FOXBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is rarely unprepared. So, when Nate Solder went down for the season with a biceps injury, it was clear the Patriots would have a plan.
Belichick wouldn’t specify whether Sebastian Vollmer or Marcus Cannon would fill in for Solder at left tackle for the rest of the season, but he noted both have experience at the position.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Belichick said at Friday morning’s news conference. “We have guys in this building we feel can handle the situation. Yeah, Sebastian’s played left and right well. He blocked (former Colts pass rusher Dwight) Freeney his rookie year. Marcus has been playing left and right. That’s part of the flexibility we try to build in throughout the course of the year. We’ll see what our best options are for Sunday.”
Cannon has more recent experience at the position, filling in for Solder in the second half of the Patriots’ 30-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys last week and rotating at both tackle spots over the past two seasons, but Vollmer is the better overall blocker, and left tackle is believed to be the most important spot on the offensive line. Vollmer hasn’t played left tackle since 2009, when then-starter Matt Light went down with an injury.
The decision the Patriots make this week, of course, doesn’t need to be final. They could try Vollmer and Cannon at both left and right tackle in Week 6 against the Colts and see who fares better. They also could rotate the two players at both positions, since they both have experience.
Another unknown is who the Patriots will sign off their practice squad to serve as a third offensive tackle on their 53-man roster. They have Cameron Fleming, primarily a right tackle, and Blaine Claussel, who played left tackle in college. The Patriots also have tight end Michael Williams on their active roster. He began his NFL career with the Detroit Lions as an offensive tackle after playing tight end in college at Alabama.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Hoffman/USA TODAY Sports Images
