Rookie Zach Martin and Rookie Larry Allen

[perrykemp]

Big E in my mind is the best Offensive lineman that I have ever witnessed play for any team. He was just such an imposing figure, tall and huge. Mean sucker once he put that helmet on and his arms always taped up like casts. Madden used to RAVE about him and his battles with Reggie. Thats one thing we are missing from todays announcers, they jus tdont focus enough on some of these battles. Big E was definitely going to the HOF if he did not screw up that knee.

That aspect of the game is gone. Nowadays with player movement and in general how the game has progressed guys from different teams train together, vacation together, and general are friendly with one-another.

I lament the lack of hatred in the current game.

Frankly, that's one of the things I've always loved about James Harrison. He has never one liked he wanted to be somebody's friend -- he has always seemed genuinely hate everyone on the opposing team.

IMHO, a lot of this seemed to start with Favre / Sapp yucking it up during their rivaly and generally seeming to have fun with one another out there instead of hate one-another.

 

[windjc]

No sacrilege intended. I don't remember much about the early year(s) of Larry Allen. I don't recall him starting as a rookie early or getting playing time until an injury on the line or something. Memory isn't too clear on his early days as a Cowboy. Zach Martin sure looks dominant out there. Anyone remember Larry Allen's first year or two? I wonder how Martin compares. Would it be fair to say Martin is more polished and refined in technique than Allen but not as strong in their rookie years.

I'm interested in rookie and second year comparisons of Martin and Allen. Yes, Allen was the most dominant OL ever. We all know that.

Completely different players. Allen was probably 1 of the best 5 (3) linemen of all time. Martin is off to a good start, but he'd literally have to be all world to be better than Allen. But he's off to a damn good start.

 

[jobberone]

I like Martin and don't know what his ceiling really is. But he's not comparable as a rookie to LA as a rookie. He's not as good as Erik Williams was IMO. Martin and the entire center of the OL is stilling learning how to pass block. They've gone from decent to pretty darn good but they still have problems esp Leary.

You could see the very special in LA from the very beginning. Someone talked about that game he played Reggie. Well, Reggie would knock him backwards almost to the point he fell down but he regrouped and stayed in the play and never quit. He won that day and that is against the greatest DL I've ever seen and apparently one of the strongest football players around.

Martin is going to be around a long time IMO but he's unlikely to ever be confused as another LA in the making. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[rags747]

I just hope that our OL really takes the fight to any and all that we face in the playoffs. We need a down and dirty bunch to physically impose our will against the Seattle's of the playoffs. It really is all on them...

 

[waving monkey]

just for a moment to pause and give thanks Manziel isn't on this team

 

[BourbonBalz]

Let's not jump the gun. Martin is damn good. Freakishly good for a rookie. But, LA is one of the top 3, if not the best overall linemen to ever step on a football field.

 

[BourbonBalz]

Big E in my mind is the best Offensive lineman that I have ever witnessed play for any team. He was just such an imposing figure, tall and huge. Mean sucker once he put that helmet on and his arms always taped up like casts. Madden used to RAVE about him and his battles with Reggie. Thats one thing we are missing from todays announcers, they jus tdont focus enough on some of these battles. Big E was definitely going to the HOF if he did not screw up that knee.

If Erik had not been involved in the car accident, we very well might have had the two best offensive linemen in history on our line at the same time. Erik was just nasty as hell. He and LA both in their prime together might have made a few teams forfeit games.

 

[BourbonBalz]

By the way, I'm sure most of you are aware of this, but for those who are not, Larry Allen benched 705 lbs. Let that sink in. You can actually watch it on YouTube.

 

[mldardy]

Making the pro bowl as a rookie would certainly suggest the potential to be a future Hall of Famer. This isn't like a running back making the pro bowl as a rookie.

The sky's the limit for this kid. Draft a quality right tackle next year and this offensive line will be set for a decade.

We already one. At least I thought we did. If you were to say another quality guard I would agree.

 

[JDSmith]

Reggie White abused Larry Allen on one single play in that Thanksgiving game. It was a very memorable play, but over the complete game Larry Allen easily got the better of White. There is a reason Dallas was able to put up over 400 yards and 40 points that game with Jason Garrett as the QB. Allen controlled White for the vast majority of that game.

LA definitely did hold his own in that game. But that one play was such a shock because I was used to seeing Reggie White play against Big E and there was simply no way Reggie was going to throw Williams around like that. So that play made a big impression on me.

 

[mrmojo]

Big E in my mind is the best Offensive lineman that I have ever witnessed play for any team. He was just such an imposing figure, tall and huge. Mean sucker once he put that helmet on and his arms always taped up like casts. Madden used to RAVE about him and his battles with Reggie. Thats one thing we are missing from todays announcers, they jus tdont focus enough on some of these battles. Big E was definitely going to the HOF if he did not screw up that knee.

Madden would say he played like a boxer..he was a mean sob... best I ever saw...played like Art Shell. Many rules were made because of Erik Williams.

 

[perrykemp]

LA definitely did hold his own in that game. But that one play was such a shock because I was used to seeing Reggie White play against Big E and there was simply no way Reggie was going to throw Williams around like that. So that play made a big impression on me.

Reggie was the biggest freak I've ever seen play DL Larry was the biggest freak I've ever seen on the OL.

Reggie made a living literally throwing OL out of the way with that hump move.

Larry destroyed his opposition with strength.

 

[BourbonBalz]

Larry Allen is probably the strongest person in the history of the NFL. Erik Willisms wasn't too far behind him and is one of the nastiest to play in the league (nasty in a good way, not a dirty way).

 

[perrykemp]

Larry Allen is probably the strongest person in the history of the NFL. Erik Willisms wasn't too far behind him and is one of the nastiest to play in the league (nasty in a good way, not a dirty way).

Tell that to John Jurkovic.

 

[Teague31]

I remember that play as if it was yesterday and still can't believe how that size of a man ran down a linebacker from a dead stop

I was in the superdome that night and watched it unfold. I remember yelling out, holy crap big Larry is going to catch him

 

[roughneck266]

I CANNOT see that video enough.

 

[percyhoward]

Making the pro bowl as a rookie would certainly suggest the potential to be a future Hall of Famer. This isn't like a running back making the pro bowl as a rookie.

I think he makes the All-NFL team. No rookie guard has ever done that.

 

[zrinkill]

Ready to draft Larry Allens kid.

 

[roughneck266]

That aspect of the game is gone. Nowadays with player movement and in general how the game has progressed guys from different teams train together, vacation together, and general are friendly with one-another.

I lament the lack of hatred in the current game.

Frankly, that's one of the things I've always loved about James Harrison. He has never one liked he wanted to be somebody's friend -- he has always seemed genuinely hate everyone on the opposing team.

IMHO, a lot of this seemed to start with Favre / Sapp yucking it up during their rivaly and generally seeming to have fun with one another out there instead of hate one-another.

This league needs more Charles Haleys.

 

[Setackin]

Making the pro bowl as a rookie would certainly suggest the potential to be a future Hall of Famer. This isn't like a running back making the pro bowl as a rookie.

The sky's the limit for this kid. Draft a quality right tackle next year and this offensive line will be set for a decade.

Gotta sign all of them to friendly contracts first.... that's going to be extremely hard.