I know we touche din on the Offensive line last week, but with the way things are shaping up, I thought we needed to take another look at it.
Current 1st Team: Nate Solder (LT), Donald Thomas (LG), Ryan Wendell (C), Dan Connolly (RG), Marcus Cannon (RT)
This lineup contains two fifths of the projected starting lineup and looks especially weak at left guard with Donald Thoms and right tackle with Marcus Cannon. Ryan Wendell I think is solid and would not mind having him in a pinch. I am not sold on Cannon and I think the Vollmer injury is the one to watch the most. Koppen bowed to Wendell at Center, and I think that is the nail in his coffin. His only chance was being a starting Center in a scenario in which Mankins or Waters is out and Connolly slides out to guard. However, it appears they are not moving this way. They currently have no healthy tackles behind Cannon and Solder, as Weems, Kopa, and Nix, their three backup tackles, are all out with some form of injury. Nick MacDonald is a G/C and just returned to practice off the PUP and got reps at LT (where he played in college) out of necessity to give Solder some rest. It also appeared as though they took some camp fodder defensive lineman and worked them out with Dante (the man) Scarnecchia in hopes they can get some reps out of them in the event none of those tackles get back to practice soon.
This is troubling. Brady needs time, and we need to be able to run the ball, at least a little. Maybe that is why they are loading up on tight ends? Get the ball out there faster...
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