FOXBORO -- The comparisons make a lot of sense: the 2012 Patriots have just as many talented skill positions players as the 2007 team. There’s Tom Brady, Wes Welker and Jabar Gaffney, as well as a pair of elite young tight ends in Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. And there’s Brandon Lloyd acting as this year’s edition of Randy Moss. Why couldn’t they match those numbers?

But the 2007 team wouldn’t have gone 16-0 -- and set numerous offensive marks -- if the offensive line didn’t have a great regular season. Brady was sacked 21 times (the second-lowest number of his career) despite almost 600 dropbacks. Matt Light, Logan Mankins, and Dan Koppen were All-Pro’s, and started a collective 47 out of 48 possible games. As a group, the offensive line was the engine that allowed the whole offensive machine to move forward.

Five years later, while the offensive options are certainly in place for another record run, it’s another matter when it comes to the offensive line. Light is retired, Mankins is coming off offseason knee injury and Koppen is also a year removed from a fractured ankle. Meanwhile, right tackle Sebastian Vollmer has back issues that made running an issue as recently as the spring.

And while the franchise likely knows what the future holds for right guard Brian Waters -- and the veteran has earned the right to report later in the preseason, based on what he did last year -- the fact that he’s still not in camp isn’t good, particularly for a group that is still working to develop some cohesiveness.

It’s important to remember that the offensive line was in crisis mode late last season: at one point, it was down to its fourth-string center, and injuries to left Light and Mankins left them trying to patch things together down the stretch. And with his quick delivery and pocket presence, Brady is a quarterback who can make an average offensive line look good and a good one look great.

But for a franchise that has gotten rock-solid line play for several years, the bottom line is that the foundation of a good offensive line is built on consistency and continuity. And because of a series of shifting parts throughout the spring and into the first week-plus of training camp, the Patriots’ offensive line has struggled to find familiar footing this summer.

Koppen, who is in the 10th training camp of his professional career, said that if you’re going to shuffle personnel in and out of the lineup, August is the month to do it.

“It’s part of camp,” Koppen said. “Guys have been around and I’ve seen a lot guys come and go, and worked with different people. Everybody is professional here and trying to do the right thing.

“When we’ve got our group of guys, it’s pretty easy to do, and we’ve all got each other’s back and we’re just trying to get better. When you’ve got guys around you that you like and enjoy working with. it makes it a lot easier.”

While Koppen and left tackle Nate Solder have taken almost all the reps with the starting offense to this point, because of Mankins’ and Waters’ situations, the guard spots remain unresolved. They’ve been filled by Dan Connolly, Ryan Wendell and Donald Thomas, with Thomas likely see an uptick in reps with the recent retirement of Robert Gallery (who was getting regular action at right guard before retiring). Meanwhile, Marcus Cannon has filled in at right tackle in place of Vollmer.

“As we’ve talked about before, unfortunately if one player goes out then it provides an opportunity for somebody else and that’s what it will be -- opportunities for other players,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Sunday when asked about Gallery’s retirement.

Because things are so thin along the line, players like Thomas and Solder appeared to be doubling up on their reps on Sunday as the Patriots try and fight through a difficult stretch. Making matters worse, two more offensive linemen left the field during practice on Sunday, as backup tackles Darrion Weems and Kyle Hix were both forced to depart early due to injury. (That potentially leaves New England with only eight healthy offensive linemen.) And while it remains a proud group, it’s one that’s often been on the losing end of the one-on-one battles that have become must-see action to this point in training camp.

But to this point, the quarterback isn’t concerned about the state of the offensive line.

“There’s a lot of confidence in that group, and there certainly have been guys in there who are battle tested and that have played quite a bit and have been in the system and coached by Dante [Scarnecchia],” Brady said.

“The expectations are high for that position and there is a lot of competition. Those guys are working hard. They’re fighting every day out here and they’re working hard to figure out a role for themselves. I’ve got a lot of confidence in that group, and I’ve never lacked for confidence in our offensive line.”