Beyond size and speed: Feet don't fail

Doomsday101

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statue with clay feet will crash to the ground.
An offensive lineman with bad footwork will get knocked over by every defender he faces. It doesn't matter if the lineman is chiseled out of 340 pounds of marble: If he doesn't move his feet properly when blocking, he's a liability to his team.

Many elite prospects leave college with awful footwork. That's because most top prospects are so much bigger and stronger than their opponents that they don't have to fret about fundamentals. Many a scholarship and varsity letter has been earned simply by being six inches taller and 70 pounds heavier than anyone on the opposite side of the field. Even at the top college programs, where defenders are bigger and stronger, a superior prospect may only be challenged three or four times per season. The rest of the time, he can kick dirt in his defenders' face despite sloppy footwork.

But in the NFL, anything that negates strength or quickness is a fatal flaw. Bad footwork negates both strength and quickness: A blocker who doesn't align his feet properly will not reach his power potential, and a lineman who takes missteps when dropping into pass protection is just inviting a defensive end to slip past him

Good footwork is a function of both athleticism and practice. A would-be offensive lineman must be fast and coordinated enough to move his feet quickly. But it takes practice, practice, practice to master all of the subtleties and skills that constitute sound footwork.
Choppy steps and pointed toes

Have you ever seen those Arthur Murray-style dance step charts, the ones with footprints leading this way and that? Offensive linemen have to master complex sequences of steps that make the samba look like the chicken dance.
The basics, in most cases, are drilled into youngsters at the Pop Warner level. A lineman's steps should be short, choppy, and deliberate. A blocker running at full stride is in no position to deliver a blow. When engaging a defender, a blocker's feet should be separated, spread to a width slightly wider than the blocker's shoulders, and his knees must be bent. Most critically, a blocker's toes must be pointed at his target when delivering a blow. If the toes are pointed slightly outward (as feels more natural), some of the lineman's power is diffused. He wants all of his force to be directed right at his defender.

It's not unusual to see major mistakes in footwork when you watch linemen carefully. Some stand straight up from their stance, with their feet too close together to maintain balance and leverage. Others, when blocking on the move, point their feet in the direction they were running, not at their defender. These linemen are often rag-dolled or steered around the field by their defenders.

Even if an offensive lineman has a perfect stance when blocking, it won't help if he cannot get into proper position to engage his opponent.
First steps and false steps
Football games are won and lost in the trenches, and trench battles are often won and lost on a lineman's first step.

Think of all the assignments an offensive lineman might have. On a running play, he may be drive blocking forward, or he might be trapping or pulling. On a passing play, he may have to block the defender in front of him or a blitzing linebacker aligned far to his outside shoulder.

A lineman's first step or two must match his assignment. On a straight-ahead block, he may simply have to step forward about 12 inches with his back foot (a right-handed player's back foot should be a few inches behind his left foot in his pre-snap stance) and prepare for contact. But if he is expected to "hook" a defender on an outside running play, the lineman must take his initial step with his correct foot: left to hook an opponent on a run to the left, right for a play to the right.

What's the big deal? Remember that defenders aren't just standing there; they are reading the blockers to predict the nature of the play. Once a blocker moves left, so does his target. So that first step must be with the left foot, allowing the blocker to quickly get between the defender and the ball carrier's likely destination. If the blocker's body moves left, but he leads with his right foot, he'll have no time to get into position in front of his opponent.

On a pull or trap block, a lineman's first step must be a drop step: if he is pulling right, he must step back about 12-to-18 inches with his right foot and point his toe in the direction he plans to run. His next should be with the opposite foot, swinging his whole body and moving forward. In two steps, the lineman must have his body square and should be on his way to his blocking destination. A pulling lineman has to arrive at the hole in front of his running back; even a tiny false step will cause him to arrive too late.

In pass protection, a lineman must adjust his steps based on who he will block. Offensive tackles have the most to worry about. If a defender lines up square against a tackle, the tackle's first step will be a short inside step with his inside foot, all the better to coax the defender to take a wide rush. If the defender is aligned to the tackle's outside shoulder, the tackle must step back at a 45-degree angle with his outside foot. If the defender is split really wide, the lineman's outside foot should drop back at a steeper angle. The ensuing steps depend upon the actions of the pass rusher: every defensive move has a counterattack designed to keep the lineman balanced and ready to hold the defender at bay.

In pass protection, sloppy footwork is truly exposed. Some collegiate linemen always step back with their right foot. Fast NFL defensive ends will just pass them on the left. Some don't drop deeply enough on their first step, allowing defenders to beat them to the edge. And some just aren't prepared for double moves: having set to the outside, these ineffective linemen sometimes get their legs crossed up when their defenders suddenly work inside. Crossed feet are a major no-no. If you don't believe it, try lifting a heavy weight with your feet crossed. Tell your chiropractor we said hello.

The prospects

Some NFL coaches would rather draft a mediocre athlete with great footwork than a great specimen with awful footwork. A mediocre athlete can improve with a year in a pro weight room. A guy with sloppy fundamentals can also improve, but some have tuned out coaches for so long that their bad habits are almost irreparable.

That being said, there's always a market for behemoths with a little more to learn when it comes to technique. Here are three players who get high grades for footwork, and three others who may have to take ballroom dancing lessons before they take the field.

Good feet:
Jeremy Trueblood, tackle, Boston College: Many fundamentally sound NFL linemen, including the Patriots' Dan Koppen and the Giants' Chris Snee, have come out of Boston College in the last few years. One common trait is that they learned their technique from former Boston College offensive line coach Dave Magazu, now the Carolina Panthers' tight ends coach. Trueblood isn't a super athlete, but he makes the most of his ability by rarely taking a false step.

Jonathan Scott, tackle, Texas: A sure-footed pass protector who was often on the move when blocking for Vince Young.

Nick Mangold, center, Ohio State: Mangold draws comparisons to Broncos center Tom Nalen, in part because he sets quickly in pass protection and excels at stepping out to the second level to cut off linebackers.

Bad feet:
Andre Whitworth, tackle, LSU: A 330-pound stud for the Bayou Bengals, Whitworth isn't particularly quick-footed, and his technique wasn't pretty. He will be too slow to be effective at the pro level if he doesn't improve his footwork.

Mike Degory, center, Florida: Degory gets high marks as a center because of his size, toughness, and experience. His footwork has improved, but he still has trouble trapping or climbing out to take on linebackers.

Brad Butler, tackle, Virginia: D'Brickashaw Ferguson's line mate at Virginia was big enough to beat up on most ACC defenders, but he often got crossed up when pass blocking and didn't do a great job when blocking on the move.
 

Natedawg44

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I agree and think footwork is greatly undervalued on the Oline. I think its undervalued at QB and RB as well
 

DiscipleofTuna

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one of the better posts I have seen. Larry Allens effectiveness went to the toilet when his mobility and feet did. Tuna generally likes athletic linemen. There is a reason linemen are often the smartest players on the team.
 

Doomsday101

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Footwork really is the key for lineman. In college you can overwhelm many players you face with size alone in the NFL you don't get a lot of breaks so technique and footwork are a must.
 

Pokes28

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Footwork was the primary reason that Rogers was unable to transition from LT to RT for Dallas.

The interesting thing is that all the HUGE Texas linemen that have failed in the NFL over the last 6 years were considered great footwork guys. The one guy that wasn't (Dockery) is a pretty decent guard for the Skins.

David Harrell - Pokes
dwh
 

Doomsday101

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Pokes28 said:
Footwork was the primary reason that Rogers was unable to transition from LT to RT for Dallas.

The interesting thing is that all the HUGE Texas linemen that have failed in the NFL over the last 6 years were considered great footwork guys. The one guy that wasn't (Dockery) is a pretty decent guard for the Skins.

David Harrell - Pokes
dwh

Myself I would not mind seeing Dallas get Scott in the 2nd rd I think he will turn out to be a very good lineman
 

RCowboyFan

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A great informative article. And like posted above, I tend to agree, Larry's decline is due to lack of mobility lately. No matter what his weight was stated at, I thought he weighed around like 350+ and not 330 or whatever he was listed at.
 

ghosttown cowboy

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Footwork is the key for every OL position. Whether it is drive blocking, a lateral step in a zone blocking scheme, or pass blocking. I can still hear my old OL coach screaming at me, "keep your feet, keep your feet". You have to be able to get your head across the defender, meaning, if it is a running play to the left, you have to get to your mans right side to cut him off. If you don't bring your feet with you, you just fall down. I always thought pass blocking was easy, almost like a break in the middle of the game.
 

burmafrd

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I would love to have someone look at Justice, Ferguson, Joseph and Gilles and compare their footwork.
 

Pokes28

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Ferguson is the best of the bunch (duh!) at footwork. Of course his normal playing weight is the least of the bunch so it better be. I understand he's up to 315 or so now, but last year he played at 295.

I view Ferguson in the 300-305 range as being very similar to Chris Samuels. Samuels could be among the best OL in the game if it weren't for some lapses in technique and effort.

David Harrell - Pokes
dwh
 

Alexander

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Doomsday101 said:
Good feet:
Jeremy Trueblood, tackle, Boston College: Many fundamentally sound NFL linemen, including the Patriots' Dan Koppen and the Giants' Chris Snee, have come out of Boston College in the last few years. One common trait is that they learned their technique from former Boston College offensive line coach Dave Magazu, now the Carolina Panthers' tight ends coach. Trueblood isn't a super athlete, but he makes the most of his ability by rarely taking a false step.

Jonathan Scott, tackle, Texas: A sure-footed pass protector who was often on the move when blocking for Vince Young.

Nick Mangold, center, Ohio State: Mangold draws comparisons to Broncos center Tom Nalen, in part because he sets quickly in pass protection and excels at stepping out to the second level to cut off linebackers.

Bad feet:
Andre Whitworth, tackle, LSU: A 330-pound stud for the Bayou Bengals, Whitworth isn't particularly quick-footed, and his technique wasn't pretty. He will be too slow to be effective at the pro level if he doesn't improve his footwork.

Mike Degory, center, Florida: Degory gets high marks as a center because of his size, toughness, and experience. His footwork has improved, but he still has trouble trapping or climbing out to take on linebackers.

Brad Butler, tackle, Virginia: D'Brickashaw Ferguson's line mate at Virginia was big enough to beat up on most ACC defenders, but he often got crossed up when pass blocking and didn't do a great job when blocking on the move.

What's scary is that we have supposedly shown interest in both Whitworth and Butler. And if what they say about footwork is true, that was Petitti's biggest problem last year save his lack of strength.

They were saying on the ESPN draft special last night why so many tight ends are being switched to tackle and that was because they are more nimble. They mentioned one player specifically and you could throw in several others (Joe Toledo, Washington; Chris Chester, Oklahoma).
 

burmafrd

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Some players can improve their footwork and some cannot. It has to become a habit that is totally without thought to work. Have to wonder if dancing lessons help.
 

ghst187

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I was curious what he thought of Davin Joseph's footwork.....
 

Alexander

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burmafrd said:
Some players can improve their footwork and some cannot. It has to become a habit that is totally without thought to work. Have to wonder if dancing lessons help.

According to Matt Leinart, it doesn't.
 
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