Offensive Line Backup

[mgteich]

I don't think that we'll keep any of our own. Tennant (C) is now available.

 

[Fencer]

7 ol?

With Zusevics and Stankiewitch gone -- and of course Nick McDonald -- it's not clear who the 8th OL is the Patriots would want to keep.

Might the plan be to start with 7, and then add the kind of vet they anyway like to keep off the Opening Day roster? (To avoid guaranteeing the salary of an end-of-roster guy.)

 

[mgteich]

Re: 7 ol?

We might sign someone from another team like Tennant.

 

[Sicilian]

Re: 7 ol?

We'll likely either sign someone from another team, or bring a couple of these guys back on the PS and go with 7 until an injury occurs (less preferable).

 

[Urgent]

I have to agree.
The top seven are obvious, but then there really doesn't seem to be an eighth option on the team.

Luckily back-up interior OL are easier to pick up. Dante has such a terrific track record - the next Connolly/Hochstein/Donald Thomas is out there.

With Svitek and Cannon, the team is basically OK through two injuries at any position. A third injury is trouble, but the team should be able to find someone they can develop for that situation.

 

[Urgent]

...and for those without mgteich's keen memory, Matt Tennant was on the Patriots interim 53 a year ago at this time, and then dropped when the Patriots picked up Lex Hilliard. Former BC OL.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

FWIW, McDonald was injured; if he gets healthy, I expect he'll be back at some point.

 

[Fencer]

OL on the PS

The Patriots signed right tackle R. J. Dill to the practice squad. (Guess where he went to college?) They have their waive claim guys, who probably won't all stick on the 53. They have Josh Kline.

It seems there is often a lot of churn on the PS, not excepting the OL positions. I certainly expect a lot of churn among the OL PSers this year.

 

[Fencer]

Jeff Howe re the starters -- not his best work

Looks good for starters: Depth will be a factor for Patriots | Boston Herald

General high optimism about the starters, concerns about depth.

His biggest brain cramp was probably:

Naturally, there are questions of depth on the line, particularly after top backup tackle Will Svitek hurt his knee and the Pats added two linemen off the waiver wire this weekend, but few teams have any reliable reinforcements on the offensive line.

The bolded word almost never applies to the Patriots, including this season, where they're 6 deep on the OL without Svitek. Previous reliable OL reserves have included Donald Thomas, Russ Hochstein in a Super Bowl, Grant Williams in a Super Bowl, Tom Ashworth and more.

 

[mgteich]

The Universal Backup

I suspect that Cannon will be first off the bench with any injury on the OL or with an injury at TE (need for a blocking 3rd TE).

 

[Brady6]

Re: The Universal Backup

I suspect that Cannon will be first off the bench with any injury on the OL or with an injury at TE (need for a blocking 3rd TE).

I think there is also a chance he could start, Connolly is coming back from offseason surgery and he was the weakest link on the line last year anyway, what are your thoughts?

Either way you post holds true to a degree, I see the depth looking like this:

LT – Solder | Vollmer| Cannon
LG – Mankins | Connolly| Barker
OC – Wendell | Connolly| Mankins
RG – Cannon | Connolly| Barker
RT – Vollmer | Cannon | Barker

You could flip Cannon and Connolly at RG depending on your starter preference; I don’t think it would affect anything else in an injury situation. As far as a blocking TE, generally Belichick (in 2012) moved Vollmer to LT, used Cannon at RT, and used Solder as the TE, the reason I believe is that Solder was a college TE up until his junior or senior season and is supposedly a solid receiver.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Re: The Universal Backup

I think there is also a chance he could start, Connolly is coming back from offseason surgery and he was the weakest link on the line last year anyway, what are your thoughts?

Either way you post holds true to a degree, I see the depth looking like this:

LT – Solder | Vollmer| Cannon
LG – Mankins | Connolly| Barker
OC – Wendell | Connolly| Mankins
RG – Cannon | Connolly| Barker
RT – Vollmer | Cannon | Barker

You could flip Cannon and Connolly at RG depending on your starter preference; I don’t think it would affect anything else in an injury situation. As far as a blocking TE, generally Belichick (in 2012) moved Vollmer to LT, used Cannon at RT, and used Solder as the TE, the reason I believe is that Solder was a college TE up until his junior or senior season and is supposedly a solid receiver.

Solder was a TE his freshman year, but he outgrew the position and they moved him to tackle his sophomore year.

 

[Brady6]

Re: Re: The Universal Backup

Solder was a TE his freshman year, but he outgrew the position and they moved him to tackle his sophomore year.

Thanks for knowledge man! I wasn't sure.

 

[Fencer]

Re: The Universal Backup

Well, yes, for the most part.

There's a major drop-off from our top 6 OL, and plenty of flexibility among those 5.

• Cannon can directly back up Connolly and Vollmer.
• Vollmer can back up Solder.
• Connolly can back up Mankins and Wendell.

I believe all the above have already been proved in regular-season complete games.

Further, Connolly has in the past been the jumbo-package FB, and as noted above, Solder has been at times pushed out to TE. So it's easy to imagine Cannon coming in in the jumbo package, allowing somebody else to play a skill position.