Matt Light

Left tackle Matt Light has agreed to a two-year contract with the Patriots, according to The Boston Globe. The 33-year-old Light, who was selected in the second round of the 2001 draft by the Patriots, has spent his entire 10-year career with New England, and has been a part of three Super Bowl champions.

The terms of the agreement were not revealed, but it’s safe to say that two things led to the return of the Purdue product: One, after New England selected left tackle Nate Solder in the first round of the 2011 draft, it was believed that Light’s days in New England were numbered. However, the lockout kept the rookie out of the facility over the entire offseason — in fact, he’s not in camp as of yet, having not yet agreed to a rookie deal — which means Solder will need more time than usual to get acclimated to protecting Tom Brady‘s blind side.

Two, the recent release of tackle Nick Kaczur leaves the Patriots a little thin at the position, and the return of Light could provide the necessary depth at the spot in 2011. (It’s also a safe bet that some of the money that was freed up on the release of Kaczur went to Light and his new deal.)

Going forward, Light — who isn’t allowed to practice until Aug. 4 because of the new rules in the collective bargaining agreement regarding new contracts — figures to be the starting left tackle in 2011, as Solder waits in the wings to eventually take over at the position.

Ty Warren (AP)

FOXBORO — The Patriots decision to cut several notable veterans on Friday afternoon — including veterans Ty Warren, Alge Crumpler and Nick Kaczur — is likely not so much a commentary on what the franchise thinks of them as players, but more of an indication that the team is continuing to shuffle money around in hopes of creating more space under the cap.

While Kaczur had shown value because of his versatility (he has played both guard and tackle) and ability to add depth at the tackle spot, he was carrying a big cap number because of a big deal he had signed a few years back, and likely would not accept a salary cut. (You also have to figure that this move could also lead to the signing of free agent tackle Matt Light, who could still provide depth at the position and serve as a mentor to first-round pick Nate Solder.)

Meanwhile, given Crumpler’s contributions over the last year and Warren’s body of work dating back several years is a likely sign that the team is hoping they will be able to re-sign the two of them at a reduced rate. When healthy, Warren has been a powerful force along the defensive line. Meanwhile, Crumpler’s locker-room presence in 2010 was immense, serving as a mentor to rookie tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

However, it’s important to note that in the context of this conversation, both Crumpler and Warren had been dealing with what could be described as moderate-to-severe injury issues over the last year — Crumpler had shoulder surgery in the offseason, while Warren was out all last season because of a hip injury.

Late Friday afternoon, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Warren, a Texas native, had already expressed interest in playing for the Cowboys. The story also revealed that Warren had failed his conditioning test this week with New England. If the Patriots are unable to re-sign Warren, this likely means an expanded role for new defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth, as well as an opportunity for some of the younger defensive linemen like Ron Brace to see some playing time.

The release of the seven players will provide the Patriots with increased flexibility under the cap, and with several quality defensive players still on the market who could fit in New England (Matt Roth? Manny Lawson), the Patriots could be positioning themselves for a run at a high-profile free agent once the frenzy begins Friday at 6 p.m.

In all, the team released seven players: Warren, Crumpler and Kaczur, as well as linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, cornerback Tony Carter, defensive lineman Marcus Stroud and rookie free agent Ryan Coulson. The cuts of Banta-Cain, Carter and Stroud were expected (and reported on earlier this week), while it appears Coulson, a rookie long snapper/linebacker from Nevada, could be the first casualty of training camp.

If the Patriots are going to let Matt Light walk in free agency, Nate Solder is an offensive lineman who should step in and contribute immediately for a line that’s in a state of flux. A First Team All-American, Solder was the first-ever offensive tackle at Colorado to earn consensus All-American honors. He has no injury history and has displayed remarkable durability, as he was on the field for all but two offensive snaps over his final three years at Colorado.

(Here is the report on Solder by D.J. Bean from the NFL combine, along with the ‘Potential Patriots’ entry done on the offensive lineman.)

New England offensive line has undergone pretty big changes this offseason — the uncertainty around the future of tackles Light and Nick Kaczur, and the retirement of guard Stephen Neal — and Solder certainly has a chance to step in and contribute immediately. The 6-foot-8, 314-pound Solder and the 6-foot-8, 314-pound Sebastian Vollmer give the Patriots a pair of massive tackles.

Here’s some video from Solder while at Colorado:

Stephen Neal (AP)

It seems like we just went through this the other day, but an eventful offseason for the Patriots’ offensive line just got even more interesting on Wednesday night when the team announced that veteran offensive lineman Stephen Neal will retire after 10 seasons with the franchise.

Neal was never a Pro Bowler, but was a sturdy, solid presence at right guard since he emerged as the starter at the position in 2004. A former college wrestling star that never played a lick of football while a collegian at Cal-State Bakersfield, he was a clear favorite of Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who loved reminiscing about the time Neal first showed up on the practice field.

“When I tell you he didn’t know where the field was, he didn’t know where the field was,” Belichick remarked with a smile a few years ago. “He didn’t know how to put his pads on. He didn’t know where to line up. We’re starting from below scratch.”

But Neal persevered, making his way off the practice squad and into the starting lineup for the first time in 2002. After a shoulder injury put him on the shelf for an extended period shortly after that, he landed in the starting lineup in 2004, and spent the better part of the last seven years as a fixture at right guard. (For more on Neal’s career, click here.)

“It is a wonderful story about a guy that, with hard work, dedication, overcoming the setbacks if the injuries and lack of playing experience, has turned into, really, a good football player,” Belichick said.

Without Neal, the focus will likely turn to Dan Connolly, who did an admirable job filling on for Logan Mankins while Mankins sat out the first part of the 2010 season because he was unhappy about his contract situation. (He also took over at right guard after Neal went down with a shoulder injury midway through last season.) Connolly has filled in at all three interior line spots, and is looked at as a versatile and solid presence. In addition, the Patriots will likely turn to Ryan Wendell, who filled in when Connolly was on the shelf for a few games because of a concussion he suffered in a win over the Packers.

In addition, the Patriots will almost be forced to look closer at offensive line options in this year’s draft. Neal’s retirement, paired with the possibility that longtime left tackle Matt Light — who was signed through the 2010 season — has also played his last game in New England (two players who date back to the 2001 season) could force the Patriots to spend one of their first three picks (New England has three choices in the Top 33, more than any other team) on an elite young offensive lineman.

However, the winner in this scenario might be Nick Kaczur. Kaczur has reportedly been asked to take a pay cut by the team — according to the Boston Herald, he refused, and will likely be released as a result. But if he’s healthy, Kaczur’s positional versatility and knowledge of the system could make him an ideal fit to replace Neal at the right guard spot. A part-time tackle the last time he played, he’s lined up at both tackle and guard, and was originally ticketed to take over Mankins’ left guard spot before he went down with a back injury last summer. If Neal is no longer in the picture, Kaczur’s bargaining power with New England may have gotten a boost.

Nick Kaczur (AP)

The news that the Patriots are going to cut ties with veteran right tackle Nick Kaczur is the latest incident in an already uncertain offseason for the New England offensive line.

Kaczur signed a four-year, $16 million contract in August 2009, a deal that included a $3.4 million payout for 2012. However, after a 2010 season where he spent the whole year on the shelf because of a back injury, the Patriots were clearly interested in reworking his deal. Kaczur was having none of it, and so here we are.

So if Kaczur is indeed gone, the Patriots could conceivably open the 2011 season with colossal turnover along the offensive line, a position that had so much stability over the last few seasons: Left tackle Matt Light is unsigned beyond the 2010 season, and right guard Stephen Neal has talked about retirement. If Kaczur is gone, it could force the Patriots to find three new offensive linemen in 2011 … and that doesn’t include a disgruntled Logan Mankins, who was franchised recently but could still be dealt before the start of the season.

Kaczur was never a world-class offensive lineman, but his knowledge of the system and his versatility could make his loss difficult to overcome. (There’s a reason he was named one of the starting tackles with Light on New England’s all-decade team from 2000 through 2010.) The big Canadian was on the shelf for the entire 2010 season, but before that, he was a fairly dependable presence, playing in 62 of 68 regular-season games in his five-year NFL career and has also starting seven career playoff contests. He played guard as well, and was originally ticketed to take over the left guard spot at the start of last season when Mankins decided to stay away because he was upset about his contract situation.

Without Kaczur in 2010, the Patriots were able to survive and even thrive at times along the offensive line, moving Sebastian Vollmer into the right tackle spot. If New England is going to part with Light, they would likely flip Vollmer to left tackle, a spot he occupied for the bulk of the 2009 season after Light suffered a knee injury. But who moves into that other tackle position if Kaczur is indeed gone? Expect the Patriots to invest a little heavier in the offensive line (particularly the tackle spot) in this year’s draft.

In addition, the loss of Kaczur would certainly increase Light’s bargaining power — New England has few options beyond the veteran, as none of the younger offensive linemen appear ready to step into a full-time starters’ role, while one veteran lineman who served as a backup this past season (Quinn Ojinnaka) is, like Light, an unrestricted free agent.

Mike Wright has been placed on season-ending injured reserve. (AP)

The decision to move injured defensive linemen Mike Wright to season-ending injured reserve is hardly a surprise — Wright hasn’t been seen since he suffered a concussion in the Nov. 21 win over the Colts. (He hadn’t practiced since then, and had not been seen by the media in the locker room.) But the move is another sign that the Patriots are seriously thin along the defensive line as they head into the postseason.

The 28-year-old Wright is no Pro Bowler, but his familiarity with the system (he was signed as a rookie free agent out of Cincinnati in 2005) and his positional versatility (he has played all three spots on the defensive front in New England’s 3-4) made him a valuable asset for the Patriots. This season, he had played in 10 games with five starts, and finished the season with 17 total tackles and a career-high 5.5 sacks.

The loss of Wright hurts on a couple of levels. First, Wright is the team’s best interior pass rusher — in only 10 games, his 5.5 sacks were best on the team. Vince Wilfork has started to emerge as a pass-rushing threat up the middle the last few weeks, but Wright’s ability to get a consistent push up the middle will be hard to replicate.

Second, the loss of Wright will render the depth along the defensive line even thinner. This is a group that is getting great play from the likes of Wilfork and fellow veteran Gerard Warren, but because of injuries to Ty Warren, Ron Brace, Darryl Richard and Kade Weston (who have all gone on injured reserve), as well as injuries to Myron Pryor (who has struggled with a back problem) and a suspension to youngster Brandon Deaderick (who was reportedly reinstated on Friday), they have been forced to acquire players like Landon Cohen, Atiyyah Ellison and Eric Moore in an attempt to add depth. This also means more will be expected of rookie Kyle Love, who has started to play well as of late.

Wright is the 14th New England player to be placed on injured reserve since the start of training camp, a group that includes Warren, cornerback Leigh Bodden, safety Brandon McGowan, offensive linemen Nick Kaczur and Stephen Neal, kicker Stephen Gostkowski and running back Kevin Faulk.

Deion Branch is back with the team that drafted him in the second round of 2002.

The Patriots made the acquisition of wide receiver Deion Branch official, announcing that the trade with the Seahawks had been completed in exchange for an undisclosed draft choice, reportedly the better of the team’s two fourth-round picks in the 2011 draft. In order to free a roster spot for Branch, the Patriots placed tackle Nick Kaczur on injured reserve with a back injury.

Branch, the Super Bowl XXXIX MVP, is expected to practice with the Patriots this afternoon. He had started three games for Seattle this year, catching 13 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown.

Kaczur, a mainstay of the offensive line, has missed all of the Patriots’ preseason and regular season games this year after suffering an injury in training camp. The 2005 third-rounder had started at least 13 games in each of the previous three seasons.