- Joined
- Mar 13, 2005
- Messages
- 20,536
- Reaction score
- 1
It seems I may have more dysfunctional family than I knew!I think mid-first round is a sweet spot for the top tackles in this draft. I'm not sure what the plan is after Light.
There's no thread up on tackles, but what's the early feel about this year's crop? Is Vollmer a RT going forward or LT? Opine, cousins, opine!
Vollmer can play either side, and is an option for LT, but I expect him to stay at RT for continuity on the right side with potentially a new RG next season.
I expect Light to re-sign for a couple more years.
Kaczur is starter quality at either OT slot if needed, where he plays may depend on Mankins' and Neal's decisions.
I like Nate Solder and expect him to project to mid-first round. I think Solder can play either OT slot; I had projected him as a better RT to start with, but that goes back to the Vollmer discussion - do you shake up the entire line by moving Vollmer to LT and plugging a rookie in at RT? I think Solder will grow into a fine LT, so I'd not get too worried about starting him if Light left.
Worse case OL scenario: Light and Mankins leave in free agency, Neal retires.
-- Draft Solder (1st), two of OL Jason Pinkston/Clint Boling/Danny Watkins (2nd/3rd), and RT Jah Reid (7th). Two pure Tackles for depth. Two Four position OL for depth everywhere. Overkill perhaps, but if NE has to do a major rebuild on the O-line in a hurry, this is the year to do it with the depth everywhere else on the team except RB. Solder at #15 sets up a trade back at 1b and/or 2a to gain extra picks.
---- Kaczur at RT, Vollmer at LT.
---- Connolly goes to LG for his experience alongside Vollmer. Pinkston/Watkins understudies at LG and may even win the job outright.
---- Boling/Watkins/Pinkston battles Orhnberger, Wendell, and Ojinnaka for RG alongside the veteran Kaczur.
---- Solder develops as a Swing Tackle who is primed to take over for Kaczur who is signed through 2012, but will be 32 to start Training Camp. Reid is injury insurance at OT and competition for Ojinnaka and LeVoir.
---- Fans are unlikely to know how Maneri is progressing on the PSquad or how he will impact draft decisions, but we do know he does have 3 Practice Player of the Week awards, so he's at least working hard.
---- If Solder gets snagged before NE's Oakland pick Pinkston/Boling/Watkins are all LTs, with Boling also a RT/RG so there's still redundancy.
Next worst scenarios, Mankins leaves and Neal retires, but Light re-signs; draft Pinkston, Boling, Watkins, and Reid setting up a donnybrook for the Guard slots while creating flexibility all along the line; or Light and Mankins both leave but Neal stays one more year: draft Solder and two of Pinkston/Boling/Watkins.