hit.

Do people really think the Pats will cut him or lowball him? Who would replace him? That would shock me unless his performance falls off a cliff (e.g., due to permanent injury).