Offensive Line Grades and Rankings (1 Viewer)

[Chris Smith]

Hi everybody. As we roll into August and preseason action, we are once again putting together a comprehensive offensive line article. All 32 NFL teams have already been taken apart, analyzed and reviewed and we have our thoughts down on paper. Before we go live with the article however we are hopeful to have some of you, our knowledgeable FANatics to put down your thoughts and contribute to the article.

If you are interested, you can put your thoughts down here and I'll pull the information from here to our article and give you credit for your work. What we need is

2011 OL Grade

2011 OL Ranking

Brief comments on whatever offensive line you want to add your two bits for.

:

IE

Carolina Panthers

Grade: B+ / Rank 7th

Anchored by a pair of good tackles, this unit is much better than it performed last year, have no obvious weakness and should be a top-ten line this season.

Thanks for your help everyone and looking forward to reading everyone's thoughts.

 

[wadegarrett]

Cleveland Browns

LT Joe Thomas - All-Pro and considered one of the two best tackles in the NFL.

LG Eric Steinbach - Very consistent player who's started in 124 of the 125 NFL games he's played.

C Alex Mack - An alternate for the Pro Bowl in 2010, he should continue to develop into one of the best Centers in the league.

RG Shawn Lauvao - Most unstable spot on the line. Lauvao is being given the first shot but Billy Yates or the recently acquired John Greco could step in.

RT Tony Pashos - Can be a decent player if he can stay on the field. Better run blocker than pass protector.

Overall - The Browns have one of the better OLs in the league with a strong left side making up for a weaker right side. If the right side comes together and stays healthy, they would easily make a jump into the top 10 in the league.

Grade: B / Rank 12th

 

[njherdfan]

NEW YORK JETS

LT: D'Brickashaw Ferguson- After years of being criticized for not living up to his draft status, Brick has finally emerged as one of the best pass blockers in the NFL. He rarely has help and generally shuts down every elite pass rusher he faces. He signed a huge extension last season and has been worth every penny. He's npt quite as good as a run blocker, but he's no slouch in that department either. I'd say he's a top 5 LT in the NFL.

LG: Matt Slauson- Has the limited athleticism you would expect of a sixth round pick from a major program. He had a few embarrasing moments last season, but he was more than adequate in replacing the departed Alan Faneca. He could certainly be upgraded, but I wouldn't call him a liability. Also, playing between Brick and Mangold almost certainly makes his job much easier.

C: Nick Mangold- Simply the best Center in the NFL. He's agile, strong and intelligent. In a rare win-win trade, the Jets got the 29th pick to select Mangold in exchange for John Abraham. Mangold has been an All-Pro the past two seasons and that streak should continue for the foreseeable future. He has no glaring weaknesses.

RG: Brandon Moore- The unheralded member of the Jets OL, Moore was an UDFA who has spent his entire career with the Jets. He is an excellent run blocker and solid in pass protection, and he is signed relatively cheaply for the next two years. He's a big reason why the Jets tend to run to the right more than the left.

RT: Wayne Hunter- Hunter is the biggest question mark on the line. Damien Woody, who manned the position for the past three years, was a dominant run blocker who held up well in pass protection. Now, with Woody retired, Hunter will be the starter. In limited duty last season, Hunter acquitted himself well, but struggled against better rushers, notably Mario Williams. It's safe to assume that Hunter will be a down-grade from Woody, which might cause the running game to falter a bit, but the Jets coaching staff has been very high on Hunter.

Backup- Vlad Ducasse was the Jets second round pick last season, and he struggled in training camp. In his only game action in a meaningless week 17 matchup against the Bills, Ducasse looked like a strong run blocker, but again, this was against the Bills. This off-season Bart Scott has said that Ducasse looks to be in phenomenal shape, and I don't think the Jets drafted him so highly to sit, so expect Ducasse to get a shot to start if Slauson or Hunter struggles.

2011 GRADE: A-

2011 RANK: 3

 

[Chris Smith]

Thanks to the Sharks posting their thoughts. As always it is difficult to get folks to breakdown all of the offensive lines. I am blessed to have Ministry of Pain once again lending his thoughts to the offensive line article. We should have it up live next week at some point so stay tuned. As always, we love feedback on the feature and I welcome your emails.

 

[Chris Smith]

One of mine...

Cleveland Browns

2011 GRADE: B+

2011 RANK: 8th

2010 ADJUSTED FINAL OL STATS

Overall Grade: C+

Overall Ranking: 15th

Run Blocking

Grade: C

Rank: 17th

Pass Blocking

Grade: B

Rank: 9th

Projected Starters:

LT Joe Thomas

LG Eric Steinbach (non-football injury list)

C Alex Mack

RG Floyd Womack

RT Tony Pashos

The Browns have one of the finest tackles in the NFL today in Joe Thomas. He has the perfect mix of size, athleticism and tenacity and is now in the prime of his career. The Browns are hopeful that Tony Pashos can stay healthy and claim the right tackle position. He is a tenacious blocker but starting just three games last year before injuring his ankle. He is a much better run mauler than a pass protector. Eric Steinbach is currently battling an injured knee and the Browns need this talented, veteran lineman healthy and in the starting lineup. He should be fine by the start of the season. Alex Mack has emerged as an excellent center just entering his prime. He is amongst the best at his position in football. The only question mark is at right guard. Floyd Womack is penciled is a huge man with experience but he has never really emerged as a great option to start at guard. He will get the job done but is now 33-years old and will be declining. Any offensive line with Thomas and Mack are going to be a good group and a healthy Steinbach / Pashos in the lineup elevates it to great. If they get even decent right guard play, the Browns will have one of the best run blocking lines in football, if not the best one.

 

[captain_amazing]

Thanks Chris .... I look forward to these rankings each year.

PATRIOTS

2011 GRADE: A-

2011 RANK: 4th

Run Blocking

Grade: B/B+

Rank: 9th

Pass Blocking

Grade: A

Rank: 2nd

Projected Starters:

LT Matt Light: B/B+

LG Logan Mankins: A+

C Dan Koppen: B

RG Dan Connolly: B EDIT: RG Brian Waters B+/A-?

RT Sebastien Volmer: A-

Maybe someone else can add some narrative to this.

EDIT: Waters should bring a consistent veteran presence to the RG spot. With Dan Connolly nursing an ankle injury, the Pats needed to fill that role. When Connolly returns, it will most likely be as a backup. Overall, I can't imagine Waters being anything less then a minimal upgrade, and actually believe this is a rather moderate to substantial improvement at that spot.

 

[wadegarrett]

One of mine...

Cleveland Browns

2011 GRADE: B+

2011 RANK: 8th

2010 ADJUSTED FINAL OL STATS

Overall Grade: C+

Overall Ranking: 15th

Run Blocking

Grade: C

Rank: 17th

Pass Blocking

Grade: B

Rank: 9th

Projected Starters:

LT Joe Thomas

LG Eric Steinbach (non-football injury list)

C Alex Mack

RG Floyd Womack

RT Tony Pashos

The Browns have one of the finest tackles in the NFL today in Joe Thomas. He has the perfect mix of size, athleticism and tenacity and is now in the prime of his career. The Browns are hopeful that Tony Pashos can stay healthy and claim the right tackle position. He is a tenacious blocker but starting just three games last year before injuring his ankle. He is a much better run mauler than a pass protector. Eric Steinbach is currently battling an injured knee and the Browns need this talented, veteran lineman healthy and in the starting lineup. He should be fine by the start of the season. Alex Mack has emerged as an excellent center just entering his prime. He is amongst the best at his position in football. The only question mark is at right guard. Floyd Womack is penciled is a huge man with experience but he has never really emerged as a great option to start at guard. He will get the job done but is now 33-years old and will be declining. Any offensive line with Thomas and Mack are going to be a good group and a healthy Steinbach / Pashos in the lineup elevates it to great. If they get even decent right guard play, the Browns will have one of the best run blocking lines in football, if not the best one.

The Browns did not retain Womack. He signed with AZ.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Here is a sneak peek at what I am working on. I hope most understand what QBP/QBH/QBS stands for but in case you don't that would QB Pressures, QB Hits, and then QB Sacks with each having a different impact. For example if a LT gave up 15 QBP in 2010 and 7 sacks, but another guy yields 35 QBP and 5 sacks...the 1st guy has as stiff at QB and the 2nd guy has a QB who can either move around or fires the ball quicker. Are you following that?

Jeff Tefertiller advised me when I was doing this to have some standard to measure the rest against and I found that team. This is going to be my #1 OL in the NFL at this point and time. In fact IMO they blow everyone else away right now and one of the very few teams I gave an "A" to. I hope you enjoy.

Houston

Let me first say that the Houston Texans are basically the OL that I compare all others against in 2011. The idea that this line is only about top15 across the board is not near enough praise for me. I would like to introduce some of these guys to you as it seems many of you have never heard of them. All this talk of Foster slipping…the only way he slips is injury. Honestly, you could wheel out Larry Csonka right now and find yards with some of the holes this line has been blowing into the sides of defenses. I'll stop drooling for a minute and analyze it so you understand why I am so high on the Texans. Last year the Texans scored out pretty high in pass protection with Duane Brown anchoring the left side and Eric Winston anchoring the right side. These two guys get it done and help make a perfect set of Tackles for Schaub to set up and operate behind. They did combine to allow 13 sacks between the two of them but combined they only allowed 37 QBP for the season. There are starting OT that allow more QBP by themselves then these two combined. Part of the sack total is that Schaub holds the ball an eternity. Winston is not a great run blocker, Brown is OK but these two also make a deadly combination in the screen game. You might remember Foster doing some serious damage out of the backfield and that is without a lot of NFL snaps. This is where the Texans offense becomes elite because the combination of fierce pass protection and then letting a DE slide by them as they set the screen for Foster, it's just not fair.

Let's roll inside and there you will see what became a tremendous addition to this team and probably helped lengthen out a career in Wade Smith. Smith got over $6m in guaranteed money last year and it was money well spent and well earned. Smith only yielded 1 sack on the season and that has a lot to do with his ability to play Tackle as well. Between him and Duane Brown on the left side, Schaub never has to worry about what is coming up behind him…well not very often anyways. Mike Briesel is a good run blocking RG and helps offset some of the lack of punch in Smith's run blocking on the other side. Smith is still a decent run blocker but not as good as Briesel was last year. We haven't even discussed Chris Myers who not only is an accomplished broadcaster but also fills in very nicely at Center. OK, those are different guys but Myers the player is pretty awesome. He is top3 at run blocking and he is an excellent screen setter in the passing game. The combination of run blocking inside, screen setting in all sections of the line, and then the pass protection skills make this one deadly unit for opposing defenses. John Benton returns for his 6th season in Houston as the OL Coach.

Bottom Line: "A" You'll be hard pressed to find a better starting unit in the NFL and the numbers back it up. Don't forget that this team just lined up and ran at Indy in the 2nd half last year to beat them. This is a finesse line but it is operates on an elite level.

 

[wiscstlatlmia]

Here is a sneak peek at what I am working on. I hope most understand what QBP/QBH/QBS stands for but in case you don't that would QB Pressures, QB Hits, and then QB Sacks with each having a different impact. For example if a LT gave up 15 QBP in 2010 and 7 sacks, but another guy yields 35 QBP and 5 sacks...the 1st guy has as stiff at QB and the 2nd guy has a QB who can either move around or fires the ball quicker. Are you following that?

Jeff Tefertiller advised me when I was doing this to have some standard to measure the rest against and I found that team. This is going to be my #1 OL in the NFL at this point and time. In fact IMO they blow everyone else away right now and one of the very few teams I gave an "A" to. I hope you enjoy.

Houston

Let me first say that the Houston Texans are basically the OL that I compare all others against in 2011. The idea that this line is only about top15 across the board is not near enough praise for me. I would like to introduce some of these guys to you as it seems many of you have never heard of them. All this talk of Foster slipping…the only way he slips is injury. Honestly, you could wheel out Larry Csonka right now and find yards with some of the holes this line has been blowing into the sides of defenses. I'll stop drooling for a minute and analyze it so you understand why I am so high on the Texans. Last year the Texans scored out pretty high in pass protection with Duane Brown anchoring the left side and Eric Winston anchoring the right side. These two guys get it done and help make a perfect set of Tackles for Schaub to set up and operate behind. They did combine to allow 13 sacks between the two of them but combined they only allowed 37 QBP for the season. There are starting OT that allow more QBP by themselves then these two combined. Part of the sack total is that Schaub holds the ball an eternity. Winston is not a great run blocker, Brown is OK but these two also make a deadly combination in the screen game. You might remember Foster doing some serious damage out of the backfield and that is without a lot of NFL snaps. This is where the Texans offense becomes elite because the combination of fierce pass protection and then letting a DE slide by them as they set the screen for Foster, it's just not fair.

Let's roll inside and there you will see what became a tremendous addition to this team and probably helped lengthen out a career in Wade Smith. Smith got over $6m in guaranteed money last year and it was money well spent and well earned. Smith only yielded 1 sack on the season and that has a lot to do with his ability to play Tackle as well. Between him and Duane Brown on the left side, Schaub never has to worry about what is coming up behind him…well not very often anyways. Mike Briesel is a good run blocking RG and helps offset some of the lack of punch in Smith's run blocking on the other side. Smith is still a decent run blocker but not as good as Briesel was last year. We haven't even discussed Chris Myers who not only is an accomplished broadcaster but also fills in very nicely at Center. OK, those are different guys but Myers the player is pretty awesome. He is top3 at run blocking and he is an excellent screen setter in the passing game. The combination of run blocking inside, screen setting in all sections of the line, and then the pass protection skills make this one deadly unit for opposing defenses. John Benton returns for his 6th season in Houston as the OL Coach.

Bottom Line: "A" You'll be hard pressed to find a better starting unit in the NFL and the numbers back it up. Don't forget that this team just lined up and ran at Indy in the 2nd half last year to beat them. This is a finesse line but it is operates on an elite level.

I could not agree more...I was blown away watching foster highlights from last year. The holes were so huge its unreal.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

TY Wis. I'm excited about this article and I think it will generate a lot of discussion.

 

[Bri]

TY Wis. I'm excited about this article and I think it will generate a lot of discussion.

Some (if not all) of those OL were there and not excellent in years prior. HOFer Bruce Matthews was around last summer but now he is in Tennessee. What other differences made them suddenly a top-notch unit in your opinion?

 

[Bri]

Seven years ago, the Titans drafted two tackles, David Stewart and Michael Roos. In time, they would become arguably the top bookends in the sport. Interestingly enough, neither was a high draft pick and both developed extremely well under offensive-line coach Mike Munchak. Munchak, a hall of famer, was promoted to head coach this past offseason. Another former Titans great and hall of famer as well, Bruce Matthews, was hired to coach the offensive line in 2011. The quality of coaching and top-notch actual experience that these Titans coaches can offer the players is unmatched in the NFL. In one prior season, Roos was first team all-pro while Stewart was on the second team.

The interior of the line was anchored by future hall of fame center Kevin Mawae. As expected, once he retired, the interior of the offensive line was less effective. Sandwiched between the tackles and Mawae, Leroy Harris and Jake Scott were very good Guards that created holes the size of the Lincoln Tunnel for Chris Johnson to run through and surpass 2000 yards rushing in a single season. While Mawae was still playing, Eugene Amano did get some experience due to injury and the offensive line didn't seem to miss a beat. Last year, however, was a different story and the interior simply wasn't as effective.

The Titans have extremely fast Jared Cook to play tight end. He was drafted not for his pass catching ability or route running, but to utilize his speed to block for Chris Johnson at the next level. He has struggled with this for most of his young career, but it all seemed to click late in 2010 for him. With one extra block, Chris Johnson is unstoppable and "off to the races." Cook's development could dramatically impact the number of big plays the Titans offense has in 2011.

Craig Stevens is a throwback tight end that seems to prefer to get his hands dirty moreso than be out running routes. His excellent blocking, combined with that of the tackles, makes the Titans quarterbacks seem almost impossible to get to from the outside. This too forces teams to attack the interior of the line.

Matthews and Munchak will have to improve the interior. The Titans could be the best line in the NFL and with a top runningback behind them, this is a unit fantasy football fans need to keep an eye on.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Hy Bri, I can tell you that I have them graded at least 1 grade below Chirs and I wrote about similar things like you mentioned. I wrote about Roos and Stewart getting roughly $40m a piece in 2008 which was a lot of money, pretty cloe to the top of the tier and since then it has been solid but not spectacular. Especially last year. The inside of the line turned to mush when Mawae retired or just got too old. Amano was a mistake at Center and they have not fixed that problem. Their OGs are nothing to write home about either.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

It's up in the subcriber content everyone

 

[Anthony Borbely]

Excellent article as always.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

From Cawdor and Arrowhead...

LT: Branden Albert, David Mims, Butch Lewis

LG: Ryan Lilja, Darryl Harris, Lucas Patterson

C: Casey Wiegmann, Rodney Hudson, Darryl Harris

RG: Jon Asamoah, Bobby Greenwood, Mike Ingersoll, Chris Harr

RT: Barry Richardson, Ryan O'Callaghan

Looks like the Chiefs are going to roll Lilja back to LG where he played in Indy. Albert needs the help so this will strengthen them on one side and of course Cassel can see what is coming hopefully from the right side with Richardson and Asamoah. Ty for the heads up Cawdor.

 

[Bri]

Hey Bri, I can tell you that I have them graded at least 1 grade below Chris and I wrote about similar things like you mentioned. I wrote about Roos and Stewart getting roughly $40m a piece in 2008 which was a lot of money, pretty close to the top of the tier and since then it has been solid but not spectacular. Especially last year. The inside of the line turned to mush when Mawae retired or just got too old. Amano was a mistake at Center and they have not fixed that problem. Their OGs are nothing to write home about either.

Hey MOP,I didn't see the article, link?Roos is very special and quite under-appreciated. I think you're mistaken on him.I think Amano is that odd type that is a super backup and a shaky starter.We don't disagree on the interior for the most part. See my prob is I don't think Mawae was super outstanding tremendous just before he retired. As a younger lineman, fine, but he was old then. I imagine he was a terrific influence on the field, an extra coach of sorts. I think the thinking is that they're coach-able so they're rolling with it; that they can be fine interior linemen again. I don't know Bruce Matthews as a coach, but I'm not sure if I could have more respect for him or his family. And Munchak as a line coach....more respect. I figure even as an overseer of the OL this year he has to be valuable. I want to "jump" on the interior and throw the season away, but it's hard to doubt those coaches. I'm not sure if they could have really addressed this better in the offseason. I think they have to see it through.You wrote of the Texans above. Wasn't a relative of Matthews signed as an UDFA last year to the Texans? I haven't followed up, if ya know, please fill me in

 

[bbuster]

Hi everybody. As we roll into August and preseason action, we are once again putting together a comprehensive offensive line article. All 32 NFL teams have already been taken apart, analyzed and reviewed and we have our thoughts down on paper. Before we go live with the article however we are hopeful to have some of you, our knowledgeable FANatics to put down your thoughts and contribute to the article.If you are interested, you can put your thoughts down here and I'll pull the information from here to our article and give you credit for your work. What we need is2011 OL Grade2011 OL RankingBrief comments on whatever offensive line you want to add your two bits for.:IECarolina PanthersGrade: B+ / Rank 7thAnchored by a pair of good tackles, this unit is much better than it performed last year, have no obvious weakness and should be a top-ten line this season.Thanks for your help everyone and looking forward to reading everyone's thoughts.

Thanks for all of your work! Quick question regarding TB. You have them ranked #9 with an overall grade of a B, but in all of the categories you gave them an A grade. Is there something that is bringing their overall grade down?**sorry, I just noticed the grades and hadn't read your analysis yet.

 

[glumpy]

Excellent article as always.

 

[TheAssassin]

Is this the first year it's in the Suscriber Content only? I thought I've read the last couple.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Is this the first year it's in the Suscriber Content only? I thought I've read the last couple.

Last year it was released in July in nonsubscriber and this year it was released in August in the subscriber access.

 

[CharrdWood]

You wrote of the Texans above. Wasn't a relative of Matthews signed as an UDFA last year to the Texans? I haven't followed up, if ya know, please fill me in

Bruce's son, Kevin, was an UDFA signed by the *Titans* last year, if that's what you mean. He's a C and is listed as 3rd on the "unofficial" depth chart. The team was high on him before, but I gotta think he's gonna kick it up a notch now that his old man is his line coach.

 

[Bri]

You wrote of the Texans above. Wasn't a relative of Matthews signed as an UDFA last year to the Texans? I haven't followed up, if ya know, please fill me in

Bruce's son, Kevin, was an UDFA signed by the *Titans* last year, if that's what you mean. He's a C and is listed as 3rd on the "unofficial" depth chart. The team was high on him before, but I gotta think he's gonna kick it up a notch now that his old man is his line coach.

Thanks, went googling...remembering somehttp://www.tennessee-titans-blog.com/tennessee-titans-players_tennessee-titans-players-60-kevin-matthews.htmlI suppose once Bruce switched teams I incorrectly thought his son played for the other. I don't know that I care if he winds up playing due to nepotism. Jarrett Payton was a third down back for the Titans a million years ago and even though he was meh, it didn't bug me. Like I said earlier, I don't think I could have more respect for that family.I'm not sure I won't be calling for him to start if the interior plays with the same poor play this year. I don't care how good he is or what his college reel looks like, it's very possible myself and others will be saying let's see what happens with the Matthews kid.

 

[CharrdWood]

You wrote of the Texans above. Wasn't a relative of Matthews signed as an UDFA last year to the Texans? I haven't followed up, if ya know, please fill me in

Bruce's son, Kevin, was an UDFA signed by the *Titans* last year, if that's what you mean. He's a C and is listed as 3rd on the "unofficial" depth chart. The team was high on him before, but I gotta think he's gonna kick it up a notch now that his old man is his line coach.

Thanks, went googling...remembering somehttp://www.tennessee-titans-blog.com/tennessee-titans-players_tennessee-titans-players-60-kevin-matthews.htmlI suppose once Bruce switched teams I incorrectly thought his son played for the other. I don't know that I care if he winds up playing due to nepotism. Jarrett Payton was a third down back for the Titans a million years ago and even though he was meh, it didn't bug me. Like I said earlier, I don't think I could have more respect for that family.I'm not sure I won't be calling for him to start if the interior plays with the same poor play this year. I don't care how good he is or what his college reel looks like, it's very possible myself and others will be saying let's see what happens with the Matthews kid.

I, like many Titans fans, believe that the interior OL is a MAJOR area of concern (and affects overall line play, obv). But even if the team does decide that they made a mistake with Amano (and I believe strongly in my waters that they did!), it's likely that Velasco would get the nod at C. And I have no problem with that. I think Matthews' battle royale happens next year in TC when, hopefully, Eugene is a flat out cut.I would not bet against a Matthews...

 

[Ministry of Pain]

A couple of updates and observations.

1. John Stinchcomb was released by the Saints. I wrote that he was a very avg or below avg RT in the NFL at this stage and I guess New Orleans feels similar. The next few weeks will be interesting.

2. The Miami Dolphins OL is in shambles right now. Jake Long is on the PUP but should be ready to go for week 1. Pouncey does not look good at this point. Miami would be wise to go with Joe Berger at Center until Mike is ready to go. He is not having a great camp although he has no lack of confidence. He missed a couple of assignments the other night. Columbo is getting destroyed in practice. Everyone is blowing by him on pass rush drills. I can tell you this from all my local connections with the Miami Dolphins. Vernon Carey not looking great at RG either. I would downgrade the OL right now from a "B" where I had them to probably a "C" right now. Even with Long i would not rate them above avg right now.

 

[TheFanatic]

A couple of updates and observations.1. John Stinchcomb was released by the Saints. I wrote that he was a very avg or below avg RT in the NFL at this stage and I guess New Orleans feels similar. The next few weeks will be interesting. 2. The Miami Dolphins OL is in shambles right now. Jake Long is on the PUP but should be ready to go for week 1. Pouncey does not look good at this point. Miami would be wise to go with Joe Berger at Center until Mike is ready to go. He is not having a great camp although he has no lack of confidence. He missed a couple of assignments the other night. Columbo is getting destroyed in practice. Everyone is blowing by him on pass rush drills. I can tell you this from all my local connections with the Miami Dolphins. Vernon Carey not looking great at RG either. I would downgrade the OL right now from a "B" where I had them to probably a "C" right now. Even with Long i would not rate them above avg right now.

They looked good the other night opening big holes for Bush.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

A couple of updates and observations.1. John Stinchcomb was released by the Saints. I wrote that he was a very avg or below avg RT in the NFL at this stage and I guess New Orleans feels similar. The next few weeks will be interesting. 2. The Miami Dolphins OL is in shambles right now. Jake Long is on the PUP but should be ready to go for week 1. Pouncey does not look good at this point. Miami would be wise to go with Joe Berger at Center until Mike is ready to go. He is not having a great camp although he has no lack of confidence. He missed a couple of assignments the other night. Columbo is getting destroyed in practice. Everyone is blowing by him on pass rush drills. I can tell you this from all my local connections with the Miami Dolphins. Vernon Carey not looking great at RG either. I would downgrade the OL right now from a "B" where I had them to probably a "C" right now. Even with Long i would not rate them above avg right now.

They looked good the other night opening big holes for Bush.

And they did it with Murtha at LT. The Panthers are going to be woeful against the run on defense that's what I took from that.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

When the article was written, it was true that Packers rookie Derek Sherrod was being given the opportunity to start at LG, but after two preseason games TJ Lang is the clear favorite to start the game for the Packers on Sept. 8. The Packers are set at the other 4 positions with the same group who started the final 16 games last season, including XLV. I'm not really qualified to rate the Packers OL as compared to the rest of the league but would say they have the best OL in the NFC North right now, given the injury concerns with both Lions tackles. I think the Lions have the edge if healthy, and the Bears and Vikings are both in bad shape. However, there are two big "ifs" for the Green Bay OL - Clifton's health and Lang's ability to be at least adequate starting at LG. Those are both big ifs, and if either fails the OL could be in for a rough season, similar to 2009.

 

[Sonny Lubick Blowup Doll]

Hey Bri, I can tell you that I have them graded at least 1 grade below Chris and I wrote about similar things like you mentioned. I wrote about Roos and Stewart getting roughly $40m a piece in 2008 which was a lot of money, pretty close to the top of the tier and since then it has been solid but not spectacular. Especially last year. The inside of the line turned to mush when Mawae retired or just got too old. Amano was a mistake at Center and they have not fixed that problem. Their OGs are nothing to write home about either.

See my prob is I don't think Mawae was super outstanding tremendous just before he retired. As a younger lineman, fine, but he was old then.

 

[Hipple Long Ware & Peete]

A couple of updates and observations.1. John Stinchcomb was released by the Saints. I wrote that he was a very avg or below avg RT in the NFL at this stage and I guess New Orleans feels similar. The next few weeks will be interesting. 2. The Miami Dolphins OL is in shambles right now. Jake Long is on the PUP but should be ready to go for week 1. Pouncey does not look good at this point. Miami would be wise to go with Joe Berger at Center until Mike is ready to go. He is not having a great camp although he has no lack of confidence. He missed a couple of assignments the other night. Columbo is getting destroyed in practice. Everyone is blowing by him on pass rush drills. I can tell you this from all my local connections with the Miami Dolphins. Vernon Carey not looking great at RG either. I would downgrade the OL right now from a "B" where I had them to probably a "C" right now. Even with Long i would not rate them above avg right now.

They looked good the other night opening big holes for Bush.

Preseason is deceiving. all vanilla O and vanilla d. wonder how many complex stunts etc were used in that game for example.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

You gotta downgrade Philly right now. I misspoke in the game thread last night. I am doing a game recap on Philly/Cle right now and watching the OL make mistake after mistake, the right side is terrible. No communication between the RG Watkins and RT Dunlap. Also on the Ronnie Brown run, Jason Peters was terrible on the run block. If Ronnie Brown didn't juke to the inside he would have been brought down for a loss.

They gotta get that OL worked out or there is trouble in Philly.

 

[Hipple Long Ware & Peete]

You gotta downgrade Philly right now. I misspoke in the game thread last night. I am doing a game recap on Philly/Cle right now and watching the OL make mistake after mistake, the right side is terrible. No communication between the RG Watkins and RT Dunlap. Also on the Ronnie Brown run, Jason Peters was terrible on the run block. If Ronnie Brown didn't juke to the inside he would have been brought down for a loss. They gotta get that OL worked out or there is trouble in Philly.

Really? Is it shocking to you that a team with two rookies in the line and a new line coach might need more than 2 weeks to work together and gel? Maybe a downgrade for Justice is warranted (is he coming off PUP soon?) but if you thought they were talented two weeks ago, I'm not sure a few rusty preseason games should force an immediate retreat just yet.

 

[bocksheesh]

Can we start doing a running tally - either in this thread or in a new one - of notable OL injuries during the preseason as well as existing ones that will linger into the regular season?

I find this information the single hardest to track during preseason and feel like it's some of the most vital.

 

[eoMMan]

Update on Minnesota?

I know they are projected to have the worst line in the NFL but AP and company played well the other day. For anyone that watched the game, was it more due to AP and company or did the line hold up okay?

 

[Sweetsie]

You gotta downgrade Philly right now. I misspoke in the game thread last night. I am doing a game recap on Philly/Cle right now and watching the OL make mistake after mistake, the right side is terrible. No communication between the RG Watkins and RT Dunlap. Also on the Ronnie Brown run, Jason Peters was terrible on the run block. If Ronnie Brown didn't juke to the inside he would have been brought down for a loss. They gotta get that OL worked out or there is trouble in Philly.

Really? Is it shocking to you that a team with two rookies in the line and a new line coach might need more than 2 weeks to work together and gel? Maybe a downgrade for Justice is warranted (is he coming off PUP soon?) but if you thought they were talented two weeks ago, I'm not sure a few rusty preseason games should force an immediate retreat just yet.

Ryan Harris = Fail

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I'm gonna try and work on this over the weekend with some updates and final thoughts. I realize many of you are drafting this weekend plus holidays but there definitely are some teams I am thinking are better than advertised, and some that are much worse than advertised.

 

[Tony Reali]

Can the 49ers get an F-?

 

[bocksheesh]

I'm gonna try and work on this over the weekend with some updates and final thoughts. I realize many of you are drafting this weekend plus holidays but there definitely are some teams I am thinking are better than advertised, and some that are much worse than advertised.

Yes, please.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Dallas: Looks they will open the season after cutting Gurode with C Phil Costa who has all of 1 start in the NFL. he also has a knee sprain although it must be serious as Dallas cut Gurode anyways...not that they had much choice. Bill Nagy a rookie LG will be in the starting line up and then Tyron Smith another rookie at RT...that's right 3 of the 5 starters have a total of 1 whopping NFL start. And they start off against the Jets? Not feeling it in week 1 but I'll go more in depth in the RB thread this week.

Miami: Jake Long should be in the starting line up which will have a major impact on the OLine. Lydon Murtha who got a ton of reps in the preseason is going to the IR which takes away some depth. They still have Nate Garner, John Jerry(in the doghouse big time), and Joe Berger backing up the starters. Colombo has had a terrible camp and Vernon Carey has basically been told he has no future past this season in Miami. Things should get a lot better with Long back.

Atlanta: Todd McClure is OUT for week 1, perhaps longer. Falcons are going to have problems with the Bears.

 

[captain_amazing]

Patriots: Dan Connolly, RG, injured an ankle during the 3rd preseason game. With things obviously thin along the entire OL, the Brian Waters (Chiefs) was brought in to fill this role. Once Connolly is healthy, he will most likely not take Waters place, but rather serve as backup.

 

[Bri]

Patriots: Dan Connolly, RG, injured an ankle during the 3rd preseason game. With things obviously thin along the entire OL, the Brian Waters (Chiefs) was brought in to fill this role. Once Connolly is healthy, he will most likely not take Waters place, but rather serve as backup.

Nice to see the Pats super secret veteran gem waiver wire is alive and well. Too bad they had to settle on a guy that only made five pro bowls and was the only OL ever to be player of the week after an 8 TD game where he crushed defenders. It should read that Connolly will only return as a backup if Orlando Pace and Jonathan Ogden aren't signed.

 

[Bri]

I'm gonna try and work on this over the weekend with some updates and final thoughts. I realize many of you are drafting this weekend plus holidays but there definitely are some teams I am thinking are better than advertised, and some that are much worse than advertised.

Yes, please.

post a link please MOP

 

[captain_amazing]

Patriots: Dan Connolly, RG, injured an ankle during the 3rd preseason game. With things obviously thin along the entire OL, the Brian Waters (Chiefs) was brought in to fill this role. Once Connolly is healthy, he will most likely not take Waters place, but rather serve as backup.

Nice to see the Pats super secret veteran gem waiver wire is alive and well. Too bad they had to settle on a guy that only made five pro bowls and was the only OL ever to be player of the week after an 8 TD game where he crushed defenders. It should read that Connolly will only return as a backup if Orlando Pace and Jonathan Ogden aren't signed.

I was going for a more "matter of fact" style with that update, but I like yours a lot better.

 

[Saint]

Chris, any changes on thoughts about the Saints OLine? GB tore them up tonight.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Chris, any changes on thoughts about the Saints OLine? GB tore them up tonight.

I'm not Chris but I did want to say I watched Jahri Evans just flop on a few run blocks tonight. He pulled and then ran into his own guy at least a couple times. That guy gets rated really high, will be interesting to see what some of the sites like PFF rate him for this game.