New England Patriots' Pre-Draft Position-By-Position Breakdown: Offensive Line

I’m going to try to do a lawyer-free, labor-free, football story. 

Even while the labor drama unfolds NFL teams must keep their eye on the ball as they prepare for the upcoming draft.  This is the position by position status I believe the New England Patriots are looking at as they prepare for the 2011 NFL draft.

Offensive Line

Center:  Eight-year veteran Dan Koppen has held down the starting spot since the second game of his rookie season.  Koppen is not a physically over-powering lineman but fundamentally sound and a good decision maker.  His pass protection calls have helped keep Tom Brady upright while running the pass-happy Pats offense. 

Former undrafted free agent Ryan Wendell is next on the depth chart at center.  Wendell bounced on and off the team’s practice squad a few times in 2008 and 2009 before being added to the 53-man roster for the entire 2010 season.  Wendell saw action in 15 games last season but mostly as a guard or special teamer.

Position Summary: Koppen remains solid if not spectacular, and Wendell seemed to do a good job in his limited opportunity at guard.  Still don’t be surprised if the team looks to add a little youth and depth here, especially if Wendell figures more prominently in the competition that figures to take place at the guard position.

Guard:  Let’s say the guard position is currently in a state of flux. 

Logan Mankins is the real deal, a legitimate All-Pro quality player who brings more than just talent to the party.  Mankins seems to provide the same type of contagious attitude to the offense former Pats safety Rodney Harrison used to bring to the defense. 

The only question with Mankins, and it’s a huge question, is how his contract situation will play out.  Mankins was franchised but, remember that labor mess I did not want to mention? There is some question as to a team’s right to even use that tag. 

This is about where folks start bashing the Patriots for being cheap, but don’t count me amongst that group.  Not after a season in which the Pats re-signed Brady, Wilfork and Bodden to pretty substantial deals. 

My gut tells me the Patriots get this one done as well, but if Mankins’ pride gets in the way, well, then all bets are off. 

Dan Connolly may very well have been the Patriots most unheralded player last season.  First Connolly stepped in at LG for the contract-disputing Mankins, then shifted to RG for the injured Stephen Neal. 

Connolly did a solid job for the most part and while he was at it, produced one of the most memorable moments of the Pats season when he returned a kickoff 71 yards against the Green Bay Packers. 

As for Neal, after another injury plagued season, he has decided to retire.  Neal was a rather unique player having put in a decade worth of NFL service after not having played college football.  His athleticism was rare amongst guards and will be difficult to replace. 

Quinn Ojinnaka, Rich Ohrnberger and former starting right-tackle Nick Kazur round out the depth chart.

Position Summary: With Neal gone and Mankins possibly not far behind, expect the Patriots to make a move here to get younger and deeper.  Kazur is the wild card here.  Formerly a tackle with more than 60 career starts, a healthy Kazur could go a long way toward keeping this unit from becoming dangerously thin.

Tackle:  When talking tackle about the Patriots you have to start with LT Matt Light. 

Light has over 150 career starts (including playoffs) protecting Brady’s blindside.  Going into last season, Light had strung together, in my opinion, a few somewhat inconsistent seasons though often continuing to be recognized as one of the better tackles in the conference. 

2010 however seemed to be among Light’s finest.  Not overpowering but quite athletic, that athleticism has helped New England consistently be one of the best screen-pass executing teams in the NFL.  

The RT position is held down by the German born Sebastian Vollmer.  One of four second-round draft picks the Pats made in 2009, Vollmer wasted little time making an impact.  Vollmer started at both RT and LT during his rookie season with his performance at the LT spot being impressive enough to cause many in the Boston media to openly question whether he would be an upgrade over the incumbent Light.  Vollmer ended up starting at the RT spot in 2010 and did a solid job.  

Kazur and Mark LeVoir round out the depth chart.

Position Summary:  2010 was the final year of Light’s contract meaning that, like Mankins, the Patriots will need to deal with his contract situation. Unlike Mankins, Light has two things working against him. 

First is the age factor. Light will be 33 by opening day 2011 with 10 solid seasons in his rear view mirror.  That’s a lot of wear and tear. 

Second is the presence of Vollmer who may very likely be the LT of the future in New England. 

Don’t be surprised to see Light return to NE with a very market friendly contract.  I just don’t see any other team stepping up and offering the type of long term deal I think would get Light to move.

Kazur’s presence would offer quality depth but don’t expect him to return to the starting lineup at tackle unless there’s an injury or Vollmer replaces Light at LT. 

Light’s contract status, Kazur’s health and Vollmer’s versatility all add up to make this a pretty intriguing position for NE.  I expect the Pats to select a tackle relatively high in this years draft and believe that selection will have an immediate impact on the rest of the decision making process for New England.  

Offensive line summary:  Back in October of 2006 the Patriots signed C Dan Koppen to a five year contract extension.  At that point the Pats had linemen Mankins, Neal and Kazur all tied up for the next three years while Light and Koppen were in the fold for the next four and five seasons respectively.

That type of commitment led to a type of continuity that most NFL teams did not enjoy and helped the Patriots consistently rank as one of the finest offensive units in the NFL. 

Now the Patriots find themselves in a transitional period. 

The contract status of Mankins and Light, the retirement of Neal and the health status of Kazur guarantee there will be some significant change to the roster in the immediate future. 

Keep in mind value is the key word around Foxborough when it comes to the draft.  My guess is that at least one of the Pats high draft picks will be used on a tackle regardless of whether Mankins, Light or both return for 2011.  Expect at least one other relatively high pick to be used on an offensive lineman who will make the roster in 2011.

Next week: Defensive Line