New England Patriots RT Marcus Cannon was at the top of the list of “potential cap casualties” during the 2016 offseason due to his bloated contract. Cannon was atrocious in 2015 and no Patriot fan wanted him back in 2016.
Cannon is now considered a franchise right tackle, and arguably the best right tackle in the league.
The Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe has one stat that shows the incredible turnaround of Cannon:
Marcus Cannon didn't allow a sack on Tom Brady in their 11 games together: 6 QB hits, 4 pressures.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) January 2, 2017
Yeah he allowed Brady to get hit 8 times (2.5 sacks) in the AFCCG alone. https://t.co/UfJkiOwImt
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) January 2, 2017
Cannon didn’t give up a sack of QB Tom Brady all year, and allowed just 6 quarterback hits. For comparison, Cannon allowed Brady to be hit 8 times in the 2015 AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos.
That’s wild. Cannon allowed Brady to be hit more in one game in 2015 than in 11 games in 2016.
New England will face a tough slate of defensive lines in the postseason and Cannon will need to keep playing at a high level and keep Brady clean.