Sep 30, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New England Patriots tight end Daniel Fells (86) and tight end Michael Hoomanawanui (47) in the game against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Free agency has started and as usual the Patriots have not done much in the beginning stages. The Pats have a lot of key free agents out there and at some point they must do something about them. However for the moment, they are pretty much staying put and letting everything else play out.

The one thing the Patriots have done so far is they placed a low round tender on tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. Basically this means that the Pats will have to pay him $1.323 million next year if he is still on the team. Another team has the chance to match this offer and if they do they will have to give the Patriots a 5th round draft pick as compensation for Hoomanawanui. I really like this move for the Pats, it is not “flashy” like some of the big moves made today but it is a solid and very smart move. ‘Hooman’ played very well in 2012 as a backup to Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Gronk and Hernandez both missed significant time last year and Hooman did his best to help the Pats overcome their injuries. Hoomanawanui is a very good blocker, both in the running game and in pass protection. It was obvious when he came in the game that the Pats were able to run the football much better than if it were just Hernandez or just Gronkowski. Later in the season Hoomanawanui made a lot of plays catching the ball as well as in weeks 15 and 16 he totaled 3 catches for 87 yards. Gronkowski and Hernandez have both shown that they are a little injury prone throughout their career and if they happen to miss some time in 2013, then the Pats have a solid replacement in Hoomanawanui. If another team swoops in and signs Hoomanawanui then the Pats get solid compensation as they will receive a 5th round draft pick.

Donald Thomas was signed by the Colts today and I think this move hurts the Pats more than people may think. Logan Mankins is one of the toughest offensive lineman in the NFL. However last year he missed a significant amount of time due to injury but because of Thomas’ great play on the inside the Pats offense hardly missed a beat. If Mankins goes down or any of the Pats interior lineman go down in 2013 then they will not have such a reliable backup plan, as Thomas is now gone. I think that this forces the Pats to maybe put some focus on the offensive line in free agency and the draft to try and get some depth on the inside. They are extremely thin as of right now and that could come back to bite them in 2013.

Overall a quiet day so far for the Patriots, but this is normal. In general the teams that spend a lot of money on the first day of free agency are the ones that have it backfire on them later in the season. A popular saying in the NFL is ‘winners in March are losers in January and February’.

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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.