Homework for the Shark Pool...current status of OL (1 Viewer)

[Ministry of Pain]

OK, so here we are in June and at this point I would say we know the current status on about 85-90% of the players that will start along the OL. Will be some battles in training camp but by and large we know who is going to be projected to start before camp opens.

I'm gonna kick things off with Miami because quite frankly I believe they are being way undersold. IIRC, FBG has them ranked 21st right now and I don't see it. Here we go.

LT-Jake Long: very simply put, the guy went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie albeit an alternate but he is showing quickly that he was a safe pick at #1. Guy has massive escalators in his contract and I believe he is set to make in the $8-$10 million range this upcoming season. Money does not make a player great but this guy simply shows up, doesn't mouth off, and has gotten great results protecting the QB as well as blowing open holes in the run game. Top5 candidate going into this year.

LG-Justin Smiley: was having a good year working along side Long but was injured down the stretch and the running game suffered for it as Miami was thin with depth in the LG/RG spots. As long as he is healthy and ready to roll this should make a very nice Left side of the line.

C-Jake Grove: Plucked in FA for a cool $30 million and a serious upgrade over Samson Satele who I liked but had limitations. Look for Grove to really drive the middle of this line and tkae some of the pressure of the LG/RG spots. I love him and am anxious to see the impact he will have with Miami. I can definitely see a Pro Bowl possibility for the first time at Center since the days if Tim Ruddy. major upgrade for the Miami Dolphins.

RG-Donald Thomas: I pencil him in although there will be competition. This guy was tearing up camp last year until he was injured very early in the season perhaps even right before game 1 and so hopefully he will be ready to go this year. Miami has a much stronger rigth side of the line but if Thomas can come on like he was doing in preseason and camp last year, again the Dolphins OL is being undersold quite a bit.

RT-Vernon Carey: received a $40 million deal in the off season. Miami decided to retain him. I think he is better at pass blocking than run blocking but bookend Tackels never hurt a passing game. There is a reason Chad made it thru 16 games last year and Miami was efficient in the passing game. I would love to see them throw it even more to the back and TEs, and they should have time to drop back and hit the fly patterns a couple times a game.

Bottom line is since Parcells took over the team, Miami has spent about $150 million on the OL...$57.5-Long, $40-Carey, $30-Grove, and $25-Smiley. Where has the focus of this organization been? To build a monster OL and although they are perhaps a player or two away form that, I do belive this is a cohesive group and once they get a few games under their belt together that you are going to see a vicious running attack being spear headed by our good friend Ronnie Brown who is a bargain in the 3rd round. Remember when Turner was a steal on the 2nd/3rd turn last year...Brown has the possibility of being something like that this year. I don't think top5 but sure could see a top10 finish form that guy. Anyone that has ADP in the 1 hole and can steal Brown on the 2/3 turn...lights out baby!

So post up guys and lets see it. This should be a good thread we can all utilize as the camps roll along. OL is a mucho importante to not only the RBs you select but also the passing game you hitch your wagon to.

 

[Bob Lee Swagger]

I'll take a crack at the Chicago Bears.

LT - Orlando Pace

Pace looks to be in terrific shape from all reports, though he is 34. Even if he's only at 80% of his former self, he can still be a dominant left tackle. He's penciled in as the starter right now, but should he go down with an injury, the Bears have several options at LT: Chris Williams, Kevin Shaffer, or even Frank Omiyale.

LG - Position battle between Frank Omiyale and incumbent Josh Beekman. Omiyale expected to win.

Beekman is a small guard at 6'2" and 310 pounds, and he's really more the heir apparent to Olin Kreutz than he is a starting left guard. He won the left guard job after Terrence Metcalf got suspended for 4 games last year, and he never surrendered it. He did an admirable job and was one of the only consistent performers on the line. He got to the second level pretty quickly and opened up some good holes for Forte to run through. That said, Frank Omiyale is just bigger (6'4" and 320) and he's looked at as the future of the left guard position for this team. They signed him only hours into free agency as their top target, and he'll get every opportunity to win a starting job. He began running with the first team at LG late into OTA's.

C - Olin Kreutz

He was inconsistent at times last year, and several times he would get blown back on his ### off the line. However, he's still one of the best centers in the league. He's a rock on the line even though he's getting up there in age.

RG - Position battle between Dan Buenning and incumbent Roberto Garza. Garza expected to win.

People in Chicago are down on Garza, but I can't figure out why. He seems to be every bit as capable as anyone else on the line, and I think this is definitely his job to lose. He was consistently making blocks on the second level last year, and next to Beekman I think he was one of the most consistent linemen on the Bears roster. Buenning's presence is really just motivation for Garza to improve. I don't think there's a legitimate chance that anyone but Garza will be starting at RG on opening day.

RT - Chris Williams

Chris Williams is the LT of the future for this team, but they're getting his feet wet on the right side for at least the first year. With Hall of Famer Orlando Pace manning the left side and (hopefully) serving as a mentor, Williams is getting some of his first real game action on the less-stressful side. This year will be the true test for the Bears to see just what they got with the 14th overall pick in 2008. They're expecting big things.

Top Backups:

Kevin Shaffer

Josh Beekman

Dan Buenning

All three of these guys have legitimate starting experience. Shaffer has been a starter his entire career. Beekman started and exceeded at left guard for the Bears last year. Buenning was (I believe) a two year starter at guard in Tampa. Needless to say, this is the deepest OL group the Bears have had in some time. They could be one of the top units in the league as long as they all get their timing down and learn to work together this summer.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Nicely done Swagger. I think Chicago is a bottom 10 candidate. not saying they will definitely go there but they are very old in key spots and there is some positional battles at LG/RG so they look a little lost. not sure continuity will be there. It could be the headache that keeps that offense from achieving greatness this season.

 

[Buffaloes]

Denver Broncos:

All 5 starters return to a unit that gave up 12 sacks despite over 620 drop backs. That was easily the best sack:drop back ratio of any team last year. The sacks may go up slightly this year given that Kyle Orton doesn't have the same mobility as Jay Cutler. Still a dominant pass-protecting OL. They also performed well in the running game, producing the league's 2nd highest yards-per-carry average of 4.8 yards despite the mediocre RBs they had running the ball.

Denver retained OL coach Rick Dennison and RB coach Bobby Turner so much of the zone running plays will stay but Josh McDaniels has said he plans on implementing some more power running plays as well. A similar power running game was instituted when Peyton Hillis became the starting running back and the running game flourished with Hillis running between the tackles.

Really, this is one of the very few bright spots heading into training camp. Barring injury, this should be one of the top OLs in the game.

LT- Ryan Clady: Drafted at #12 overall in 2008 NFL draft. Should have been a Pro Bowl selection last year after he gave up 0.5 sacks despite Denver passing 620 times. He took on teams' best rass rushers last year and still gave up 0.5 sack his rookie year. He worked with Jackie Slater prior to the 2007 NFL draft and has talked about how he still needs to improve his game. Hard worker, quiet guy that should be a fixture at the left side for a decade or more. Has been dubbed the best OT in the game by Sporting News.

LG Ben Hamilton: Has been a fixture on the OL. Had some serious concussion problems prior to last season that forced him to sit out the 2007 season. Came back and started all 16 games last year. He's 31. Kory Lichtensteiger was drafted a year ago and may be able to step in for any of the interior guys (Wiegmann included) should injury hit.

C Casey Wiegmann: Made the Pro Bowl last year despite being cut by the Chefs and signed with Denver shortly thereafter. He started all 16 games for Denver in 2008 as an injury replacement for Tom Nalen. He just had his contract extended and although he is up there in age (36), he should have no problem holding the starting C position and performing at a high level again.

RG Chris Kuper: Part of the star-studded 2006 draft class that brought in Cutler, Marshall, Dumervil, Sheffler, Hixon. He started all 16 games despite breaking his hand before the season started. He played OT in college but has found a home at RG and should be a fixture on the OL for years.

RT Ryan Harris: 3rd round pick in 2007 NFL draft out of Notre Dame. Not a big impact during his rookie year while he was going through some issues with a back injury. Had a good season last year giving up only 2.5 sacks despite the Bronco offense dropping back over 620 times. He's another young bookend that should be penciled in as starter for years to come barring injury.

TE Daniel Graham: He was signed to a big deal by the Shanahan regime due in large part to his run blocking ability. He's a top inline run blocker and will help tremendously in the running game again. Richard Quinn, or "Big Rich", is a rookie who should see time in short yardage and GL situations. He was drafted in the 2nd round (seen by many as a reach) due in large part to him being the best blocking TE in the draft.

 

[Bob Lee Swagger]

Nicely done Swagger. I think Chicago is a bottom 10 candidate. not saying they will definitely go there but they are very old in key spots and there is some positional battles at LG/RG so they look a little lost. not sure continuity will be there. It could be the headache that keeps that offense from achieving greatness this season.

I agree that continuity could be an issue, especially if Pace has injury problems. He's really the key to the whole thing. If Pace goes down, that means the unproven Williams moves to left tackle, which opens up a spot at right tackle, presumably for Kevin Shaffer, who hasn't been working with the first team at all.There's a lot of new blood on this line, so it could take a couple games, or maybe even a full year, for them to gel. I think they've got talent and depth, though.

 

[Bankerguy]

Cowboys O-line will remain in tact and should be an average to slightly above average group. This group needs to show that it can limit penalties and consistently run block. Which, at times the Cowboys struggle with. The talent is there, however this group has yet to put it all together.

LT- Flozell Adams- A past pro bowler who struggled last year with hand injuries. His play really tailed off at the end of the year. He is capable of very solid play when properly motivated.

LG- Kyle Kosier- Had an injured foot and missed most of the second half of the year. Replacements Cory Proctor and Montrae Holland all struggled to give the line any consistency or continuity. Kosier is a great pulling guard and does well blocking in the second level and in open spaces.

C- Andre Gurode- The knock on the guy is his shot gun snaps. He is one of the best Centers in the NFC and the anchor of this line.

RG- "Bigg" Davis- A mountain of man who run blocks very well. He does miss the occasional assignment in pass blocking but is a Pro Bowl Guard otherwise.

RT- Marc Columbo- He is under-rated as a tackle imo. Has a mean streak and is the enforcer on the line. He isn't flashy in any area, nor does he have a glaring weakness.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

San Diego Chargers - Left side good, right side not so good.

LT- Marcus McNeil - Contract year, Pro bowler 2 years ago, Solid player

LG - Chris Deihlman - Signed a long term deal 2 off seasons ago, solid player

C - Hardwick - was very injured to start the year last year missed the first 6 games and then struggled. I look for much improvement here.

RG - Forney/L.Vaquez® - This will be a training camp battle between a vet that was a backup to Mike Goff last year and their 3rd round pick. UGLY

RT - Jeromy Clary - Stinks beyond stinking. Primary Backup LJ Shelton

You can see why LT sturggled, and injured Center, and the right side is horrible.

Goff was long in the tooth last year and the rookie probably gets the nod eventually. RT is a problem.

There was a reason why the chargers only ran one direction last year making them very predictable.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

Nicely done Swagger. I think Chicago is a bottom 10 candidate. not saying they will definitely go there but they are very old in key spots and there is some positional battles at LG/RG so they look a little lost. not sure continuity will be there. It could be the headache that keeps that offense from achieving greatness this season.

First off, great thread Idea MOP.Secondly, I am going to disagree with the assumption that Chicago will be in the bottom 10. Last season, they preformed better than expected. But the Oline consisted of Tait and John St. Clair at the tackle positions. With essentially 3 new players for those two spots, one of which is a HOF, one with lots of experience, and one with the 1st round pick tag. I can't see how the OT position can't be greatly upgraded.I also think guard will be much better with Omiyale, he was highly sought after in the begining of FA by not only Chicago but many teams. Add in the fact that we have good competition at both guard positions and I see this as the 2nd most upgraded unit on the team behind QB and just ahead of Dline(Marinelli will do wonders).I also think the presence of Cutler will help decrease sacks because he is more mobile that Orton. I would expect less defenders near the line as well because of Orton, so that would decrease blitzing and further help the Oline.

 

[Bob Lee Swagger]

Nicely done Swagger. I think Chicago is a bottom 10 candidate. not saying they will definitely go there but they are very old in key spots and there is some positional battles at LG/RG so they look a little lost. not sure continuity will be there. It could be the headache that keeps that offense from achieving greatness this season.

I also think the presence of Cutler will help decrease sacks because he is more mobile that Orton. I would expect less defenders near the line as well because of Orton, so that would decrease blitzing and further help the Oline.

Good point here. Even if the Bears' pass blocking doesn't improve at all, which is unlikely, their sack numbers should go down solely due to Cutler's increased mobility over Orton and due to the fact that defenses will be more wary of stacking the box and sending blitzers.

 

[Buffaloes]

I also think the presence of Cutler will help decrease sacks because he is more mobile that Orton. I would expect less defenders near the line as well because of Orton, so that would decrease blitzing and further help the Oline.

I agree that the addition of Cutler should take some heat off the OL. Cutler has great pocket presence and is one of the more mobile QBs in the league. He'll keep 8 out of the box so that will make things easier for Forte too. As a Bronco fan, it pisses me off that Denver will be losing this guy because he has the ability to make the entire offense that much better.

 

[TheDirtyWord]

Atlanta Falcons:

LT: Sam Baker - Baker, when he was healthy in 2008, showed that pre-draft concerns about his drop-off during his senior year at USC was unfounded. Drafted #21 overall, he overcame a perception that his arms were too short to play LT in the NFL and looks to be a mainstay for years to come, with one caveat. Baker was nagged by injuries during his senior season at USC and he was hit by the injury bug during his rookie year, suffering a concussion and a back injury. He needs to prove he can hold up to the physical demands of the position. For the Falcons, they do not have they type of depth at LT that they did last year when Todd Weiner (who has since retired) was able to step in.

LG: Justin Blalock - Blalock started to find his NFL legs in 2008 after struggling mightily during his rookie season when the Falcons coaching staff under Bobby Petrino was woefully overmatched. Under the tutelage of Paul Boudreau, Blalock developed significantly. Where he excels is in the run game as a drive blocker. He needs to improve his quickness in pass protection as he can get caught lunging. That said, Blalock seems well on his way to becoming a mainstay at LG.

C: Todd McClure - McClure has long been an underrated performer on the Falcons line. Now entering his 10th season, he's a poor man's Jeff Saturday who is extremely proficient at making line calls and is the glue that bonds the unit together. With the retirement of Weiner, he is the gray beard of the unit by far (although the Falcons recently signed Jeremy Newberry as interior line depth). Not blessed with an enormous amount of physical talent, and a bit of the light side, he can still be overpowered at the point of attack, but McClure is a critical, but overlooked piece to the Falcons successful resurrgence.

RG: Harvey Dahl - Dahl has quickly gained a reputation as one of the nastiest players in the NFL considering 2008 was his first year as a starter. A play till the whistle stops blowing type of player, Dahl relies on his ability to mix it up on every play to gain his advantage. Like Blalock, Dahl is stronger in the run game that in pass protection, which is not a surprise given his playing style. But as a young player with room to grow, there is more than enough time for Dahl to improve this aspect of his game.

RT: Tyson Clabo - Whereas the left side of the Falcons O-Line is strong in pedigree boasting a 1st and 2nd rounder, the right side consists of two players who were not drafted and get by via guts and guile. At 6'6 332 (listed) Clabo is a massive player who has versatility along the line (having played OG earlier in his career) but seemingly has found a home at RT. Both Dahl and Calbo were RFA's this year and thus will be eligible for UFA status come next off-season (assuming CBA issues are resolved). With the drafting of Garret Reynolds in the 5th round, you'd get the sense that the Falcons if forced to choose between Clabo & Dahl, would keep Dahl. However, Clabo is a solid performer who will get paid when his time comes.

Overall: The Falcons line is helped out siginificantly by 1) Michael Turner's physical running style which helps wear down the defense and 2) Matt Ryan's ability to make quick decisions in the passing game. For a unit that had been much maligned heading into 2008, their standing has improved dramatically and their young talent (Baker, Blalock, Dahl) really started to blossom. They should barring injury fare quite well again in 2009.

 

[whitewizard]

i will take the lions.

there will be alot of battles along the line to try and get better. at the very least we have added depth to a very thin position from last year. the talent falls at about 28 or 27 overall in the NFL. but considering when they played good last year they could play at about a level of 30th it is an improvement. if things go right and we stay healthy and people gel well i think they could make play to a middle of the pack level of around 22 in sacks given and other stats that are too hard to quantify.

depth players:

jon jansen

maneul ramirez

damien cook

salaam

LT: BACKUS he is not a great talent to say the least. his mistakes are very noticable and he simply does not have overwhelming power to move over to RT, or G, and definately does not have the athleticism to handle the speed rush at LT. what he does have is a good ability to stay healthy, he is consistent, he has good foot work, is strong just not impressively so and i think that with pettigrew able to shift over to shrink the pass rush lane he will be able to sit down on the DE and really make a difference and improvement from years past. there is not alot of fighting for his spot salaam is a 30 year old to be the token backup. you can not count on backus being a lead pipe lock but you can count on him being there for the season and doing a average job.

LG: (this is where things get interesting) the G positions are very much up in the air. i believe that dan loper a LT from the titans will play this position very well for us. at 6'6 330 pounds the man is a monster but he is still listed as a LT. which makes sense since that was the position he tried to play at in tennessee. though the buzz was that he could have played LG but the fact was that the oline in tenn. was so good he did not have a place to play. i would love to see him at LG because he is a monster and because the other contestants for the LG position are well pathetic and serviceable at best. we have jon jansen who will probably win a spot as a utility lineman of sorts for backup RT, G, and maybe C, cook who we have had before and did not inspire alot, and ramirez who was brought in by martz to be a passing G. to me it seems simple to put the behemoth of loper in at LG but there will be competition here as well at RG with the saem people and a pundet at that position as well.

C: dominic Raiola: he is a very interesting player. i have always compared him to jeff saturday in that they are both some of the smallest Cs in the league and that they are more important captaining the oline and chipping the DTs to help the Gs than actually taking on the 360 pounders themselves. he is not a slouch in blocking he is athletic moves very well down field while blocking and has done a good job at C. the fact of the matter is that he gets oushed around by the big DTs and it hurts us. i believe though that if we get big Gs to take the pressure off him then his ability as a blocker will shine through some more.

RG. Stephen Peterman: he got a 5 year deal this year for being a solid olineman who can move up and down depending on who is hurt. he found a good knack last year at RG and was able to really be physical which as it turns out is a strength of his. alot of Kevin smith's yards last year came from the right side with peterman and cherilus being extremely nasty and fighting the tough battles. the problem with peterman is that he gets injured alot. that has been what has stunted his development and contribution. hopefully he can stay healthy and keep the right side strong.

RT: Gosder Cherilus; a rookie last year made some mistakes got too aggressive, a few false starts. there are signs that he could devolve down a very painful and expensive road of penalties, and missed blocks but he also showed that he is a grinder and can open up holes to run through with the best of them. this year i expect more of the same with the stupid mistakes going down and just a overall sense of composure for lack of a better word when we have to pass from behind. his rookie year was not probowl worthy but i think his 2nd year will be. he proved he can be a starter for a very long time we just need to see if his rookie mistakes are rookie related or permanent.

well that is the oline. there has not been alot added to the oline in terms of new faces and pure talent but they have tried. really the biggets addition to the blocking unit has to be TE pettigrew he was drafted just as much for his ability to block with the catch a big bonus. he will be able to help both tackles against the speed rush and throw a wrinkle into the defense not knowing whether he will block or go for a pass. the biggest ? will be the play of the Gs. i think we have stumbled onto 2 very good Gs but we will have to wait and see. the lions gaveup 51 sacks last year and kevin smith rushed for 900 yards and got 8 TDs. both of those totals should be better with pettigrew a great downfield blocker and inline man with great hands, and a oline that has a little depth for worst case sacenarios and some good starting talent. i am not going to say they will be the patriots from 07 but they will not be as bad as last year.

overall i give them a 6.5 out of 10, coming out about 24th in oline stats and production.

 

[JaxBill]

Jaguars offensive line is definitely in flux and after last year, that's a good thing.

LT - Tra Thomas / Eugene Monroe - When the Jags signed Tra Thomas, many expected Thomas to succeed Khalif Barnes at LT. With Eugene Monroe's selection, it's just a matter of time before Monroe starts there instead. Some people are saying Monroe will start there on Opening Day. Thomas is more of a finesse blocker, so if Monroe starts, Thomas would probably be the backup LT since he doesn't look to have the build or run-blocking capabilities to move to G or RT.

LG - Vince Manuwai / Uche Nwaneri - Manuwai is coming back from a torn ACL and some say the return is very slow. He might not be ready for Opening Day. Nwaneri has experience from filling last year but he's average at best. Losing Manuwai last year was a big blow ot the Jags and the same might still be true.

C - Brad Meester / Dennis Norman - Meester is coming back from a bicep tear and everything is supposed to be progressing fine. This is another position where the Jags could be in trouble if the start doesn't stay healthy again. A healthy Meester would be a boost to the Jaguars O.

RG/RT - Mo Williams / Tony Pashos / Eben Britton - Mo Williams is also coming back from a ruptured biceps. Pashos was the rare Jags OL who stayed healthy last year but he has shown problems against speed pass rushers. Britton was a natural RT in college. I lumped these positions together since it looks like there will be some combo of 2 out of 3 of them. Do the Jags want to move the rookie to a strange position like RG? Do they want to start a rookie LT and rookie RT? Could Pashos transition to G?

It looks like the Jags will definitely have more depth last year, although I would have liked to see a better backup C. They could also face a problem with cohesiveness if training camp turns into musical chairs at RG/RT.

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

I'll do Pats later on if nobody else wants to pick up the baton, but the thumbnail is that you're looking at pretty much the same unit from the last couple years, although they rolled into '08 kind of beat up --- I think we were missing a couple until maybe the Denver game, if I remember right, and our RG (Stephen Neal) was out in the '07 superbowl.

Here's a site for you to peruse:

http://www.profootballfocus.com/by_positio...&numgames=1

 

[saintfool]

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Starters...

C - Jonathan Goodwin (6'3 320 bs) became the starter once Jeff Faine departed via free agency. He's experienced but last year was his first really as *the* starter. He played well enough that Payton felt he could let Faine go without much drop off in ability or effectiveness.

OG - Jahri Evans (6'4 320 lbs) and Jamar Nesbit (6'4 330 lbs) anchor the interior line. Evans is one of the gems that Payton discovered. He's young and physical. Nesbit is kind of the wily veteran. He's versatile - having played all over the offensive line with the Saints - and brings adds a lot of leadership to the line. Nesbit has been talked about as moving into a reserve role in favor of the younger Carl Nicks.

OT - Jammal Brown (6'6 313lbs) and Jon Stinchcomb (6'5 315 lbs) are a study in contrast. Brown has all the talent you could hope for. Big, physical player but is wildly inconsistent. He's fine in pass protection, when he's not being called for holding or getting abused by a Julius Peppers type player. He's been to the Pro -Bowl even. Stinch isn't the most physically gifted but he's an effort guy. He's been really very effective on the field for NO. Smart, respected and consistent.

Notable reserves...

OG Carl Nicks is a load. Played college ball at Nebraska and looked good in run support.

OT Zach Strief has played well in relief. He's young and shows a lot of potential. There is talk about grooming him as the eventual starter.

C Nick Leckey is the back up. He hurt his leg in the OTAs but should be ok in time for camp. Nesbit has filled in at C for the team on occasion too.

The thing about the Saints O-line is this... they're great in pass protection but very unimpressive in run support. Only 13 sacks were given up despite leading the league in passing attempts and yardage through the air. The line has played a lot of games together and the cohesiveness shows. They were squarely in the middle of the total number of penalties last year. Could they be better in run support? Yes, but some of that may be the limitations of Reggie as a RB. A lot of people will be paying close attention to Pierre Thomas. If he shows he can run effectively behind this line then questions about Reggie's role on the team. Some of it may be coaching, as Payton's playcalling has favored pass over run by a wide margin.

 

[Meast21]

I'll take the Washington Redskins

Chris Samuels [LT] - Our best o-lineman by far, 6 time Pro Bowler, is going to be 32 entering this season; however, has shown he still has the "it" factor. He will give up sacks but almost any left tackle would going up against the NFC East pass rush but besides DeMarcus Ware he dominates most RDE. If he can avoid the injury bug he will be a very solid LT this season.

Derrick Dockery [LG] - Dockery is back with his original team after spending two years in Buffalo. Dock is very familiar with Chris Samuels and center Casey Rabach and should fit right in immediately. As has been the past few years our left side will be the primary running direction for Clinton Portis.

Casey Rabach [C] - Rabach is a good center who is starting to show some signs of decline. He is a great signal caller and director but is a bit undersized at 288 pounds. I expect Rabach to be average this year but the Skins to explore other options at the position next year.

Randy Thomas [RG] - Thomas is old and injury prone. His best attributes a few years ago were his ability to pull in the run game but after tricep, knee and neck surgeries his athletic ability is a huge question mark. Second year player Chad Rhinehart is getting praise this far in OTA's and minicamps and although I think the Skins need to get younger if Rhinehart is starting I am worried.

Stephon Heyer [RT] - Stephon is a third year player that was the starter going into last season but due to an injury lost his starting role until later on in the season. Heyer is pretty good at pass protection but is not the quite as strong in the run game. This is the one spot on our o-line that is an open camp battle and former first round "bust" Mike Williams and newly acquired Jeremy Bridges are competing for the spot. Clearly this is the main position of concern and with how this spot goes I feel Jason Campbell goes.

FBG rating of the Redskins was clearly off, they have a much more mediocre line and in my opinion as the o-line goes the Redskins season goes...

 

[RJS113]

Starters:

Donald Penn- Penn played very well last season. He skipped most of the OTAs, but showed up for the mandatory mini camp. Was re-signed as a RFA, and wants a new deal. The Bucs are shifting to a zone blocking scheme, and with Penn not participating in OTAs, he's definately behind the rest of the linemen. He needs to get in shape, and possibly lose some weight.

Jeremy Zuttah- Zuttah played a lot as a rookie when injuries hit. He played well, and is looking like a steal as a 3rd round pick. He has the ability to play anywhere on the offensive line. Zuttah is very athletic, and should be a great fit for the zone blocking scheme. Left guard was supposed to be a competition between him and Sears, but with Sears not in camp, Zuttah is winning the job by default. However, this was going to be a tight competition, and Zuttah very well could have won the battle anyway.

Jeff Faine- Faine was a great free agent signing last year. He's a leader, and was voted as a team captain his first year on the team. This offseason he has had some minor back problems, but there is no reason to think that he won't continue to be a stud this year.

Davin Joseph- Joseph made the Pro Bowl as an alternate last year, and was very deserving of that honor. Him and Faine are the rocks on this offensive line. Joseph has lost some weight this year so he can become a better fit for the ZBS. If he can get the scheme down, he could be in for another Pro Bowl year.

Jeremy Trueblood- I love Trueblood. He plays with a mean streak, and should be the kind of "violent" player Raheem Morris is looking for. With that said, Trueblood's pass blocking was very inconistent last year, and he very well could be the weakest starter on the line. Although zone blocking schemes require quick and athletic linemen, Trueblood has actually gained wait this offseason. But the reason for that is that he was actually too small last year. Last year Trueblood was down to 288, and is now 305.

Back ups:

Aaron Sears- Very good player, but hasn't been to camp because of migraines and "personal issues". The Bucs are very concerned about him, and are being tight lipped about the situation.

James Lee- Started in place of Penn in mini camp. The Bucs like him, but it's hard to tell how well he performed without pads on.

Xavier Fulter- Has big upside. However, he is a project, and probably won't make an impact as a rookie. He hasn't been practicing because he is still rehabbing from shoulder surgery.

Sean Mahan- Solid backup with starting experience. However, he is extremely over paid. He is set to make over $3 million this year, and is one of the highest paid players on the team. May stick around if Sears doesn't come back, but I have to imagine the Bucs hope someone else can step up and take his roster spot.

Rob Bruggeman- The Bucs were very high on Bruggeman going into the draft, and were very happy to land him as an undrafted free agent. He has looked good in mini camp, albiet without pads on. Bruggeman can very well be Faine's backup at center this year.

Summary- The Bucs have one of the most talented lines in football. They are young, and will continue to get better. The only thing holding them back this year is how well they can pick up the zone blocking scheme. However, long term this scheme is a great fit for their personel. If Sears doesn't come back this year, depth is a concern. Even if he does play this season, tackle depth can still be a problem.

The Bucs plan on being a run first team this season. Expect to see both Ward and Graham have very good years. Also, offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski is very high on Clifton Smith, so expect to see him involved as well. If the offensive line gels by the start of the season, look for the Bucs offense to put up good numbers.

 

[coolnerd]

marking to remember to do the Texans

 

[onionsack]

I'll do Pats later on if nobody else wants to pick up the baton, but the thumbnail is that you're looking at pretty much the same unit from the last couple years, although they rolled into '08 kind of beat up --- I think we were missing a couple until maybe the Denver game, if I remember right, and our RG (Stephen Neal) was out in the '07 superbowl.

Here's a site for you to peruse:

http://www.profootballfocus.com/by_positio...&numgames=1

#4 D'Brickashaw Ferguson #50 Ryan Clady

Interesting. And since even Daryn Colledge outpoints Clady, maybe the Packers can get him straight up in a trade.

 

[Biabreakable]

I'll take the Washington Redskins

Chris Samuels [LT] - Our best o-lineman by far, 6 time Pro Bowler, is going to be 32 entering this season; however, has shown he still has the "it" factor. He will give up sacks but almost any left tackle would going up against the NFC East pass rush but besides DeMarcus Ware he dominates most RDE. If he can avoid the injury bug he will be a very solid LT this season.

Derrick Dockery [LG] - Dockery is back with his original team after spending two years in Buffalo. Dock is very familiar with Chris Samuels and center Casey Rabach and should fit right in immediately. As has been the past few years our left side will be the primary running direction for Clinton Portis.

Casey Rabach [C] - Rabach is a good center who is starting to show some signs of decline. He is a great signal caller and director but is a bit undersized at 288 pounds. I expect Rabach to be average this year but the Skins to explore other options at the position next year.

Randy Thomas [RG] - Thomas is old and injury prone. His best attributes a few years ago were his ability to pull in the run game but after tricep, knee and neck surgeries his athletic ability is a huge question mark. Second year player Chad Rhinehart is getting praise this far in OTA's and minicamps and although I think the Skins need to get younger if Rhinehart is starting I am worried.

Stephon Heyer [RT] - Stephon is a third year player that was the starter going into last season but due to an injury lost his starting role until later on in the season. Heyer is pretty good at pass protection but is not the quite as strong in the run game. This is the one spot on our o-line that is an open camp battle and former first round "bust" Mike Williams and newly acquired Jeremy Bridges are competing for the spot. Clearly this is the main position of concern and with how this spot goes I feel Jason Campbell goes.

FBG rating of the Redskins was clearly off, they have a much more mediocre line and in my opinion as the o-line goes the Redskins season goes...

It is a shame the skins keep having issues at RT. Hopefully not so many injuries this year.If Heyer is not as good at run blocking why not rotate him with Williams?

 

[Biabreakable]

I'll do Pats later on if nobody else wants to pick up the baton, but the thumbnail is that you're looking at pretty much the same unit from the last couple years, although they rolled into '08 kind of beat up --- I think we were missing a couple until maybe the Denver game, if I remember right, and our RG (Stephen Neal) was out in the '07 superbowl.

Here's a site for you to peruse:

http://www.profootballfocus.com/by_positio...&numgames=1

Interesting.From what are these ratings derived from?

 

[Andy Herron]

Cowboys O-line will remain in tact and should be an average to slightly above average group. This group needs to show that it can limit penalties and consistently run block. Which, at times the Cowboys struggle with. The talent is there, however this group has yet to put it all together. LT- Flozell Adams- A past pro bowler who struggled last year with hand injuries. His play really tailed off at the end of the year. He is capable of very solid play when properly motivated.LG- Kyle Kosier- Had an injured foot and missed most of the second half of the year. Replacements Cory Proctor and Montrae Holland all struggled to give the line any consistency or continuity. Kosier is a great pulling guard and does well blocking in the second level and in open spaces.C- Andre Gurode- The knock on the guy is his shot gun snaps. He is one of the best Centers in the NFC and the anchor of this line. RG- "Bigg" Davis- A mountain of man who run blocks very well. He does miss the occasional assignment in pass blocking but is a Pro Bowl Guard otherwise.RT- Marc Columbo- He is under-rated as a tackle imo. Has a mean streak and is the enforcer on the line. He isn't flashy in any area, nor does he have a glaring weakness.

Well done Bankerguy, although I might add that while Kosier continues to recover from his foot surgery (not 100% yet), Holland has been getting all of the work with the first-team and putting himself in a position to compete for the starting position when training camp arrives. By all accounts he has been performing well in Kosier's absence.

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

I'll do Pats later on if nobody else wants to pick up the baton, but the thumbnail is that you're looking at pretty much the same unit from the last couple years, although they rolled into '08 kind of beat up --- I think we were missing a couple until maybe the Denver game, if I remember right, and our RG (Stephen Neal) was out in the '07 superbowl.

Here's a site for you to peruse:

http://www.profootballfocus.com/by_positio...&numgames=1

Interesting.From what are these ratings derived from?

http://www.profootballfocus.com/about.php?tab=about

 

[sho nuff]

Packers homers can chime in and correct me....

LT: Chad Clifton....well, he will be there, he is still recovering from offseason knee work but should be ready to go. In OTAs so far its been Tony Moll. I don't like this is Moll is in there...and while I have not liked Colledge there, he is preferable to Moll. It will be interesting and I don't see it happening as a rookie...but they are still listing Jamon Meredith on yahoo depth charts (which are mostly wrong so far anyway) as the #2 here. We will see how this one pans out.

LG: Daryn Colledge...finally last year he came around and had a pretty solid year at guard. He even filled in a few times at LT and RT and was not noticed as bad.

C: Jason Spitz...I think he wins the camp battle with incumbent Scott Wells. He played some at center last year while Wells was out and IMO played better at Center than he did at RG. I like Spitz here and think he can be an adequate center. Wells is a solid enough backup. They also signed Duke Preston from Buffalo to serve as a center/guard backup and push some for starting time.

RG: Josh Sitton...he almost took the spot as a rookie til an injury ended that. He seems to be primed to take over this spot for years to come.

RT: Allen Barbre...this can go several ways actually. Right now Barbre has been getting the looks with the 1s in OTAs. And has been holding his own and doing well against Aaron Kampman. Breno Giacomini (drafted last year) could win the spot later if he gets healthy. Also look at rookie TJ Lang to try and push these guys.

 

[baconisgood]

Cleveland Browns

Two years ago this was a good looking unit- giving up just 19 sacks all season (with 5 of those being Charlie "deer in headlights" Frye in one half) and averaging 4.3 yards/carry on the ground. Last year there were some issues, they ended up giving up 24 sacks and averaged only 3.9 yards on the ground. Some of this can be attributed to the harder schedule they faced being a 10-6 team instead of a 3 -13 team but the Browns did need to address their deficiencies- especially their running game with their QB situation seeming in constant flux since returning to the NFL.

LT: Joe Thomas- had an excellent rookie season pass protecting and helped stabailize a line that gave up 54 sacks and averaged 3.6 yards a carry. Played well last year and wasn't the problem

LG: Eric Steinbach- quality LG signed away from Cincinnati was the other big part in turning that atrocious line from 2006 around. Missed two games last year (the first he'd missed since his rookie season)- is 29 this year and should still have plenty of good football in him.

C: Hank Fraley/ Alex Mack- many think Fraley's issues were at the root of the running game problems last year. Alex Mack was drafted to get better push up front for the backfield. If Mack is as good and ready as advertised he will be a big asset. If not Fraley is servicable but with flaws.

The right side of the line was replaced with veteran FA. Even during the good year of 2007 the running to the right side was tough.

RG: Floyd Womack- FA from the Seahawks in his 9th season.

RT: John St Clair FA from the Bears in his 10th season.

How these two integrate into the line is important- If Fraley starts its overall a veteran line with Joe Thomas in his 3rd year the youngest by a long way. If its Alex Mack there could be more issues trying to integrate a rookie and two new starters. Womack has played his entire career with the Seahawks so the switch could well be harder for him that St Clair who is on his 4th team.

Reserves

Rex Hadnot, Ryan Tucker, Isaac Sowells and either Fraley or Mack

Ryan Tucker has played both positions on the right side but is 34 this year and his missed a lot of time the past 3 seasons. If hes healthy hes a quality reserve, but its a sizable if.

Hadnot has been a starter throughout his whole career and should be a quality backup- has only missed one game the past 4 seasons.

Overall this has the potential to be an excellent unit, but it is more likely this year to be just above average while integrating up to three new parts. Running left wont be a problem but running right and up the middle could well be again. I expect good pass protection again- 20 sacks given up sounds reasonable to me.

 

[Biabreakable]

I'll do Pats later on if nobody else wants to pick up the baton, but the thumbnail is that you're looking at pretty much the same unit from the last couple years, although they rolled into '08 kind of beat up --- I think we were missing a couple until maybe the Denver game, if I remember right, and our RG (Stephen Neal) was out in the '07 superbowl.

Here's a site for you to peruse:

http://www.profootballfocus.com/by_positio...&numgames=1

Interesting.From what are these ratings derived from?

http://www.profootballfocus.com/about.php?tab=about

This is not an answer. I am guessing subjective rating by a handful of viewers but it doesen't even explain that.Hard for me to look at or use anything when I don't know the methodology behind its creation.

Some of those rankings/ratings seem really off. For example Buckhalter is ranked like 6th overall for RB. Yeah ok.

But again I don't understand how this conclushion was arrived at.

 

[Biabreakable]

Vikings offensive line:

The Vikings lost Matt Birk in free agency. The Vikings have been preparing for his for about 3 years now so hopefully the adjustment will be alright.

LT - Mount McKinney - I think he has gotten a bit better since Hutchinson arrived. I still only consider him to be a slightly above average LT.

LG - Steve Hutchinson - Best guard in the game at this time. He had to make some adjustments to the new offense but I think he has mastered it now.

C - John Sullivan - The Vikings used to have another guy who they were grooming to take over for Birk but I guess he has moved on. Sullivan has some experience but hasn't started yet. Ryan Cook could also compete here but he has been a weakness at RT so not sure he would be better at pivot. This is part of the reason Cook was drafted however. As a possible replacement for Birk down the line. That time is now.

RG - Artis Hicks - versitile player who can play guard or tackle. But would probably be better in a back up role. The right side is still a weakness. Anthony Herrerra in the mix here too. But he is also best as a backup.

RT - Phil Loadholt - Rookie that is expected to win the start. A 2nd round pick. No opinion about how good or bad he might be. He has the perfect name for a Olineman tho.

I think people may give more credit to this line than it deserves. Maybe I have just been spoiled but the Vikings have had much better lines than this in the past imho. I think Birk will be missed. But as I said earlier the Vikings have been preparing to move on without him for several years now. So hopefully the transition isn't a total disaster. Much depends on Loadholt. If he is an improvement at RT that can help cover the weakness at RG.

A better run blocking line than pass blocking.

 

[Meast21]

I'll take the Washington Redskins

Chris Samuels [LT] - Our best o-lineman by far, 6 time Pro Bowler, is going to be 32 entering this season; however, has shown he still has the "it" factor. He will give up sacks but almost any left tackle would going up against the NFC East pass rush but besides DeMarcus Ware he dominates most RDE. If he can avoid the injury bug he will be a very solid LT this season.

Derrick Dockery [LG] - Dockery is back with his original team after spending two years in Buffalo. Dock is very familiar with Chris Samuels and center Casey Rabach and should fit right in immediately. As has been the past few years our left side will be the primary running direction for Clinton Portis.

Casey Rabach [C] - Rabach is a good center who is starting to show some signs of decline. He is a great signal caller and director but is a bit undersized at 288 pounds. I expect Rabach to be average this year but the Skins to explore other options at the position next year.

Randy Thomas [RG] - Thomas is old and injury prone. His best attributes a few years ago were his ability to pull in the run game but after tricep, knee and neck surgeries his athletic ability is a huge question mark. Second year player Chad Rhinehart is getting praise this far in OTA's and minicamps and although I think the Skins need to get younger if Rhinehart is starting I am worried.

Stephon Heyer [RT] - Stephon is a third year player that was the starter going into last season but due to an injury lost his starting role until later on in the season. Heyer is pretty good at pass protection but is not the quite as strong in the run game. This is the one spot on our o-line that is an open camp battle and former first round "bust" Mike Williams and newly acquired Jeremy Bridges are competing for the spot. Clearly this is the main position of concern and with how this spot goes I feel Jason Campbell goes.

FBG rating of the Redskins was clearly off, they have a much more mediocre line and in my opinion as the o-line goes the Redskins season goes...

It is a shame the skins keep having issues at RT. Hopefully not so many injuries this year.If Heyer is not as good at run blocking why not rotate him with Williams?

First and foremost Mike Williams has to prove he can make playing weight but what a story that would be if he came in as our starting RT. I'm rooting for the big man.

 

[MAC_32]

Cleveland BrownsTwo years ago this was a good looking unit- giving up just 19 sacks all season (with 5 of those being Charlie "deer in headlights" Frye in one half) and averaging 4.3 yards/carry on the ground. Last year there were some issues, they ended up giving up 24 sacks and averaged only 3.9 yards on the ground. Some of this can be attributed to the harder schedule they faced being a 10-6 team instead of a 3 -13 team but the Browns did need to address their deficiencies- especially their running game with their QB situation seeming in constant flux since returning to the NFL. LT: Joe Thomas- had an excellent rookie season pass protecting and helped stabailize a line that gave up 54 sacks and averaged 3.6 yards a carry. Played well last year and wasn't the problemLG: Eric Steinbach- quality LG signed away from Cincinnati was the other big part in turning that atrocious line from 2006 around. Missed two games last year (the first he'd missed since his rookie season)- is 29 this year and should still have plenty of good football in him.C: Hank Fraley/ Alex Mack- many think Fraley's issues were at the root of the running game problems last year. Alex Mack was drafted to get better push up front for the backfield. If Mack is as good and ready as advertised he will be a big asset. If not Fraley is servicable but with flaws.The right side of the line was replaced with veteran FA. Even during the good year of 2007 the running to the right side was tough. RG: Floyd Womack- FA from the Seahawks in his 9th season. RT: John St Clair FA from the Bears in his 10th season. How these two integrate into the line is important- If Fraley starts its overall a veteran line with Joe Thomas in his 3rd year the youngest by a long way. If its Alex Mack there could be more issues trying to integrate a rookie and two new starters. Womack has played his entire career with the Seahawks so the switch could well be harder for him that St Clair who is on his 4th team.ReservesRex Hadnot, Ryan Tucker, Isaac Sowells and either Fraley or MackRyan Tucker has played both positions on the right side but is 34 this year and his missed a lot of time the past 3 seasons. If hes healthy hes a quality reserve, but its a sizable if.Hadnot has been a starter throughout his whole career and should be a quality backup- has only missed one game the past 4 seasons.Overall this has the potential to be an excellent unit, but it is more likely this year to be just above average while integrating up to three new parts. Running left wont be a problem but running right and up the middle could well be again. I expect good pass protection again- 20 sacks given up sounds reasonable to me.

Only two comments to add - 1) if Tucker's healthy he's probably starting in place of St. Clair. However, I don't expect Porkchop and Tucker to be healthy all season so St. Clair will probably routinely find his way into the lineup. 2) I'd go ahead and assume at this point that Mack's the starter, he's a much better fit for the scheme Mangini wants to implement, even fi there is a learning curve (early reports indicate there shouldn't be much of one).

 

[Clash of the Titans]

hey MOP.....i'll take my beloved titans tonight when i get home........

 

[texasbirdfan]

Addendum for the Falcons in the depth department. Atlanta added Jeremy Newberry this week. Needing someone to come in and replace the leadership we lost when Weiner retired. I have always thought Newberry was a solid offensive lineman, Pro-Bowl 6 seasons ago, 12th year upcoming. He'll be a great backup.

 

[MAC_32]

Addendum for the Falcons in the depth department. Atlanta added Jeremy Newberry this week. Needing someone to come in and replace the leadership we lost when Weiner retired. I have always thought Newberry was a solid offensive lineman, Pro-Bowl 6 seasons ago, 12th year upcoming. He'll be a great backup.

Hasn't he been continually injured and played badly the last three years?

 

[FunkyPlutos]

Vikings offensive line:The Vikings lost Matt Birk in free agency. The Vikings have been preparing for his for about 3 years now so hopefully the adjustment will be alright.LT - Mount McKinney - I think he has gotten a bit better since Hutchinson arrived. I still only consider him to be a slightly above average LT.LG - Steve Hutchinson - Best guard in the game at this time. He had to make some adjustments to the new offense but I think he has mastered it now.C - John Sullivan - The Vikings used to have another guy who they were grooming to take over for Birk but I guess he has moved on. Sullivan has some experience but hasn't started yet. Ryan Cook could also compete here but he has been a weakness at RT so not sure he would be better at pivot. This is part of the reason Cook was drafted however. As a possible replacement for Birk down the line. That time is now.RG - Artis Hicks - versitile player who can play guard or tackle. But would probably be better in a back up role. The right side is still a weakness. Anthony Herrerra in the mix here too. But he is also best as a backup.RT - Phil Loadholt - Rookie that is expected to win the start. A 2nd round pick. No opinion about how good or bad he might be. He has the perfect name for a Olineman tho.I think people may give more credit to this line than it deserves. Maybe I have just been spoiled but the Vikings have had much better lines than this in the past imho. I think Birk will be missed. But as I said earlier the Vikings have been preparing to move on without him for several years now. So hopefully the transition isn't a total disaster. Much depends on Loadholt. If he is an improvement at RT that can help cover the weakness at RG.A better run blocking line than pass blocking.

I agree with everything except what you say about Herrerra. He will be the starter and he does an above average job. Nothing flashy and won't be an all-pro but he is solid. His being solid allows Hicks to be that valuable backup at many spots.

 

[texasbirdfan]

Addendum for the Falcons in the depth department. Atlanta added Jeremy Newberry this week. Needing someone to come in and replace the leadership we lost when Weiner retired. I have always thought Newberry was a solid offensive lineman, Pro-Bowl 6 seasons ago, 12th year upcoming. He'll be a great backup.

Hasn't he been continually injured and played badly the last three years?

as I said depth

 

[Biabreakable]

Vikings offensive line:The Vikings lost Matt Birk in free agency. The Vikings have been preparing for his for about 3 years now so hopefully the adjustment will be alright.LT - Mount McKinney - I think he has gotten a bit better since Hutchinson arrived. I still only consider him to be a slightly above average LT.LG - Steve Hutchinson - Best guard in the game at this time. He had to make some adjustments to the new offense but I think he has mastered it now.C - John Sullivan - The Vikings used to have another guy who they were grooming to take over for Birk but I guess he has moved on. Sullivan has some experience but hasn't started yet. Ryan Cook could also compete here but he has been a weakness at RT so not sure he would be better at pivot. This is part of the reason Cook was drafted however. As a possible replacement for Birk down the line. That time is now.RG - Artis Hicks - versitile player who can play guard or tackle. But would probably be better in a back up role. The right side is still a weakness. Anthony Herrerra in the mix here too. But he is also best as a backup.RT - Phil Loadholt - Rookie that is expected to win the start. A 2nd round pick. No opinion about how good or bad he might be. He has the perfect name for a Olineman tho.I think people may give more credit to this line than it deserves. Maybe I have just been spoiled but the Vikings have had much better lines than this in the past imho. I think Birk will be missed. But as I said earlier the Vikings have been preparing to move on without him for several years now. So hopefully the transition isn't a total disaster. Much depends on Loadholt. If he is an improvement at RT that can help cover the weakness at RG.A better run blocking line than pass blocking.

I agree with everything except what you say about Herrerra. He will be the starter and he does an above average job. Nothing flashy and won't be an all-pro but he is solid. His being solid allows Hicks to be that valuable backup at many spots.

Ok I can see it being that way too. I think both of them are better as backups and that may be the weak point of the line. Unless Loadholt sucks. Then we have more problems.At least the Vikings still got Sauce. Who is close to having a 6th lineman on the field.

 

[5-ish Finkle]

I'll take a stab at Pittsbugh for you. Other Steeler homers can, and will I'm sure, chime in with thoughts as well:

All 5 end-of-season starters return, as of this date, which is probably not the grandest thing that could of happened. This was a subaverage unit a year ago(and in 2008, as far as that goes) and it didn't do a lot to get better. At least not to get better quickly. Starters first:

Starters

Max Starks, LT- The much maligned, and extremely well-paid, Starks was franchised and will be bringing in elite level money for another season. He's not an elite level player and this is possibly one of the biggest "blunders" the Steelers front office has made under Kevin Colbert's watch. Not that Starks totally sucks. He doesn't, but he's sort of "just a guy" in my mind. Marvel Smith's back issues were a known problem for two or three years and the Steelers STILL chose to not expend a premium pick on an offensive tackle. That basically forced their hand the past two seasons with Max and gave them few other options than to tag him. On the field, Starks will flash ability, but he's basically consistently inconsistent. He's gigantic, but he doesn't get a great push in the running game. He's very athletic for a guy his size, but he can't slide or mirror as well as you'd expect. (Edit: Starks was extended to a much more agreeble cap number this week and, it appears, will be the starter on the left side for at least a couple years. It doesn't change my opinion of him, as a player, but it does pretty much allow us to not refer to him as "overpaid" any more. He's probably being paid about what he's worth after the extension.)

Chris Kemoeatu, LG- The Steeler re-signed Kemoeatu in the off season, after his first year as the replacement for Alan Faneca, and everything the coaches spew about him seems positive. When you watch the games.....you see a different story. As a pulling guard he has done extremely well. Hitting guys on the run seems to be right up his alley. Coming into the league he was billed as a lunatic in the running game, so that's not totally surprising. He's not as good inline as he could be, which is problematic. As a pass blocker.....he's a speed bump, and not much more. A lot of pressure is generated against Pittsburgh's OL on the inside, and Kemoeatu shares a healthy portion of the burden. Lastly, and perhaps most troubling with him, he seems to take the most boneheaded penalties at the worst times. WAAAAAY too many false starts for a guy playing right next to the damn ball.

Justin Hartwig, C- Night and day difference in all phases of blocking over Sean Mahan from the season prior, but not exactly up to the lofty standards expected out of Pittsburgh pivotmen. Hartwig played pretty steady, but wasn't as good as he was pre-injury back when he was on the Titans. He had a ton of sacks given up, but some of that can be attributed to having guy on both sides of him who require help as pass blockers. The coaching staff seemed happy with him, but he's over 30 and only under contract until 2010. I think they view him as a bridge to the next long-term starter and not much more.

Darnell Stapleton, RG- He was forced into the starting spot due to injuries. Coming into the year, he was the #2 C. Stapleton isn't really big enough to be an inline blocker, and even as a zone type guy(which he profiled as coming out of Rutgers) he's had his share of poor moments. As a pass blocker, he's probably better than Kemoeatu, but that isn't saying a lot. Given the circumstances, I guess you could say he did as good a job as could have been expected of him, but he's not really starter quality yet, in my mind. I think the Steelers hope that Kraig Urbik takes this spot away from him very soon(i.e. immediately), but they will make him take the spot. It won't be handed to him.

Willie Colon, RT- Every Steeler fans favorite whipping boy, with good reason. He's the worst player on a mediocre, at best, unit. He can't handle any kind of speed to the outside, and he's seemingly gotten worse as a run blocker(which was supposed to be his forte). He takes even MORE ridiculous, mental penalties than Kemoeatu does and at even worse possible times. I can recall with certainty at least 3 plays from last season where long TD passes were called back on penalties by Colon. Ugh. I said the same thing last year here, and I will say it again: Willie Colon NEEDS to be an interior blocker. He's big, he's fairly quick, and he has(in the past) been a nice inline blocker for the run. He would likely be a decent pass-protector, as a guard, where it's a liability for him now on the outside. The coaches, however, do not seem to share that opinion. Willie totally seems to be "one of Tomlin's guys." With that in mind, and given coaches comments over the last two seasons, it appears that Colon will be a tackle on this team as long as he's on it. They chose to keep him at RT when Simmons got hurt a year ago and let 7-million dollar Max rot on the bench behind him, so I expect they won't move him inside for hardly any reason.

They tendered Colon as a RFA this year, but have yet to attempt to extend the contract(as far as has been reported, anyway). I think that perhaps they've grown more skeptical that he's going to improve on the outside and are giving him one last shot to do so. If he can't, they'll let him walk.

Backups:

Tony Hills, OT- The '08 draft choice didn't even suit up last year, IIRC. There have been a few positive reports this offseason from OTAs/etc. that he's gotten a lot stronger/muscular over the last year. He's another year removed from that leg injury that dropped his draft stock as well. Right now, I doubt they're counting on him for much, but if he can develop that would go a long way to helping this unit improve. They're listing him as a LT on the official team site at present.

Trai Essex, OT/OG- Versatile swingman who I think would probably get first crack at LT if Starks were injured, even though they're listing him as a G on the official site. I think after Starks, he has the most careers games at LT on the roster.

Jason Capizzi, OT- Perpetual camp body, by the look of it. The staff has reportedly liked him for the last 3 or so years, but I don't know that he's seen a single snap outside of preseason. He's had a handful of plays the past couple TCs that make you take notice, and he's gigantic, so I guess I can see why they keep hoping he'll develop.

Ramon Foster, OT- Undrafted Rookie Free Agent from this past draft crop that has been getting pretty decent grades from the coaches during the OTA stuff. Listed at OT, but I've read reports from both Coach Mike and the OL coach opine that he could see work at G.

Jeremy Parquet, OG- I know almost nothing of Parquet, other than he's been hanging around on the fringes of the practice squad for a few years, if memory serves.

Doug Legursky, OG/C- Undrafted from '08. Coaches seemed to like him. Was probably going to be the #2 C before the '09 draft unfolded, but is now being listed as a RG.

A.Q. Shipley, C- 7th rounder from this draft. The coaches have loved him from the moment they brought him in for his first visit and wax poetic about his intelligence, tenactiy, and desire. I think they are pinning some pretty big hopes on the chance that Shipley can prove to handle the enourmous DTs that reside in the AFC North and become their starting C in 2010.

Kraig Urbik, OG- 2nd rounder from this year that's still unsigned. As I mentioned earlier, I think the staff is hoping very hard that Urbik is going to, at worst, come in and unseat Darnell Stapleton very soon. He will be an improvement over him as a run blocker the day he puts his name on the contract. As a pass blocker? I have no idea. There had been some modest talk that they will be taking a look at Urbik as a RT as well. I'm not of the opinion that he can be any better protecting Roethlisberger on the outside than Colon can, but if he CAN then that would probably be a "wet dream" type of scenario.

 

[djcolts]

For the Colts, I'll give it a shot:

Starters

LT: Tony Ugoh Showed some promise as a rookie - and had an inconsistent soph season. He was "called out" by Jim Irsay (owner) recently as needing to play more consistently. I had a post about 9 months ago saying that he's a bust - I may have been premature, but he needs to show some major improvement this year.

LG: Ryan Lilja (hopefully) This is really the most important injury to watch for the Colts this off-season. Yes, I said it, and I mean it. It is no coincidence that the Colts running game was so awful when he was unable to play the entire season. Simply put - if he can play - the Colts running game will be much better. If not - it probably won't - even with the drafting of Donald Brown. I don't trust the other guards on this team at this point.

C Jeff Saturday He was a great player until last season, when injuries really hurt his play. He'll probably be healthier this year, but he's at a point where you have to worry about his age a bit. I think he has another year or two in him of solid play - but he won't be the 2006 Jeff Saturday.

RG Mike Pollak He was in a tough spot - but he was really bad last year - no other way to put it. 2008 7th round pick C/G Jamey Richard showed some promise last season - 2008 2nd round pick Pollak really didn't. He needs to make a huge leap this season or else he needs to see the pine.

RT Ryan Diem The biggest surprise to me was that Diem was the healthiest of the OL starters last season. He is what he is - a decent RT who will struggle with speed rushers and probably will miss a couple of games with injuires during the season.

Reserves

G/T Charlie Johnson He can play 4 positions at a backup level - but I really don't ever want to see him play LT again. He's somewhat better at G than tackle. His best can was at Super Bowl XLI as a RT - he hasn't shown that same level of play since.

G/C Jamey Richard Of the 3 G/Cs the Colts drafted in 2008 - he showed the most promise. If Pollak doesn't show major improvement, don't be surprised if this is your starting RG this season.

C Steve Justice 2008 late round draft pick. I think he's on PUP - and I think he may not make the team this season.

G Jaimie Thomas 2009 6th round draft pick. He's bigger than the other guards on the team (330 lbs) - it is interesting if he can make the transition to this system. Will be interesting to see how he progresses.

T Dan Federkeil, Michael Toudouze, Corey Hilliard If these guys are getting significant playing time, that is bad news. They might be OK for a game or two - but they are backups for a reason.

Bottom line - there are a lot of question marks - and this is the biggest concern on the team this year. Since the Colts often look terrible in the pre-season - there may not be answers on this line until the regular season starts - which will frustrate fantasy owners. My take - watch the guards - will Lilja be able to play, and will Pollak play better in the pre-season, or will another guard like Jamey Richard step up?

 

[Clash of the Titans]

titans' offensive line

titans are led by one of the best position coaches in the game and a hall of famer who played his entire career for the franchise- mike munchak going into his 12th season....a staple of the jeff fisher era....overall this starting 5 is collectively one of the best in the NFL....and gave up only 12 sacks during the regular season.....league best in 2008....let's begin....

LT- michael roos.......1st time pro-bowler in 2008.....signed to a huge 6 year deal after the 2007 season......has started all games since entering the league in 2005 as a 2nd round pick.....has extremely quick feet and is a little better pass blocker than a run one....as evidenced by his one sack given up last year.....becoming the premier LT in the league

LG- eugene amato.... entering 2nd year as starter 6th year on the team....can also play center......strong guy with quick feet that excels at opening holes in the interior of the line......

C- kevein mawae.......16th year in the league.......probably the starter for one more season provided he can come back from a late season bicep injury....contract expires after this year.......the leader of the line and one of the most important presences in the locker room...doesn't have the power or the agility he once had but is still adequate

RG- jake scott.....another athletic guy who helps open things up in the interior who is fundamentally sound....signed from the colts after the 2007 season....a versatile guy munchak typically likes....can play tackle as well

RT- dave stewart..........big strong powerful who probably is the best run blocker on the team......athletic enough on the end but sometimes struggles with speed end guys...has started 45 consecutive games at right tackle for the team.....

key reserve- C-G-T....leroy harris can play any of the three positions but is likely the future of the team at the center position....very versatile athlete...he filled in nicely at end of the season and the playoff game for kevin mawae....will play mostly center or guard this year

the teams likely top reserve tackle is troy kropog....tackle drafted in the 4th round this year

other reserves are c/g dough datish picked up from the falcons...rookie guard mike durand.....2 year veteran tackle mike otto

depth is really a big issue on the team....but the starting 5 should be among the best in the league this season....therefore leading to another super productive ground game

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Vikings offensive line:The Vikings lost Matt Birk in free agency. The Vikings have been preparing for his for about 3 years now so hopefully the adjustment will be alright.LT - Mount McKinney - I think he has gotten a bit better since Hutchinson arrived. I still only consider him to be a slightly above average LT.LG - Steve Hutchinson - Best guard in the game at this time. He had to make some adjustments to the new offense but I think he has mastered it now.C - John Sullivan - The Vikings used to have another guy who they were grooming to take over for Birk but I guess he has moved on. Sullivan has some experience but hasn't started yet. Ryan Cook could also compete here but he has been a weakness at RT so not sure he would be better at pivot. This is part of the reason Cook was drafted however. As a possible replacement for Birk down the line. That time is now.RG - Artis Hicks - versitile player who can play guard or tackle. But would probably be better in a back up role. The right side is still a weakness. Anthony Herrerra in the mix here too. But he is also best as a backup.RT - Phil Loadholt - Rookie that is expected to win the start. A 2nd round pick. No opinion about how good or bad he might be. He has the perfect name for a Olineman tho.I think people may give more credit to this line than it deserves. Maybe I have just been spoiled but the Vikings have had much better lines than this in the past imho. I think Birk will be missed. But as I said earlier the Vikings have been preparing to move on without him for several years now. So hopefully the transition isn't a total disaster. Much depends on Loadholt. If he is an improvement at RT that can help cover the weakness at RG.A better run blocking line than pass blocking.

Wow, when you say it like that I start thinking this far from an "A" rate OL. We're always looking for ways where RBs don't live up to billing, maybe ADP will have a rough go of it. Maybe Favre won't get the best pass protection either.

 

[Biabreakable]

Vikings offensive line:

The Vikings lost Matt Birk in free agency. The Vikings have been preparing for his for about 3 years now so hopefully the adjustment will be alright.

LT - Mount McKinney - I think he has gotten a bit better since Hutchinson arrived. I still only consider him to be a slightly above average LT.

LG - Steve Hutchinson - Best guard in the game at this time. He had to make some adjustments to the new offense but I think he has mastered it now.

C - John Sullivan - The Vikings used to have another guy who they were grooming to take over for Birk but I guess he has moved on. Sullivan has some experience but hasn't started yet. Ryan Cook could also compete here but he has been a weakness at RT so not sure he would be better at pivot. This is part of the reason Cook was drafted however. As a possible replacement for Birk down the line. That time is now.

RG - Artis Hicks - versitile player who can play guard or tackle. But would probably be better in a back up role. The right side is still a weakness. Anthony Herrerra in the mix here too. But he is also best as a backup.

RT - Phil Loadholt - Rookie that is expected to win the start. A 2nd round pick. No opinion about how good or bad he might be. He has the perfect name for a Olineman tho.

I think people may give more credit to this line than it deserves. Maybe I have just been spoiled but the Vikings have had much better lines than this in the past imho. I think Birk will be missed. But as I said earlier the Vikings have been preparing to move on without him for several years now. So hopefully the transition isn't a total disaster. Much depends on Loadholt. If he is an improvement at RT that can help cover the weakness at RG.

A better run blocking line than pass blocking.

Wow, when you say it like that I start thinking this far from an "A" rate OL. We're always looking for ways where RBs don't live up to billing, maybe ADP will have a rough go of it. Maybe Favre won't get the best pass protection either.

Depends. Hutch makes this line above average by himself when one considers that Mount McKinney is at least a average LT. That means he is better than 15 other starting tackles.The loss of Birk could be a big deal and cause the line to be slightly worse than last year. But balance that with McKinney not auto-missing 4 games and its more of a push. So I don't really see the Vikings line as being that much different from last season overall. And depending on how well Sullivan and Loadholt play there is a chance they could be better than last year.

 

[sho nuff]

Vikings offensive line:

The Vikings lost Matt Birk in free agency. The Vikings have been preparing for his for about 3 years now so hopefully the adjustment will be alright.

LT - Mount McKinney - I think he has gotten a bit better since Hutchinson arrived. I still only consider him to be a slightly above average LT.

LG - Steve Hutchinson - Best guard in the game at this time. He had to make some adjustments to the new offense but I think he has mastered it now.

C - John Sullivan - The Vikings used to have another guy who they were grooming to take over for Birk but I guess he has moved on. Sullivan has some experience but hasn't started yet. Ryan Cook could also compete here but he has been a weakness at RT so not sure he would be better at pivot. This is part of the reason Cook was drafted however. As a possible replacement for Birk down the line. That time is now.

RG - Artis Hicks - versitile player who can play guard or tackle. But would probably be better in a back up role. The right side is still a weakness. Anthony Herrerra in the mix here too. But he is also best as a backup.

RT - Phil Loadholt - Rookie that is expected to win the start. A 2nd round pick. No opinion about how good or bad he might be. He has the perfect name for a Olineman tho.

I think people may give more credit to this line than it deserves. Maybe I have just been spoiled but the Vikings have had much better lines than this in the past imho. I think Birk will be missed. But as I said earlier the Vikings have been preparing to move on without him for several years now. So hopefully the transition isn't a total disaster. Much depends on Loadholt. If he is an improvement at RT that can help cover the weakness at RG.

A better run blocking line than pass blocking.

Wow, when you say it like that I start thinking this far from an "A" rate OL. We're always looking for ways where RBs don't live up to billing, maybe ADP will have a rough go of it. Maybe Favre won't get the best pass protection either.

Depends. Hutch makes this line above average by himself when one considers that Mount McKinney is at least a average LT. That means he is better than 15 other starting tackles.The loss of Birk could be a big deal and cause the line to be slightly worse than last year. But balance that with McKinney not auto-missing 4 games and its more of a push. So I don't really see the Vikings line as being that much different from last season overall. And depending on how well Sullivan and Loadholt play there is a chance they could be better than last year.

Maybe as a Packer fan I am hard on him...but I have never been impressed with McKinney.And as far as pass blocking...maybe it was the QBs...but it has been the same for each QB in there in recent memory...a lot of sacks.

Great run blocking Oline though...like you said...better there than at pass blocking.

 

[Biabreakable]

Vikings offensive line:

The Vikings lost Matt Birk in free agency. The Vikings have been preparing for his for about 3 years now so hopefully the adjustment will be alright.

LT - Mount McKinney - I think he has gotten a bit better since Hutchinson arrived. I still only consider him to be a slightly above average LT.

LG - Steve Hutchinson - Best guard in the game at this time. He had to make some adjustments to the new offense but I think he has mastered it now.

C - John Sullivan - The Vikings used to have another guy who they were grooming to take over for Birk but I guess he has moved on. Sullivan has some experience but hasn't started yet. Ryan Cook could also compete here but he has been a weakness at RT so not sure he would be better at pivot. This is part of the reason Cook was drafted however. As a possible replacement for Birk down the line. That time is now.

RG - Artis Hicks - versitile player who can play guard or tackle. But would probably be better in a back up role. The right side is still a weakness. Anthony Herrerra in the mix here too. But he is also best as a backup.

RT - Phil Loadholt - Rookie that is expected to win the start. A 2nd round pick. No opinion about how good or bad he might be. He has the perfect name for a Olineman tho.

I think people may give more credit to this line than it deserves. Maybe I have just been spoiled but the Vikings have had much better lines than this in the past imho. I think Birk will be missed. But as I said earlier the Vikings have been preparing to move on without him for several years now. So hopefully the transition isn't a total disaster. Much depends on Loadholt. If he is an improvement at RT that can help cover the weakness at RG.

A better run blocking line than pass blocking.

Wow, when you say it like that I start thinking this far from an "A" rate OL. We're always looking for ways where RBs don't live up to billing, maybe ADP will have a rough go of it. Maybe Favre won't get the best pass protection either.

Depends. Hutch makes this line above average by himself when one considers that Mount McKinney is at least a average LT. That means he is better than 15 other starting tackles.The loss of Birk could be a big deal and cause the line to be slightly worse than last year. But balance that with McKinney not auto-missing 4 games and its more of a push. So I don't really see the Vikings line as being that much different from last season overall. And depending on how well Sullivan and Loadholt play there is a chance they could be better than last year.

Maybe as a Packer fan I am hard on him...but I have never been impressed with McKinney.And as far as pass blocking...maybe it was the QBs...but it has been the same for each QB in there in recent memory...a lot of sacks.

Great run blocking Oline though...like you said...better there than at pass blocking.

Yeah. For the most part I see McKinney as JAG. But he is like 340-360lbs with good agility for a such a big guy. He gets beat by speed rushers constantly. But has improved as a run blocker I think since Hutch got him riled up.I don't think he is as good as Stuessie (and the obligatory false start 2 times a game) was but he is still better than about half of starting LT in the league. Which makes him average.

 

[JMJ]

The Jets OLine is straight BEASTING! That is all you need to know.

 

[SuperJohn96]

I was listening to Pat Kirwan last week, and they spoke about how when a team loses a good LG, the running game of their former team takes a nosedive, and the team acquiring the LG has a big improvement in the running game.

They cited Hutchinson going from SEA to MIN, and Faneca going from PIT to NYJ.

Any other instances of this happening with a pronounced effect in the past?

How about this year? What LGs have moved around?

 

[sho nuff]

I was listening to Pat Kirwan last week, and they spoke about how when a team loses a good LG, the running game of their former team takes a nosedive, and the team acquiring the LG has a big improvement in the running game.

They cited Hutchinson going from SEA to MIN, and Faneca going from PIT to NYJ.

Any other instances of this happening with a pronounced effect in the past?

How about this year? What LGs have moved around?

Mike Wahle leaving GB for Carolina...not sure how the Panthers upticked after that...though, when he left there for Seattle last year Carolina did not seem to drop off any at all and possibly got better.I know GB took a nosedive that year...though, they also lost the right guard and had a multitude of injuries so hard to just say it was the LG that did it.

 

[tdmills]

I was listening to Pat Kirwan last week, and they spoke about how when a team loses a good LG, the running game of their former team takes a nosedive, and the team acquiring the LG has a big improvement in the running game.

They cited Hutchinson going from SEA to MIN, and Faneca going from PIT to NYJ.

Any other instances of this happening with a pronounced effect in the past?

How about this year? What LGs have moved around?

Mike Wahle leaving GB for Carolina...not sure how the Panthers upticked after that...though, when he left there for Seattle last year Carolina did not seem to drop off any at all and possibly got better.I know GB took a nosedive that year...though, they also lost the right guard and had a multitude of injuries so hard to just say it was the LG that did it.

Eric Steinbach leaving cinci(Rudi went downhill) and went to Cleveland and Jamal Lewis rejuvinated his career....for a year.

 

[tdmills]

I'll take the Washington Redskins

Chris Samuels [LT] - Our best o-lineman by far, 6 time Pro Bowler, is going to be 32 entering this season; however, has shown he still has the "it" factor. He will give up sacks but almost any left tackle would going up against the NFC East pass rush but besides DeMarcus Ware he dominates most RDE. If he can avoid the injury bug he will be a very solid LT this season.

Derrick Dockery [LG] - Dockery is back with his original team after spending two years in Buffalo. Dock is very familiar with Chris Samuels and center Casey Rabach and should fit right in immediately. As has been the past few years our left side will be the primary running direction for Clinton Portis.

Casey Rabach [C] - Rabach is a good center who is starting to show some signs of decline. He is a great signal caller and director but is a bit undersized at 288 pounds. I expect Rabach to be average this year but the Skins to explore other options at the position next year.

Randy Thomas [RG] - Thomas is old and injury prone. His best attributes a few years ago were his ability to pull in the run game but after tricep, knee and neck surgeries his athletic ability is a huge question mark. Second year player Chad Rhinehart is getting praise this far in OTA's and minicamps and although I think the Skins need to get younger if Rhinehart is starting I am worried.

Stephon Heyer [RT] - Stephon is a third year player that was the starter going into last season but due to an injury lost his starting role until later on in the season. Heyer is pretty good at pass protection but is not the quite as strong in the run game. This is the one spot on our o-line that is an open camp battle and former first round "bust" Mike Williams and newly acquired Jeremy Bridges are competing for the spot. Clearly this is the main position of concern and with how this spot goes I feel Jason Campbell goes.

FBG rating of the Redskins was clearly off, they have a much more mediocre line and in my opinion as the o-line goes the Redskins season goes...

I really like this line from a run blocking perspective this season. They get Dockery back that was a stud for them a few years ago...hopefully he can regain that form. Only questionmark is at RT and they have at least quality competition there.

 

[FunkyPlutos]

Maybe as a Packer fan I am hard on him...but I have never been impressed with McKinney.And as far as pass blocking...maybe it was the QBs...but it has been the same for each QB in there in recent memory...a lot of sacks.Great run blocking Oline though...like you said...better there than at pass blocking.

I have been very critical of McKinney, but I thought he played very well last season. Hopefully he continues to play at a high level.

 

[Adebisi]

I was listening to Pat Kirwan last week, and they spoke about how when a team loses a good LG, the running game of their former team takes a nosedive, and the team acquiring the LG has a big improvement in the running game.They cited Hutchinson going from SEA to MIN, and Faneca going from PIT to NYJ.

These are probably the two best LGs in the league. Isn't this sort of stating the obvious?

 

[sho nuff]

Maybe as a Packer fan I am hard on him...but I have never been impressed with McKinney.And as far as pass blocking...maybe it was the QBs...but it has been the same for each QB in there in recent memory...a lot of sacks.Great run blocking Oline though...like you said...better there than at pass blocking.

I have been very critical of McKinney, but I thought he played very well last season. Hopefully he continues to play at a high level.

Thanks...yeah...maybe just took him some time...I could liken it to Daryn Colledge for GB. Been pretty critical of him his first few years but down the stretch last year he really played pretty well at LG and the few times he played RT or LT I did not notice him even being out there which is good...he used to stick out quite a bit for bad plays when he played either tackle position.Though, he is strictly LG this year...or so they say. I still think he could end up at RT if they can't sort it out...or LT if Clifton's knees are toast.