Logan Mankins is gone – what next for the O-line?

Logan Mankins gave the Patriots nine years, six Pro Bowl seasons and is probably one of the key reasons that Tom Brady has had only one serious injury over the last decade. He was a fantastic servant, but now he is gone, with Josh McDaniels and offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo left to pick up the pieces.

If you couple this with the other huge loss to the offensive line in the retirement of veteran coach Dante Scarnecchia, it is clear that this unit is going to need some rebuilding in order to return to full strength.

Luckily, the Patriots drafted heavily for the offensive line this year, with two fourth round picks spent on center Bryan Stork and tackle Cameron Fleming, with guard Jon Halapio also drafted in the sixth round. Belichick has always favoured a versatile offensive line, and many of the players competing for the starting spots are qualified to play numerous positions. Mankins’ place on the line will be filled with a capable player. The real challenge will come in protecting Tom Brady as a unit.

Mankins offered veteran leadership, a quality that this unit will be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer are the only real locks to make this starting unit, and Vollmer is returning from a serious leg break in 2013. After that, the experience among this group really falls off a cliff.

Dan Connolly could be a starter, but he could just as easily slide down or even off the depth chart according to rumours circulating earlier in camp. Second-year linemen Jordan Devey and Josh Kline have played heavy snaps throughout the pre-season, and could step up as starters, but both players were undrafted and are going to take time to develop. With such a young group of receivers, Brady is going to need as much time in the pocket as possible, and it remains to be seen whether these fledgling blockers can provide it.

Fourth year Marcus Cannon is in the last year of his rookie deal, and could be a fit at guardt, but has typically been utilised as backup for Vollmer, who has struggled to stay healthy over the years. If this continues to be true, it may be left to one of the rookies to fill in. It is clear that most of the linemen that make the 53 man roster will have to make some form of contribution, and will likely be rotated heavily in positions that they are unfamiliar with. It is important for DeGuglielmo to nurture the young guys, and encourage the few veterans to increase their responsibilities.

While many of the questions regarding the offensive line existed prior to the Mankins trade, losing the most experienced lineman on the team in week 3 of the pre-season certainly intensifies the pressure. We can only hope that this shock trade can galvanize the team in the same way that the Lawyer Milloy deal of 2003 sparked the dynasty mentality.

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