Bryan Stork's role yet to be defined for Patriots

Bryan Stork could stabilize the OL. (Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
We all know how bad the Patriots offensive line has been. We know the interior of the line seems to be a rotational mess of mediocrity. With the likes of Ryan Wendell hurt, and Jordan Devey proving completely inept at being an NFL lineman, many people are beginning to call on 4th round pick Bryan Stork to take the helm at center.

The 6'4", 310 lb center is known as a good leader and a better blocker from the middle of the line, and one that has been tagged as the best hope for the stabilization of the offensive line. Some people have really put their hope into the unproven rookie, and his popularity has exploded as of late due to his success in limited snaps and the ineptitude of the current line.



According to a piece by NESN's Darren Hartwell, Belichick has not quite settled on what exactly Stork will be doing in the near future.

Yeah, I think Bryan has definitely gotten better,” Belichick told reporters. “He’s improved. He’s had an opportunity to string a few weeks of practice together here and get a little better playing time the last couple weeks. I definitely think he’s moving in the right direction.” Yet Belichick stopped short of divulging his plans for Stork going forward. “His playing time and workload is functional of his performance — same as it is for every player,” he said.

With his future somewhat unclear, we should look at how he has done in limited snaps. According to PFF, Stork has seen the field for 27 snaps, with 15 of them being run plays and 12 plays coming in pass plays. PFF graded him out as positive in both situations. The only negative was him giving up a QB hurry, but given the rest of the line that's only a slight mark against him. While manning the line against Oakland later in the game, Stork made the appropriate line calls, and was able to deliver on a few plays, opening some holes for Ridley and Vereen.

That being said, being the center on a Tom Brady lead offense is not something someone can pick up overnight. Centers need to be able to identify the defensive front and potential blitzes in order for the other linemen to be in the appropriate assignments. This is likely the main reason why Belichick is apprehensive to throwing Stork into the fray to protect Tom. With his recent praise, it could mean that Stork has reached the level where his play time will increase as the weeks go on, but don't expect him to be a full-fledged starter next week. By the end of the season Stork will be the starting center though, that seems inevitable.

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