#20. New England Patriots: Marcus Cannon and Cameron Fleming
Cannon’s PFF grade (position rank): -14.7 (50th)
2015 salary cap hit: $2.6 million
Fleming’s PFF grade (position rank): -14.9 (51st)
2015 salary cap hit: $360,000
Offensive tackle was a problem for New England almost all year after Nate Solder’s season-ending injury forced Sebastian Vollmer to move from right tackle to the left side. Both Cannon and Fleming filled in on the right side for parts of nine games, but neither truly embodied the Patriots mantra: “Do Your Job.”
Cannon started against Denver in the AFC Championship and was exposed by Von Miller, allowing seven QB hurries and two sacks. According to the Boston Herald, the Patriots brought in Fleming as an extra tackle at one point, and the pair still couldn’t stop Miller.
Poor pass blocking brought New England’s Super Bowl defense to a grinding halt, and Cannon and Fleming were the O-line’s two weak links.