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sebastian vollmer

Patriots Offensive Line Review: Week 1

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The worst thing that could have happened prior to playing week one was an injury of any type to Nate Solder. The $6 million dollar left tackle was unavailable due to a suspected hamstring injury. This unforeseen situation would mean that several young offensive lineman would be called upon to perform well immediately against the Cardinals. Sebastian Vollmer is likely out of the season and it appears that Belichick will ride out the year with Waddle and Fleming as his depth tackles.

It certainly didn’t appear that the outlook was promising for the Patriots in pregame. News broke that Rob Gronkowski would not play Sunday. His skills as a blocker would be sorely missed, especially with a new quarterback under center. Shaq Mason had a broken hand but played with a club. This is certainly a testament to his toughness as a player.

Snaps

There would be a total of 71 offensive snaps in the unbelievable victory against Arizona. Four lineman stepped up and played every single down week one: Cam Fleming, Joe Thuney, David Andrews, and Marcus Cannon. Rookie Ted Karras and Shaq Mason saw less reps in the game. Karras totaled 57 plays and Mason 14.

The Patriots pulled it off with a solid performance from their offensive line. Fleming, Thuney, and Karras have never seen/had limited NFL reps. Shaq Mason and David Andrews are both second year players. The only veteran on the line was last season’s biggest disappointment in the trenches: Marcus Cannon.

The concern before this past game centered around giving the rookie quarterback an early boost of confidence. Belichick kept the pocket moving through play action and a variety of misdirection plays centered around Julian Edelman. This helped to keep the edge rushers honest and eliminated some of the pocket pressure. They also lined up in heavy sets and ran the ball consistently to keep Arizona honest. This opened up longer plays downfield like the 37 yard heave to Chris Hogan.

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Patriots Injury Buzzkill Sunday

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After two off days, the Patriots had media access on Sunday morning and the Boston Globe’s Jim McBride broke a trio of bad injury news updates concerning Shaq Mason, Dion Lewis and Sebastian Vollmer.

These are the first significant injury blows of the 2016 season with potential long-term ramifications.

Let’s break them each down one by one.

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Hello Injuries: Patriots Wounded in the Trenches

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Bright Spots

The first day of camp was extra special for Patriots left tackle Nate Solder. It was the first time he was able to share a football field with his son Hudson. Both father and son have battled extensive health issues in the last year. Seeing Dad in uniform and Hudson present certainly made the first day of practice special.

Another long time Patriot reappeared out of retirement in hope of improving the offensive line. Dante Scarnecchia is back and he brings extensive coaching experience in the trenches. There will be some tight position battles and Scar will be in charge of improving the unit that protects Brady.

Rookie offensive guard Joe Thuney has come into camp and captured attention immediately.  Jeff Howe and other members of the media cited his strength engaged with defensive opponents and his finish on every play. Since Thuney is a strong fundamental offensive lineman he can potentially work on playing tackle in addition to guard. Many suspect that is already the plan.

First Impressions

The first offensive line group consisted of Solder-Thuney-Stork-Cooper-Cannon. During camp these starting groups are subject to change every day. There will be injuries and various reasons that cause the first group to fluctuate.

Joe Thuney and Jonathan Cooper are favorites to win the starting guard job according to some Patriots analysts. Sebastian Vollmer and Nate Solder as expected to return to their starting roles at tackle. The center position is up for grabs between David Andrews and Bryan Stork.

 

Tackle Health

The main positional weakness of the offensive line in 2015 still remains; it’s not injury. It’s the tackles that protect the edge of Brady’s pocket.

Nate Solder has returned to practice. Sebastian Vollmer has not. Solder tore his biceps in week five of this past year and was placed on the season ending IR. It appears that the big money tackle has recovered from his injury. Solder’s cap hit in 2016 is $10,322,666.

Sebastian Vollmer’s situation is concerning. At age 32, Vollmer has opened camp on the PUP list. If he is not activated by the end of camp, Vollmer misses the first six weeks of the season. The right tackle enters 2016 on the last year of his contract with a cap hit totaling $5,208,334. There is no heir apparent at right tackle. It is unlikely Vollmer is resigned in New England at his age.

Marcus Cannon returns after a highly criticized campaign in 2015. He was simply ineffective throughout his season. If Thuney cannot capture a starting guard role, it’s very possible that he beats out Cannon as the swing tackle.

Cameron Fleming, LaAdrian Waddle, Keavon Milton, and Kerbyson Kyler are also listed as tackles for the start of camp. Fleming and Waddle will battle on the bubble with Cannon. Fleming offers more cap flexibility than Cannon ($4,100,000 lower) and has played both sides of the line.

The Patriots will likely only keep a total of three tackles on their active roster. Solder and Vollmer are locks if healthy. The battle for third will likely feature Cannon, Waddle, and Fleming. Milton and Kyler appear to be long shots.

Strength at Center

One of the most interesting position battles of the offensive line is likely at center. Bryan Stork and David Andrews have both been outstanding in the majority of their starts. There has been mixed signals so far as to who would take over reigns when both players were healthy.

Stork’s health appears to be hindering his ability to battle for the position. Andrews returned to Patriots camp and captured the off-season conditioning award from the coaching staff. His play has also been strong since Stork dropped due to an unspecified issue or injury in an early practice.

At some point the Patriots will have to make a decision at this position. Right now it appears the goalposts are narrowing with Stork’s absence. Andrews is taking all of the work with the ones, putting in the dirty work as Stork continues to miss time.

Crowded, Injury Riddled Group of Guards

As mentioned before, Thuney and Cooper were mentioned as favorites to win a starting guard role. There are several other guards battling for the position including Shaq Mason, Tre’ Jackson, Josh Kline, Ted Karras, Chris Barker, and Jon Halapio.

Usually a team only keeps nine offensive linemen on a game day roster; right now the Patriots have nine offensive guards in camp. Thuney, Cooper, Kline, Jackson, Mason are the linemen with the highest probabilities of landing on the roster.

The hype for Jonathan Cooper would not last long. He would be carted off with a right foot injury in one of the first practices. Cooper is apparently battling plantar fasciitis. This situation may be related to his condition according to Ian Rapoport. Cooper was a high draft pick and has experienced an injury riddled and disappointing career. He was acquired in the deal that sent Chandler Jones to the Cardinals. If he cannot get back to health his career may come to a premature end.

When Cooper dropped out due to injury rookie Ted Karras was promoted to the first offensive line group. In my draft analysis Karras appeared to be a lineman who needed a season of practice squad work. He is a tough player but not yet fundamentally sound. Much like any other NFL rookie at this point.

Shaq Mason and Josh Kline have not been cleared to participate in team drills. Both are recovering from injuries from this past year. Mason battled through a knee injury in October 2015.  Kline had shoulder surgery during the off-season and Jeff Howe reported it was, “unclear when he’ll be ready to practice”. Tre’ Jackson is also still on the PUP due to injuries from last season. This leaves a total of four guards unavailable to Scarnecchia.

The Walking Wounded

When a rookie guard is your standout offensive lineman in the early days of camp it’s a testament to where the position group is as a whole. With or without Dante Scarnecchia, this group still has work to do. Kline, Mason, Jackson, Stork, Vollmer, and Cooper are not cleared as full participants for practice. This leaves two rookie guards (Thuney, Karras) playing on the first offensive line group.

Pretty much an offensive line coaches’ worst nightmare early in camp. When the group is low on bodies, more stress weighs down on the healthy players. They battle more and more in camp, and are susceptible to wear and tear.

Right now Scarnecchia is at least getting the chance to evaluate his young players. With a mass of linemen out due to injury it forces the young guys into the spotlight early in their careers. It appears Joe Thuney gets the picture. He’s played hard right through the whistle in every practice.

The Bottom Line

It’s simply too early to judge much of the play through this point in camp. Some Patriots lineman still haven’t returned from last season’s injuries.

Nate Solder appears to be the only definite starter on the offensive line. It’d be a shock if Vollmer isn’t the bookend on the right side of Brady’s pocket. Cam Fleming, Marcus Cannon, and LaAdrian Waddle battle for a third roster spot.

Guard is a mess but returning Patriots veterans should have the upper hand over Jonathan Cooper. He is already out due to injury and Josh Kline and Shaq Mason are close to returning. Rookie Ted Karras should be bumped back down in the rotation immediately. Joe Thuney has likely given himself a shot to remain with the ones due to his strong, passionate play on the line. Tre’ Jackson will also return at some point and provide further depth at the position.

It might be better for the Patriots long term if Thuney doesn’t win a starting job at guard. It would give him the opportunity to work at Tackle and potentially allow the Patriots to release Marcus Cannon. Thuney’s strong play could provide roster flexibility further down the line.

The job at center is highly contested. Right now it’s a one man job due to unspecified reasons. Bryan Stork left practice in an earlier season and hasn’t appeared since. David Andrews has been strong at center and could win the job. Stork’s injuries have begun to add up.

My early guess for the first group is Solder-Mason-Andrews-Jackson-Vollmer.

Got Hair?: Report from Patriots’ Celebrity Bartender Event with Dr. Robert Leonard

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Bar View

Thanks to the site, I was able to attend Dr. Robert Leonard’s celebrity bartending event on Tuesday night. Dr. Leonard is the founder and chief surgeon of Leonard Hair Transplant Associates and New England’s primary hair restoration doctor. He has helped a number of high-profile athletes including Wes Welker, Rob Ninkovich, Sebastian Vollmer, and Chris Gronkowski.

The aforementioned four are the “faces” of Leonard Hair Transplants and were the celebrity bartenders for the evening. It was my first experience like this, and it was extremely worthwhile. I really had an unbelievable time not only meeting the players, but other media members as well. Dr. Leonard also gave me hope for my own personal hair longevity, as he refuted my original thought that the gene is strictly from your grandfather on your mother’s side, in which case I’d probably be bald already. He did mention however that I still could be screwed, so we exchanged contact information.

I was hoping to get a little more individual time with the guys, but it was a regimented event, with a segment of signing autographs and taking pictures for the first half of the night and bartending for the second half. Over the course of the evening, I made several observations…

Observation #1: Sebastian Vollmer is freaking huge. For perspective sake, that’s me in the middle (se below) and I’m 6’1 200+ pounds. While the other guys would be fairly tough to pick out of a crowd if you weren’t familiar with their face, Sebastian sticks out like “The Hound” in Game of Thrones. Whatever height/weight “Seabass” is listed at, he’s absolutely all of it. His hand essentially absorbed mine as we shook, but he seems like the nicest guy on the planet, off the field that is.Players

Observation #2: Chris Gronk’s mannerisms, humor and voice are identical to Rob’s. When I asked him how the “Gronk Party Cruise” was, he answered, “It was crazy, everything you could imagine really…and more.” His expression as he proudly blurt out “and more” was so enigmatic I was afraid to ask a follow up question on the cruise. I immediately regretted not doing so…

Luckily, I was able to get a piece of football substance from Chris when I asked him about the landscape of the game, its transition to a passing league, and how it affects his position, fullback. Chris responded, “It has definitely affected us (fullbacks). Teams are opting for those big tight ends now, like you see on the Patriots, with Rob and the other guys. They can do a little more in the receiving game in most cases.” Chris and I agreed that the Pats undoubtedly missed injured fullback James Develin last season, especially during the winter: “Oh yeah, he’s a bad ass. You need that toughness. He plays with an edge.”

Observation #3: While Gronkowski was going with strictly Miller Lites, Nink and Welker were diving into some interesting pineapple cocktails. Stress on the plural. I can confirm these drinks packed a punch, because by the time Wes was serving drinks behind the bar, he had a nice glaze over his eyes reminiscent of your favorite doughnut. I was able to snag a quick picture with Wes, pre-glaze:Welker

Observation #4: Tom E. Curran from CSN and Rob “Hardy” Poole from 98.5 the Sports Hub are really approachable guys, and I enjoyed meeting both very much.

Hardy Tom Curran

I asked Hardy where his co-worker and everybody’s favorite broadcaster Scott Zolak was, and he responded, “Oh come on man, you really think we want ‘Zo driving home from this thing?!”

Curran reiterated to me his disgust with Dictator Goodell and how he’s handled you know what. He guessed Tommy B has a ‘50/50’ chance to suit up week 1, but admitted the entire thing is a crapshoot at this point. This was before we heard of the 2nd circuit’s decision, however, so his tune unfortunately may now have changed with this new information.

Overall, it really was an incredible experience and one that I’m very thankful for. Down the line, if you’re starting to lose your hair, call up Dr. Leonard at 1-800-GET-HAIR, or visit his website: https://www.hairdr.com/

Who knows? You might see me there!

Why Did Patriots Ignore Major Needs at Running Back and Tackle?

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The major personnel pieces should be in place now for the 2016 Patriots, something I’ve been simmering on for the last couple of days. Most disturbing to me is the two biggest areas I felt needed to be addressed this offseason (running back and offensive tackle) were basically ignored.

Now on the offensive line you’re left with basically one left tackle (Nate Solder) and a shitload of right tackles and interior swing guys. You can’t have starting-caliber backups at every position but going into a season with no one who can legitimately play left tackle behind Solder is scary.

This also means next season they’ll have to choose between giving new contracts to Sebastian Vollmer and/or Marcus Cannon, or acquiring a new player to start at right tackle. Look, if Solder stays healthy, things will be okay. They’re not exactly set for the future and there’s still big question marks surrounding how the right tackle spot will play out, but if the starters stay healthy this is an offensive line capable of winning a Super Bowl.

There is plenty of promise on the interior, where I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Patriots try to move Bryan Stork or David Andrews. Luke Joeckel, who could be available for trade, could make a lot of sense. But otherwise it’s impossible to see how the competition will play out this summer. Jonathan Cooper is probably the most talented of all the guards and there are plenty of pundits who think Joe Thuney has a lot to offer as well.

How will those two new guys compare to what we thought was a young and promising trio in Josh Kline, Tre Jackson and Shaq Mason last season? That’s at least four starter-quality players for two spots. Again, one of those could be trade bait, but I’m not sure any of them are all that appealing to an outside team in the kind of way Logan Mankins was.

Counting on the Return of Superman (Dion Lewis)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdZJk1xtU00

At running back the Pats will now enter camp with just three vets and one undrafted rookie who aren’t coming off a season-ending injury, and none of those healthy guys — Brandon Bolden, James White and Donald Brown — strike much fear in anyone out there. So what the running back position comes down to at this point is the full healthy return of Dion Lewis, who must also recapture his magical seven-plus games in 2015, when he came out of nowhere to suddenly look like Barry Sanders.

If Lewis is back to that form, it will also help LeGarrette Blount immensely in loosening up a defense and setting them up for their hammer/finisher. But as we saw last season, once the Pats lost Lewis things started to unravel on offense. Ideally I wanted to add another rookie pounder to this group. Someone who could take the early carries and loosen up the defense, while taking the heat off of Lewis and Blount.

James White had a couple flashes last season after Lewis went down, but I remain on the fence about him in the long term. And rookie DJ Foster, who played slot receiver last season, is more in the mold of a receiving back than a tough yardage grinder.

Maybe everyone at tackle and running back come back healthy and stay healthy all season and my fears will be unfounded. But if they don’t, these are critical areas that put immense pressure on Tom Brady and the passing game. The Patriots offense in the AFC Championship was one-dimensional and it nearly got Brady killed. That was my biggest takeaway from last season, yet the Patriots essentially stood pat this offseason at both of the positions where attrition caught up to them.

It’s hard not to overreact right now, but there’s still four months until the season starts. New players could still be added or familiar players could emerge as Dion Lewis did meteorically last season. Maybe Donald Brown can re-find the magic that made him a first round pick, or Tyler Gaffney finally stays healthy. A lot can happen, good or bad. Until the pads come on and we know for sure how everyone’s recovery went and how things fit together with the 2016 Pats you can’t panic.

Still, these are clearly the two areas to focus on as potential weak spots on the Patriots roster.