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Although the Patriots lost a key backup in Donald Thomas (he’ll be a good starter for the Indianapolis Colts) in free agency, the Patriots actually look better on the offensive line. They were able to keep arguably the best right tackle in the game in Sebastian Vollmer, and left tackle Nate Solder will continue to develop. I expect the hyper-athletic LT to entrench himself as one of the game’s elite tackles next season, and he showed plenty last season. No longer a liability in pass protection, Solder is solid in that regard and continues to make strides. You won’t find many left tackles who are better run blockers than Solder, and his athleticism is crucial in the Patriots zone blocking scheme. His ability to screen block is also a huge plus, and it’s going to be a big boon for third-year back Shane Vereen going into his pending breakout season in 2013.

Mankins is no longer one of the top 100 players in the NFL (I absolutely hate that list and put more weight in the Pro Football Focus’s rankings, the rankings done by Pete Prisco are also better), but that’s not to say Mankins isn’t still really good. (And yes, I thought Vollmer should have been his replacement on the list.) Anyway, Mankins is a beast and a leader, and he’ll be healthy in 2013 which means he could very well put himself in the top 100 again.

It’s going to be interesting to see what happens at right guard, but I still expect Dan Connolly to keep his starting job. He’s at least an average starter and is versatile, but Marcus Cannon is an up-and-comer and somebody the organization is high on. He was a steal in the draft and continues to develop under Dante Scarnecchia, so he’s somebody to keep an eye on. At the very least, he will be a key and versatile backup at both guard and right tackle (in case Vollmer goes down again). The Patriots should use Cannon at guard more often, because I feel like he has the skill-set to be a very effective guard. Now if Donald Thomas were still on the team, that right guard gig would be captured by him.

I don’t think I need to get into how good Vollmer and Wendell are, because Vollmer is an elite RT and Wendell is arguably one of the top five centers in the NFL. The Patriots have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and I agree with Silva that they are at the top. The addition of Will Svitek to fortify depth at tackle also helps out, and I like the versatility (Nick McDonald is in there as well) and potential development of undrafted free agents on the practice squad (Elvis Fisher and Matt Stankiewitch stand out from this seat). The Patriots offensive line is a beast to reckon with, and they are at least the second-best line in the NFL.

The star of this group? Coach Scar.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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That likely interest from teams across the league will make it difficult for the New England Patriots to keep Donald Thomas. Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe tweeted yesterday that it is “full expected” that Thomas will test the free agent waters this offseason, even though the Patriots have showed interest in re-signing Thomas.

I honestly think that Dan Connolly, not Donald Thomas, should be the Pats starter next season. I am not the only one saying this, as fellow Musket Fire writer Christopher Field and Richard Hill of Pats Pulpit have stated that Thomas is worth starting over Connolly. Thomas actually outplayed Connolly significantly last season, and Connolly’s ability to play at center would also make a swap in roles a good decision. That way, the Pats won’t have to give so many snaps to Ryan Wendell and can afford to give him a rest easier. Not to mention, Thomas would actually provide an upgrade over Connolly at right guard.

That’s not to say Connolly is bad, but he’s just an average guard whilst Thomas is a solid starter. I fear that Thomas will sign elsewhere this offseason, because a team will pay him a nice chunk of coin in order to bring him in as a guaranteed starter. The Patriots will do what they can to keep the valuable guard, but it might not be enough.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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Connolly has plenty of time to rest before training camp starts, but I think he is going to be challenged by Donald Thomas (if the Patriots re-sign him) for the starting job. Thomas emerged due to injuries at the guard position (most namely Logan Mankins), and he looks like a future solid starter and a very underrated player. Connolly is a capable starter at either guard or center, but Thomas looked better than Connolly last season when he was in as the starter.

To me, Connolly is just an average player all around, and I’m not the only person who views him as the weak link in the offensive line. That’s a testament to just how good the Pats O-Line is, because Connolly is a, again, a capable starter. I just think that impending UFA Donald Thomas is better than Connolly and offers more side. I think the Patriots should at least be willing to run out a competition for the right guard spot.

If Connolly is unable to win, he should be able to receive significant playing time as the backup filling in for Ryan Wendell, Mankins, and Thomas when needed. I wish Connolly the best in his recovery from the surgery, and he continued to show good toughness and leadership. Even though it seems like I am slighting Connolly by wanting Thomas to have a shot at starting, I appreciate Connolly’s steady play on the inside and his leadership. But if you look at the grades on Pro Football Focus and watch the game tape closely, you will see that Connolly is probably not a better option as a starter than Thomas.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.