well well Wendell: Belichick praises center

Bill Belichick isn't one to wax poetic about his players, but he is first in line to defend them if unfairly criticized in his view. He came to the defense of center Ryan Wendell on Tuesday, and twitter collected this info like squirrels collecting nuts for the cold unresponsive months:

Bill Belichick was asked by @MarkDanielsPJ about this am about C Ryan Wendell. Wendell was very good in '12, backslid in '13. (1 of 2)
— Tom E. Curran (@tomecurran) July 29, 2014

(2 of 2) Belichick lauded RW's improvement over years and indicated that, because of age and experience, Wendell is worth betting on still
— Tom E. Curran (@tomecurran) July 29, 2014

BB on Wendell: He couldn't even make practice squad when he first got here. "A great story. A great example of perseverance and dedication."
— Christopher Price (@cpriceNFL) July 29, 2014

I'd say that's right around the equivalent of Belichick throwing a parade for somebody. From a roster perspective, you can write Wendell's name in pen after this praise. Belichick loves hardworking players who exceed expectations (such as Mike Vrabel, Rob Ninkovitch, and Wendell to name a few), and he has a very hard time letting them go. With the price tag on Dan Connolly and Bryan Stork missing the last few practices, all things are coming up sunshine for Wendell.

From a starting spot perspective, the above notes do help, but I wouldn't be surprised if he is on a short leash. Stork is a solid rookie center, and if he continues to develop he'll likely take over that starting role sooner rather than later. Wendell does have Belichick's support for now, which makes the major camp concern of making the team a forgone conclusion.

Do you think Wendell is a lock? Who is your starting center? Let's chat @TheFib0624

--Bill Stiles