{"id":148566,"date":"2011-05-10T16:41:03","date_gmt":"2011-05-10T16:41:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vip.local\/2011\/05\/10\/state-of-the-position-offensive-line\/"},"modified":"2011-05-10T16:41:03","modified_gmt":"2011-05-10T16:41:03","slug":"state-of-the-position-offensive-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportsdaily.com\/news\/state-of-the-position-offensive-line\/","title":{"rendered":"State of the Position: Offensive line"},"content":{"rendered":"
State of the Position<\/strong> is a new weekly Foxboro Blog feature that will examine the post-draft status of each position and take a look at what needs still need to be filled before the season opens up.<\/em><\/p>\n Today we will examine the offensive line.<\/em><\/p>\n Heading into the draft, nearly every draftnik, fan and even our own Foxboro Blog writers had the Patriots targeting an outside linebacker\/defensive end with their first-round pick.<\/p>\n However, Bill Belichick went to the other side of the ball and selected Nate Solder, a 6-foot-8 left tackle from Colorado with the 17th<\/sup> pick.<\/p>\n While he\u2019s still raw, Solder has the ability to be a Pro Bowl-caliber blindside protector for Tom Brady and beyond.<\/p>\n The selection of Solder would seem to signal the end of the Matt Light era who is expected to demand a multi-year deal for starter money.<\/p>\n In the fifth round, the Pats made a great value pick and chose Marcus Cannon, a mammoth tackle\/guard who slipped from the second round because of his recent diagnosis of non-Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma.<\/p>\n Even if he is unable to contribute this season, Cannon should be a starter in 2012 at either guard spot and would add a physical presence to an otherwise small interior line.<\/p>\n That being said, the biggest question on the offensive line lies at the left guard spot.<\/p>\n All-Pro Logan Mankins was franchised for the second-straight year, and it is uncertain whether he will play or hold out again.<\/p>\n If Light is allowed to walk, I think the Pats should and will give consideration to trying to work out a longterm deal with Mankins.<\/p>\n If he is re-signed, the Patriots could have a potentially dominant line with Solder and Mankins on the left and Cannon and Vollmer on the right.<\/p>\n With that potential lineup, the team still has good depth with Dan Connolly, Rich Ohrnberger and Ryan Wendell along the interior. Connolly performed well as a starter last year and can play either guard spot. Ohrnberger and Wendell have spent several years in the system and should compete for a backup spot.<\/p>\n The one position that could be addressed in the offseason would be center.<\/p>\n Longtime starter Dan Koppen is entering the last year of his contract and I would consider him the weak spot in the line. He should finish out his contract, but I wouldn\u2019t expect him to be brought back.<\/p>\n Overall, I think the Pats did a great job solidifying their line for the future and turned a potential weakness into a strength.<\/p>\n State of the Position Grade: B+<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" State of the Position is a new weekly Foxboro Blog feature that will examine the post-draft status of each position…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[547148916],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n