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Insightful read into what was one of the most fascinating positions this season – the OL. From the Mankins trade to the near-constant early season rotation, many, including myself, thought the OL would be the the Achilles heel of the 2014 Patriots. But they proved me and many others wrong.

The most interesting spot in here is the confirmation that no one inside the organization thought Ryan Wendell could play guard. More and more it seems like guard will be one of the most interesting positions to watch this offseason.

At least on paper it’s the easiest place to upgrade. And with Connolly a free agent, there’s no guarantee how things will look next fall.

What people miss about the preseason, especially with line play, is the Patriots don’t do many things as far as protections and schemes. There are a lot of straight dropbacks. The blockers are asked to do a lot of one-on-one blocking, both in the run and pass games. They don’t keep the backs or tight ends in to help. So, yes, if you leave the Patriots’ offensive linemen on an island, they are going to have their struggles at times. Maybe more than their share. But if you construct a plan like offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels did for the Titans, and the Patriots execute like they did, team blocking is going to be in a position to be successful.