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Dan Connolly exemplified everything our program requires of players. He was tough and dependable, smart and team oriented and his work ethic ensured he improved on an annual basis to reach his potential. From where his career began as a developmental player to where it finished as a team leader and champion, Dan Connolly was a player I was proud to coach.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/dan-connolly-exemplified-everything-our-program/
I’ll break them down by the year their contracts are up and by priority.
2016
Nate Solder is really the only guy of everyone in their final years that I’d put as a priority. Sealver Siliga and Ryan Allen are two that should probably be retained as well but the rest are basically depth guys who will have to prove something this year.
2017
This is where things get crazy and it would probably be in the Pats’ best interest to lock one or two of these guys up a year early. Here’s my rankings for this group:
Really I’d want to keep all four of those guys, but the ones who I’d have to unfortunately let walk are, in order of how much it would hurt:
Then there’s the group of guys under 30 who could elevate themselves into priority status from the 2017 group like:
So as you can see next offseason might be somewhat uneventful, but a huge core dynamic of the team, especially on defense could really shift in 2017. Locking down those top four guys, and I’m assuming that Sheard eventually takes over at LDE for Ninkovich, is a big priority and the sooner they get those guys new contracts the better.
This guy is my biggest priority though:
Just as it’s always darkest just before dawn, so is the real football news the quietest just before the start of training camp. The good news? Another offseason is just about behind us and personally, I’ve never wanted a Super Bowl championship offseason to be over more. Most of this is of course related to Deflategate, which we could have a ruling on as soon as today or as late as the start of training camp. So yes, it’s a little sad we couldn’t enjoy this offseason, but the silver lining is there should be some leftover motivation heading into the new season.
So fire away with any questions you have and if you haven’t picked one up yet my 30+ page Patriots season preview book is available for just $4 here.
With the retirement of starting left guard and captain Dan Connolly, the Patriots will have to replace a significant player who played a key role. You can discover the NFL odds for this season and it’s unlikely that this new garners much national attention as it relates to the Pats’ hopes of repeating as Super Bowl champions, but if there has been a consistent theme when the Patriots bow out of the playoffs, it has been sub-par protection for Tom Brady.
In their last two Super Bowl losses, the Giants’ vaunted defensive line terrorized Brady by winning the battle in the trenches. The Patriots never found a rhythm and lost both contests in the final moments.
However, last season the Patriots held off the Seahawks’ defensive line, especially in the fourth quarter and low and behold, the Pats finally secured their fourth title.
Connolly has played all three interior positions for the Pats. After much turmoil in early 2014, the Patriots settled in with an interior trio of Connolly, rookie Bryan Stork at center and Ryan Wendell at right guard. This wasn’t exactly the best interior trio of the past 15 years for New England, but it was one that got the job done when it was all on the line.
So now, without Connolly, their most versatile and experienced interior offensive linemen, the Pats will once again have some big questions along their interior.
Wendell wasn’t thought to be anything more than a center before last season, but he proved he could do a solid job at right guard and that calmed the entire line last season.
The Patriots drafted two potential guards – Tre Jackson and Shaq Mason. Jackson was a career right guard, while the undersized Mason saw time at center and right guard. So you’ll notice, neither have experience at left guard.
Some players can make that transition to the other side, while some cannot. The Pats will certainly take a look at Jackson and Mason at left guard this summer, as perhaps the easiest answer is to keep Wendell at right guard.
But Wendell won’t be handed the job, while former tackles like Caylin Hauptmann and Cameron Fleming will also get a long look.
Then there’s veteran Josh Kline who has done an admirable job filling in at various points in the last two years. This is similar to how Connolly progressed in New England, so he could be in for a jump as well.
The Patriots did plenty of experimentation well into the regular season last year before Stork got healthy and Wendell stepped into the right guard spot. Can they afford that kind of juggling this year, especially if Jimmy Garoppolo is needed to start a couple games?
One thing is for certain – the Patriots are one of the most well-coached teams in the league and despite often having some bumps early in training camp and into the early part of the regular season, they always manage to find a way to make it work.
This year, even without Connolly, will be no different.
Julian Edelman, New England Patriots
https://www.patspropaganda.com/designingsport-julian-edelman-new-england/
Rob Gronkowski: Best Comeback Athlete 2/2
First I want to thank my mother Diane and my father Gordy,
I went through many difficult times in my career and they were
at all of my surgeries supporting me, flying across the country
whatever it took to be with me in the surgery room whenever it was
so thank you mom and dad. Second I just want to congratulate all the other
honorees. I remember Lindsey and myself coming out of the surgery room
about the same day all that pain and it just shows how athletes just work
so hard to get back to where they need to get back too. When you get down you put mind over matter, and you do everything possible to get back to where you started. And second I want to thank Mr.Kraft and Coach Belichick for always believing in me during my injuries and patriot nation, thank you.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/robgronkwowski-rob-gronkowski-best-comeback/
Not many offensive linemen have a career highlight like this! (via Dan Connolly’s 71-yard Kickoff Return – YouTube)
https://www.patspropaganda.com/not-many-offensive-linemen-have-a-career-highlight/