May 23, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants guard Mitch Petrus (62) takes a break during the Giants OTA at the their training facility. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

Mankins was able to participate in yesterday’s walkthrough, and it will be interesting to see if he is able to practice for the Pats today. Petrus was brought in for a workout, and he was signed due to the lack of depth at the guard position at the time. If you recall, this came shortly after both Mankins and Connolly were injured against the Buffalo Bills on the Patriots first game after the bye week.

When Connolly exited the game against Miami, Nick McDonald came in and did not help the cause. The right side of the offensive line (an unhealthy Sebastian Vollmer and McDonald) was constantly battered by Cameron Wake, with neither player providing any help as run blockers either. McDonald is usually better than that, but the Patriots cannot afford to put forth anything less than the best possible effort against the Houston Texans vaunted pass rush in front of a national audience on Monday.

We’ll see how things move forward for both Mankins and Connolly as the week presses onward.

The Titans have always had huge problems on the interior of the offensive line, so this move helps. Petrus is a good run blocker, but he will never be a starter in this league due to his terrible pass protection. He’s the classic career second-string guard.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

Mandatory Credit: Jim O’Connor

It’s a good thing there is plenty of depth on the interior of the offensive line, because that’s a position that’s banged up right now. Dan Connolly is still listed questionable after an injury against the Buffalo Bills a few weeks ago, and Nick McDonald is also listed questionable. The main thing is that Logan Mankins is one again out, and that stems back to the injury he sustained early on against the Bills.

Petrus was signed after the Bills game due to the injuries to Mankins and Connolly, and he is a former New York Giants spot-starter. He brings a lot of strength to the table and is a solid run blocker, but he struggles mightily in pass protection. Petrus is good depth as the fifth-guard, and he is currently on the two-deep due Mankins’s absence.

Right tackle Sebastian Vollmer was able to make  the trip to Miami despite the questionable tag, and that’s certainly great news. The Pats will need him to stop top Miami Dolphins pass rusher Cameron Wake, and Vollmer missed the game against the New York Jets last week as a last-minute inactive. He returned to practice on Friday and is good to go, which means Marcus Cannon won’t be thrust into the starting spot again. Cannon did an excellent job against the Jets, but it’s obviously much harder to stop the Dolphins front seven than the Jets front seven.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

Petrus was one of four players who was worked out on Tuesday, and he was the only one who was signed by the Pats. This is, of course, due to the injuries to Connolly and Mankins. Petrus is a versatile, mauling guard who can also play at the center position. However, he is a terrible pass blocker, and it showed last year in three fill-in starts with the Giants.

Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

His poor pass protection is what keeps him from being anything more than solid depth, but solid depth is exactly what the Patriots need. Petrus has experience (23 career appearances) and has incredible strength on the inside of the line. Whenever he comes in to spell Nick McDonald or Donald Thomas, there won’t be a noticeable drop-off in the running game. Pass blocking is going to be a different story, but every mid-season free agent guard has his flaws.

Nick McDonald is one of the most versatile offensive linemen in the NFL, and he is also a solid backup overall- it showed last week against the Buffalo Bills. He came right in and did a solid job after the injuries, and here’s what he told ESPN Boston about what his thought process is going into Week 11.

“I’m preparing the same way I do every week. You’ve got to be prepared to start, you never know what’s going to happen, no idea, so I think every week you’ve got to prepare as if you’re going to play 60 minutes. It’s the same, whatever the coaches ask me to do, whatever position they want me at, I’m going to play. Whether it’s any of the five spots I’m going to be playing, rotating in, whatever it is, whatever they want to be play, I’ll be ready.”

I love that mentality, and it exemplifies how every backup lineman should be. McDonald is a key backup for the New England Patriots, and he will play a large role in helping Stevan Ridley and the Patriots running game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.