The sad state of offensive line play

[shuler82]

I didnt read 90210's post in this thread.. but if i HAD to guess, I would say he predicts the Raiders have one of the best OLs in football... did i win?

[JB1089]

Boselli did 26 reps of 225 lbs on the bench press and ran a 5.18 40-yard dash. That's all I could find for Tony, though I read multiple pieces that said Ogden's numbers were better across the board.

Ogden did 30 reps and ran a 5.05. He had a 31" vertical and a 9'5" broad jump.

Pace did 24 reps and rand in the 4.9's. He had a 30" vertical. Can't find anything else for him.

Thomas did 28 reps and ran a 4.92. He had a 33" vertical and a 9'2" broad jump.

Long did 37 reps and ran a 5.22. He had a 27.5" vertical and a 8'6" broad jump.


So Long is the strongest, but probably the worst "athlete" of the bunch. Ogden, Thomas, and Pace all seems to be comparable, with Ogden and Thomas being a little stronger. Boselli's information is really incomplete, but he's probably only slightly behind them.

By the way, I came across this quote when tracking down Pace's numbers:

That's because NFL teams in general -- and New York Jets general manager/coach Bill Parcells in particular -- aren't crazy about taking an offensive lineman first in the draft. The last time it happened was 29 years ago, when the Minnesota Vikings selected Southern California tackle Ron Yary.

I guess seeing how Pace turned out made Parcells reconsider. He didn't have a problem taking Long #1 overall in '08.


For those that want to compare Brick's numbers, he didn't test at the combine, but his Pro Day numbers were:

5.08 forty
30" vertical
8'11" broad jump



One thing I have noticed. The average lineman has gotten more athletic over the last decade or so. You used to go a few years without seeing a guy run under 5.00, now there are 3 or 4 every year. And there are more and more linemen that are clearing 30".


So there are more athletic linemen, fewer sacks, more athletic pass rushers, and an increase in exotic schemes on both sides of the ball. Again, it seems to me like a bunch of old coaches talking about the "good ol' days."

I've been conditioned to give very little weight to anecdotal evidence, which was all that was provided in the article.

[Peebag]

Originally Posted by Raider9175

I think there are some very good olines out there. I just don't think there is a team with any depth whatsoever. You get one or two injuries on the oline and any team could be in serious trouble. (their fortunes could change really quick)

I like Raiders starting five(when they get their center back Wisniewski) LT Veldheer LG C Carlisle/ Tony Bergstrom C Wisniewski Rg M Brisiel and Rt Khalif barnes( should have big year as he more comfortable in zone blocking scheme)

There backup center is weak. Backup Guards are decent. Big question at tackle . Joe Barksdale who was suppose to challenge for RT has been really bad this offseason. (god help the Qb if he has to play) Willie Smith - who knows what this raw tackle they picked up on waivers has. (Giants put in waiver claim but Raiders got him having worse record)

Another Super Bowl trip this year for the Silver and Black huh?