The Trouble with NFL Offensive Linemen: Bad Starts and Worse Finishes

[Yakuza Rich]

I'm a believer that you can't have a good O-Line, much less a great O-Line, unless you have a quality center. That's why center is one of the key 5 positions to have in the NFL 'in my book.' I list those key positions as:

SS
FS
MIKE
C
QB

Those positions are not only about talent, but also skill and responsibility. They are more responsible for parts of the game than other positions. And in the case of O-Line play, I think the tackles are a bit overvalued compared to the center position. Particularly the LT spot.

I also think that teams fail to recognize how their QB works with certain O-Lines. For example, Romo's best years came when the RT spot was performing well and his worst years came when we struggled at RT. Flozell wasn't bad, but he had his fair share of bad games and that didn't seem to bother Romo nearly as much as when Colombo, Free, etc. struggled at RT. Yet, every team in the league...including the Cowboys...would put a far higher priority on LT than RT (or center).

And I think what gets overlooked is that NFL offenses are so pass happy and tip off they are going to pass by using so much shotgun that NFL teams gets a better idea of how to attack the O-Line. As Dom Capers once said about Garrett...once we knew they weren't going to run the ball, I just kept blitzing.





YR

 

[Seven]

It only took several years for his plan to come together, if he had one.

The response to that game was not immediate, so I doubt it "made" Jerry Jones rebuild the line.

Things naturally took their course with veterans drifting away and we did go the long way versus truly committing to it.

2010 - Added dignitaries like Alex Barron, Montrae Holland, Phil Costa and Robert Brewster to go along with an aging Andre Gurode, Marc Colombo, Leonard Davis, Kyle Kosier and Doug Free.
2011 - Got rid of Gurode, Davis and Colombo. Did draft Tyron Smith and Bill Nagy. But they thought Derrick Dockery could still play and actually had Costa as a 16 game starter.
2012 - Kosier gone. Costa still around, went down and got replaced by Ryan Cook. Brought in the infamous Mackenzy Bernadeau and Nate Livings as free agent busts. Had Jermey Parnell, but no draft choices.

Finally in 2013 was there a serious attempt beyond Tyron Smith to improve the line by drafting Travis Frederick and were a day late dollar short on Brian Waters.

At the end of the day, when we committed, then we got better. It is not a coincidence, but it was a long time coming. That needs to be a focus continually.

In fact, every team needs to be concerned about the talent that is coming into the league. There are some players in key depth roles like swing tackle that barely get a chance to play because the reps simply are not there. Lineman are hard to develop that way. That is why the aged veterans are still getting paid in free agency.

It may become very evident this year when teams like Dallas, Oakland and Tennessee that have focused hard on their OLs will reap the benefits.

Great post, Mr. Alexander.......