Logan Mankins coming off PUP

[MoLewisrocks]

Re: Mankins off PUP.

Shut the front door. Where'd you hear that...:bricks: The rest of us must have been sleeping all afternoon.

 

[ay-yo]

Re: Mankins off PUP.

and Spikes is back too! Great work by Logan to be back this early.

 

[Fencer]

Re: Mankins off PUP.

Great news!

Unfortunately, I don't think he's a backstop at OT right now, given that he lacks a little quickness at the position even when he's 100% healthy ... and also given that the last time he played there, he got injured after just a few reps.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Great news about Mankins. We do need Waters back if he is not retiring.

Not a put down on Connerly, but you can never have enough good OL. I'd hate to see the Patriots let Waters retire and then unretire and then land on another team that needs OL (Jets).

 

[Joker]

Connolly at center, Waters and Mankins flanking him...what's the problem??

 

[Joey007]

Connolly at center, Waters and Mankins flanking him...what's the problem??

To answer your question, right tackle.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Great news about Mankins. We do need Waters back if he is not retiring.

Not a put down on Connerly, but you can never have enough good OL. I'd hate to see the Patriots let Waters retire and then unretire and then land on another team that needs OL (Jets).

You can't retire and then unretire to go where you want. Ask Favre. The team you retire from retains your rights if you unretire until/unless they cut you if they don't want you or can't trade you.

 

[PATSNUTme]

You can't retire and then unretire to go where you want. Ask Favre. The team you retire from retains your rights if you unretire until/unless they cut you if they don't want you or can't trade you.

Yes I knew that, and my post was badly worded. Waters is under contract with the Patriots and he just can't retire then change his mind and sign with another team.

What I meant to say is that the Patriots should hold him to that contract if he still wants to play at any time this year. My speculation is that Waters is still undecided about retirement (or, that's the excuse for his being absent from training camp). I hope that he decides soon to play another year.

 

[Tunescribe]

Let's wait a bit. He has yet to see the field with shorts & shells yet never mind contact as soon as Tuesday. If he's really getting ready no need to rush this week.

No need to rush him until the regular season starts. Mankins is a gung-ho guy, I hope he knows enough to pace himself.

 

[unoriginal]

Great to have Mankins back so soon! Even without Waters, a lineup like Solder-Mankins-Connolly-Thomas looks pretty strong. It's that 5th spot that's the problem.

Get well soon, SeaBass!

Once Vollmer comes back the O-line is instantly strong again and the offense will e ready to dominate. Waters is more of a bonus, I like Thomas.

If the past is anything to go by, I believe the Pats think Wendell is their next best interior lineman, and since it's been Connolly working at RG with Thomas at LG, I think the starting lineup is Solder - Mankins - Wendell - Connolly - ???, with McDonald as the new utilityman extraordinaire.

 

[Sciz]

If the past is anything to go by, I believe the Pats think Wendell is their next best interior lineman, and since it's been Connolly working at RG with Thomas at LG, I think the starting lineup is Solder - Mankins - Wendell - Connolly - ???, with McDonald as the new utilityman extraordinaire.

Yeah, Wendell got the first and second team center reps today. I think he's the winner of the presumed Connolly/Koppen battle.

Starters: Solder Mankins Wendell Waters Vollmer
Backups: Connolly, Cannon, McDonald, and maybe Thomas.

 

[supafly]

Yeah, Wendell got the first and second team center reps today. I think he's the winner of the presumed Connolly/Koppen battle.

Starters: Solder Mankins Wendell Waters Vollmer
Backups: Connolly, Cannon, McDonald, and maybe Thomas.

That certainly would add to the center vs guard debate regarding Connelly, considering that everyone would be wrong if he isn't even on the first string.

It also makes his salary a bit much (understatement) for a backup player.

 

[Sciz]

That certainly would add to the center vs guard debate regarding Connelly, considering that everyone would be wrong if he isn't even on the first string.

It also makes his salary a bit much (understatement) for a backup player.

Well, Connolly's cap hit isn't a ton this year ($2.3M), and he's a huge favorite to be starting in a year with Waters presumably gone. Connolly being a backup would also open him up to playing some fullback again, plus it'd be easier to rationalize putting him on the kick return team (LOL). And we know he can play all three interior OL position at the NFL level. If Wendell is winning the center job by his own doing and not because Connolly has declined, then this is only a good thing.

 

[randomk1]

1 down...2 to go

 

[Haley]

Yeah, Wendell got the first and second team center reps today. I think he's the winner of the presumed Connolly/Koppen battle.

Starters: Solder Mankins Wendell Waters Vollmer
Backups: Connolly, Cannon, McDonald, and maybe Thomas.

This might imply more about Waters or Vollmer than Connolly.

 

[Rob0729]

This might imply more about Waters or Vollmer than Connolly.

I agree. I think Belichick and Scar think it is easier to plug someone in at center than RG. I think Connolly is at RG because Belichick might not be sure Waters is returning.

 

[nowayback]

if Waters wasnt coming back for sure, they would have said he is retiring. he would have said so. of course he may be undecided.

prob testing wendell at center so they can cut koppen.

more worried about vollmer, even when he comes back, how long will he be injury free?

 

[Guimond3434]

I think the Patriots already know if Waters' is coming back to be honest. It's hard for me to believe that a player would keep his team "in the dark" for this long about his future. I believe they already know.

 

[JJDChE]

im really worried about solder though - if after a couple seasons he still hasn't learned to bend his knees properly it's reason for concern. i can uinderstand if solder were a rookie though, but he's not. maybe the transistion from RT to LT is a lot for him.

What are you considering a 'couple seasons'? One season and half an offseason? We drafted him last year ferchrissakes.

 

[patchick]

I think the Patriots already know if Waters' is coming back to be honest. It's hard for me to believe that a player would keep his team "in the dark" for this long about his future. I believe they already know.

I basically agree, unless there's a $$ question. If -- total wild speculation here -- Waters took a position along the lines of "I'm happy retiring, unless you paid me $3.5 million to change my mind," the Pats might wait to see how much they need him? Maybe? :confused2:

If the past is anything to go by, I believe the Pats think Wendell is their next best interior lineman, and since it's been Connolly working at RG with Thomas at LG, I think the starting lineup is Solder - Mankins - Wendell - Connolly - ???, with McDonald as the new utilityman extraordinaire.

That could well be...with so many guys out, it's been impossible to get a real read on depth. Plus it's just complicated, given positional issues. For instance, let's suppose that at guard, the Waters-less pecking order goes like this:

Mankins > Connolly > Thomas > Wendell (Wendell's a solid player, but just plain tiny for a guard)

And then let's say that the center depth chart goes:

Connolly > Wendell > Koppen

From that, you just can't conclude whether a C-G pairing of Connolly-Thomas or Wendell-Connolly would be considered stronger.