2013 Offensive Line Rankings | ProFootballFocus.com – Part 3

Pats O-line in the middle of the pack here and with Connolly due for a big cap hit in the final year of his deal and Wendell being a free agent, the Pats will have some decisions to make.

I think they re-sign Wendell but aim to bring in competition and try to re-work Connolly and move him back to the interior swing guy. Both are good run blockers though, so no crying if the Pats run game struggles next year without them, okay?

16. New England Patriots (2nd) PB: 19th, RB: 21st, PEN: 1st

Stud: The heir to Matt Light might not have entered the top tier of tackles, but Nate Solder ( 25.6) is knocking on the door. Too many sacks allowed (10), but you have to be happy when you’re tackle pass blocks 647 times and gives up just 35 quarterback disruptions.

Dud: Last year Ryan Wendell (-14.0) got something of a pass from us because of his tremendous run blocking. Well, when he’s not producing that you can’t ignore his woeful pass protection. Centers should never allow more quarterback disruptions (37) than the team’s starting left tackle no matter how good the LT is.

Analysis: A dropoff for a normally solid unit. It really didn’t help that they lost the league’s (at that point) top-rated right tackle in Sebastian Vollmer, but with Logan Mankins far from elite and Dan Connolly struggling, the real problem comes in the interior where the team might look to bring in some competition in the offseason.