New England Patriots: Tony Garcia is learning from one of the best
By Nick Ziegler
New England Patriots rookie offensive tackle Tony Garcia might not have a huge role in 2017, but he’s preparing to be a good NFL player in the near future.
With their second pick in the third round, the New England Patriots selected left tackle Tony Garcia from Troy University. Even though he played at a small college, Garcia was very impressive at the combine, and his play at college was amazing.
As a pass-blocker, there were few better offensive linemen in this draft, and Garcia could very well be a starting left tackle for the Patriots in the near future. While he does have some work to do, Garcia is entering a great situation in New England.
Last season, the Patriots ended up having one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. One of the reasons why is because of their great offensive line coach, Dante Scarnecchia.
"“Great coach,” he said of Scarnecchia to Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. “Intense. Very intense. He gets the job done. He really knows his stuff.”“They’ve been good role models,” Garcia said to Perry. “They set the example here. They do everything right, know the playbook forwards and backwards . . .”"
For Garcia, he is learning from one of the best offensive line coaches in the NFL, which is certainly a luxury. As a rookie, Garcia is taking it all in and trying to improve.
"“I’m just trying to earn my place, day by day.”"
While he likely won’t see time in 2017 as a starter unless there is an injury, Garcia could have a major role as soon as 2018. With left tackle Nate Solder being a free agent, the Patriots might decide to give Garcia a chance to be his replacement.
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Solder has been a good player for the Patriots, but left tackles make quite a bit of money, and the Patriots might not be willing to spend it on Solder. For Garcia, this offseason will be a very important one. Staying healthy throughout the offseason activities will greatly help his development for next season.