NFL: The offensive line thread

[Marc the Habs Fan]

This was being discussed in the GDT, mainly because it seems they are quickly becoming a weakness for the majority of the league. Someone suggested there might be 5 good ones in a 32 team league.

So the question is simple: How do you feel about how your team's offensive line is playing? And how would you rate it - bad or average or good?

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[SJSharksfan39]

This was being discussed in the GDT, mainly because it seems they are quickly becoming a weakness for the majority of the league. Someone suggested there might be 5 good ones in a 32 team league.

So the question is simple: How do you feel about how your team's offensive line is playing? And how would you rate it - bad or average or good?

49ers OLine might be the worst in football.

 

[What the Faulk]

PFF ranked the Panthers #2 a few weeks ago. I don't think anything has changed. Oher is a weakspot, and so is run blocking, but Cam has time for once, and he's showing what he's capable of when he has more than 0.4 seconds to throw

 

[Tony Romo]

The cowboys offensive is kinda dumb. It can't pick up on blitzs like teams like the redskins use. But other than that, can't blame considering it's 5 on 8 for about every snap right now. We will be starting 4 first rounder this Sunday. (La'El Collins counts as a first rounder to me)

So anyone want Ron Leary?

 

[Avs_19]

Vikings OL is below average overall and they've had a few games where they've been terrible. Missing Sullivan and Loadholt really hurts. Sullivan should be back around week 10 but Loadholt is done for the season.

Matt Kalil has been good though, which is great to see. That was my major concern coming into the season but so far so good. He has really bounced back. That gives me hope going forward with him, Fusco, a healthy Sullivan and Loadholt, and Clemmings with a year under his belt.

 

[Halladay]

Terrible. Kelce has been absolutely horrible. They cant run block. Pass blocking is ok. Peters hasnt been great either. Getting better though.

 

[Live in the Now]

The Raiders have a great pass blocking offensive line. Even the weak links on the right side, J'Marcus Webb and Austin Howard, do a very good job. Carr has only been sacked 9 times, with many coming against Denver.

Run blocking, there are a little more problems, usually on the right side. The Raiders don't commit to the run game, but Howard has a tendency to miss his blocks. The run blocking is just okay.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

The Steelers have been pretty good, but with back-ups at LT and C now who knows.

Either way Munchak turned a worthless group into an overachieving bunch.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Sf's line is garbage outside of Staley.

 

[McOilbleeder]

Saints line has their moments. Armstead is one of the top LTs in the league. Unger one of the top Cs. Problem is they can't get consistent play out of their guards. Strief has started declining, but Peat has looked solid in replacement.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Bills:

Incognito has been a beast.

The rest of the line sucks ass.

 

[Roboturner913]

Noticeable decline in OL play league-wide. Guys coming out of college generally don't have much experience blocking in a pro-style offense.

But I would also point to better DL play as being part of it. The best athletes used to be put at WR or RB early on when they were kids. Nowadays they're being made into pass rushers. You rarely see offensive linemen who are great athletes.

 

[sigma six]

So looking league-wide, where is it all coming from?

The best answer I've heard was DP stating that not enough colleges use a pro-style offense, making the linemen (apparently) less feasible at the next level. Maybe he's right, the young stud LT's are few and far between compared to the 90's and 2000's.

Look at Seattle, Cable is so disinterested in most incoming OG that he'd rather convert DT's into guards... not that that has been a huge success either, but it's telling.

Edit: and Robo beat me to it, haha.

 

[Bonzai12]

Broncos have to be worst in the league

Zero push in running game, and Peyton's year has been miserable. It's well documented that his age is catching up with him but he's also had no time.

I definitely subscribe to the theories that the DE and DL positions make so much more money that big athletic guys are going to the D-Line vs. the O-Line and you're seeing the results. The better athletes today are going to the defensive side of the ball.

 

[The Dangly One]

I think you will see the line play progress and get better as the season wears on. Guys need to continue to build that cohesiveness

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Noticeable decline in OL play league-wide. Guys coming out of college generally don't have much experience blocking in a pro-style offense.

But I would also point to better DL play as being part of it. The best athletes used to be put at WR or RB early on when they were kids. Nowadays they're being made into pass rushers. You rarely see offensive linemen who are great athletes.

This.

The center/right side of the 49ers line is awful. They straight up whiff on blocks.

The biggest epidemic in football is the lack of talent on the o-line. With the CBA and lack of practice time, don't expect it to get better. Expect more major injuries to Quarterbacks.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

People said (and by people, I mean here on HF including a couple supposed Broncos fans) that the loss of Ryan Clady wouldn't be a big blow to the Broncos... I said it then and I'll say it again, I'd love to know what you people were smoking.

Our line has shown some incremental improvement but by and large it's a mashup of mediocrity that has as many **** moments as it does good ones. Can't consistently run block or pass block, struggling like hell with Kube's zone blocking scheme.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Broncos have to be worst in the league

Zero push in running game, and Peyton's year has been miserable. It's well documented that his age is catching up with him but he's also had no time.

I definitely subscribe to the theories that the DE and DL positions make so much more money that big athletic guys are going to the D-Line vs. the O-Line and you're seeing the results. The better athletes today are going to the defensive side of the ball.

Arik Armstead was a 5 star tackle in high school but switched to d-line at Oregon. A 6'7" 300 lb guy with a sub 5.0 40 and a 34" vert and long arms. He's been a handful in limited snaps at 21 and not really knowing what he's doing yet. Just an example of what you are saying.

 

[Big Poppa Puck]

Vikings OL is below average overall and they've had a few games where they've been terrible. Missing Sullivan and Loadholt really hurts. Sullivan should be back around week 10 but Loadholt is done for the season.

Matt Kalil has been good though, which is great to see. That was my major concern coming into the season but so far so good. He has really bounced back. That gives me hope going forward with him, Fusco, a healthy Sullivan and Loadholt, and Clemmings with a year under his belt.

The OL was really bad last week. Peterson had nowhere to run and there's been a few games this year where I'm surprised Teddy wasn't killed.


I think moving Fusco to LG has helped Kalil alot, but at the same time I don't think Fusco has been as good at LG as he was at RG, if that makes sense.

Clemmings and Harris have had some rough games. Joe Berger is as mediocre as it gets.


Getting Sullivan back will help the OL as whole immensely.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Rams have started to improve at run blocking (plus the second coming at RB)

At pass blocking tho....yikes.

And to top it off, our best offensive lineman, Rodger Saffold was just lost for the season.

I'm hoping they improve as they go on as they are four starters on that line that are first or second year players.

 

[ShootIt]

Arik Armstead was a 5 star tackle in high school but switched to d-line at Oregon. A 6'7" 300 lb guy with a sub 5.0 40 and a 34" vert and long arms. He's been a handful in limited snaps at 21 and not really knowing what he's doing yet. Just an example of what you are saying.

However, if he was good enough to be a NFL quality LT, those guys are making big bucks too. Maybe not Suh, Watt, numbers but not that far off.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

However, if he was good enough to be a NFL quality LT, those guys are making big bucks too. Maybe not Suh, Watt, numbers but not that far off.

Its not the edges. Its the interior in which teams are getting wrecked. QB's can't step up and have to slide laterally and usually into the edge rush. Interior pressure is a homewrecker.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Its not the edges. Its the interior in which teams are getting wrecked. QB's can't step up and have to slide laterally and usually into the edge rush. Interior pressure is a homewrecker.

This. Guard play has been awful.

It also doesn't help that there's a lot of great young DTs. The likes of Aaron Donald, Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, etc just make them that much worse.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

This. Guard play has been awful.

It also doesn't help that there's a lot of great young DTs. The likes of Aaron Donald, Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, etc just make them that much worse.

You can scheme to help shoddy tackle play. Keep.a tight end in, chip with a back etc. Can't hide bad interior play.

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

You can scheme to help shoddy tackle play. Keep.a tight end in, chip with a back etc. Can't hide bad interior play.

You can do what the Colts do and just not even try.