Koppen Thoughts
 

Couple of thoughts:

Koppen is opening day starter

or if he is a backup:

Solder gets hurt:
Vollmer to LT and Cannon at RT (no impact)

Mankins gets hurt:
Connolly to LG and Koppen to C
Connolly to LG and Wendell to C (cut)
Wendell or Thomas to LG and Connolly stays at C (cut)

Connolly gets hurt:
Koppen to C
Wendell to C (cut)

Connolly and Wendell get hurt:
Koppen to C
Koppen brought back after cut

Waters is hurt or retires:
Connolly to RG and Koppen to C
Wendell or Thomas to RG and Connolly stays at C (cut)
Connolly to RG and Wendell to C (cut)

Vollmer gets hurt:
Cannon to RT (no impact)

Connolly is not the best fit at either G spots (cut)

Always the possibilty of Mankins shifting to LT due to injury

BB has a tough decision on Koppen, that's for sure

Re: Koppen Thoughts
 

We have roster room for our top 3 centers. We started 4 centers last year.

Even if you believe that Connolly is our starting center, Koppen is the Game Day interior line backup. If a guard is injured, Connolly moves to guard and Koppen to center.

Wendell or McDonald would be our 3rd C and would be inactive unless there is an injury. If Waters doesn't come back, one of them would be our Game Day backup. I greatly prefer Wendell.

In the end, McDonald is our 4th, emergency, OT. I expect that Belichick will be scouring the waiver wire for a replacement.

Cannon is our Game Day backup OT.

Re: Koppen Thoughts
 

I think Koppen makes the final 53