Tag: offensive line

How Chargers can fix offensive line in offseason

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out how the Los Angeles Chargers can address the offensive line in the upcoming offseason.

As Chargers general manager Tom Telesco is evaluating what went wrong this past season to determine how to make sure it doesn’t happen again in 2020, it won’t take him long to realize that the offensive line deserves a good chunk of the blame.

It was months before the season even began when the positional group took a hit, as starting left tackle Russell Okung had been placed on the non-football illness list. After Week 8, Okung dealt with various lower body injuries. In the end, he only played two full games.

Center Mike Pouncey sustained a neck injury in Week 5 and missed the rest of the year. Guard Forrest Lamp landed on the injured reserve a week later with a knee injury. Right tackle Sam Tevi underwent minor knee surgery in early November, forcing him to miss two critical games.

To sum this up, four offensive linemen were hit with injuries, two of them being Pro Bowlers. Whenever that happens and there’s not many reinforcements, of course it’s going to take a toll to the flow of the offense.

Likely to be a priority this offseason, all eyes are on how Telesco is going to address it to ensure they have a formidable group when they move into their new stadium.

Free agency is where Telesco has been rock solid with the position. In 2017, he signed Okung and followed that up with signing Pouncey in 2018. While many were thinking he was going to fulfill it once again last offseason, he chose not to because the free agency pool was top heavy and they didn’t have the cap space to make a signing like they did in the previous years.

This year should be completely different. At the moment, the Chargers are expected to have a little over $53 million in salary cap space, which is more than double the amount from last year.

When factoring in the notable household names needed to be re-signed and extended, including guard Michael Schofield, a good amount will go towards those players, leaving the team less than the starting amount.

But Los Angeles could choose to move on from some of their own players like wide receiver Travis Benjamin or linebacker Denzel Perryman to save some money.

If they’re in good standing with finances after dealing with their own players, they could afford to make a splash with someone like offensive tackle Jack Conklin, Mike Remmers, Kelvin Beachum among others.

Needed to add more depth along the interior part of the offensive line, the Chargers could look into someone like Max Garcia or Denzelle Good. If they hit the market, they would make out to affordable options at guard.

Getting a tackle during the first wave and a guard during the second wave of free agency would remove some pressure during the draft. Having the No. 6 overall selection means they will have some top options to choose from, but they won’t have to force it with the offensive line.

If the Chargers feel like their future face at the quarterback position is there, they shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

Why not take a top offensive tackle like Andrew Thomas or Tristan Wirfs there? Because the group is one of the deepest in the entire draft and they can get a starting caliber player in Round 2 with Prince Tega Wanogho, Josh Jones, Lucas Niang, Austin Jackson or Mekhi Becton.

That would allow them to take another position of need — wide receiver, cornerback — in the following rounds. Los Angeles could round out the offensive line with a mid-late round pick with someone like Calvin Throckmorton.

That would give the Bolts four offensive linemen brought in this offseason if they were to use this approach. Offensive tackle (first wave of free agency), guard (second or third wave), tackle (second-round), tackle/guard (Day 3).

Seahawks’ offensive line is team’s fatal flaw heading into playoffs

The Seattle Seahawks will likely be entering the playoffs without tackle Duane Brown, leaving the offensive line as the team’s fatal flaw.

The hope for the Seahawks is that safety Quandre Diggs will be back from his high ankle sprain for the wild-card game against Philly’s depleted receiver corps. If that’s not the case, safety play rockets to the top of Seattle’s list of potentially fatal flaws. If Diggs is in, we must turn our attention to an offensive line that has been a serious issue, especially since left tackle Duane Brown suffered a meniscus (knee) injury in Week 16.

Brown won’t play against the Eagles’ dangerous defensive front in the wild-card round, which leaves George Fant to deal with that. Fant has allowed two sacks and 20 total pressures in just 221 pass-blocking snaps this season, as opposed to Brown, who has allowed one sack and 17 total pressures in 451 pass-blocking snaps. Seattle’s leader among its tackles in pass-blocking snaps is right tackle Germain Ifedi, which presents its own set of problems. The 2016 first-round pick has never lived up to his draft capital, and he hasn’t done so in 2019, either — instead, he’s allowed six sacks, 50 pressures, and has racked up 13 total penalties on 660 pass-blocking snaps this season.

Teams don’t even have to blitz the Seahawks for things to fall apart pretty much everywhere. Even the look of a blitz can send that line into unfortunate errors.

Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson are used to dealing with weak offensive lines — they’ve done so through most of Carroll’s tenure in Seattle and pretty much all of Wilson’s time in the Emerald City. But it has taken its toll. Since losing Super Bowl XLIX to the Patriots at the end of the 2014 season, the Seahawks have just two postseason wins.

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Russell Wilson headlines Pro Football Focus’ All-Pro team

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was named to Pro Football Focus’ All-Pro team, over Lamar Jackson.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson put together perhaps the best season of his masterful career in 2019, which resulted in a 90.9 passing grade from Pro Football Focus – the top mark in the NFL.

That was enough for Wilson to earn an All-Pro nod from Pro Football Focus, who ranked him ahead of MVP favorite Lamar Jackson on their annual list.

“Lamar Jackson is the presumptive league MVP, and his development this year has been phenomenal, but what Russell Wilson has been able to do while dragging a sub-par offense has been remarkable,” PFF wrote in their article. “Wilson’s grade and PFF WAR has been incredible all season long, and even when the offense cooled down the stretch, he was still making big plays only to be let down by his supporting cast. Wilson finished the year with six more big-time throws than any other quarterback, and he had just 11 turnover-worthy plays to balance those high-end plays.”

While PFF loved Wilson and his performance last year, they weren’t big on the rest of Seattle’s offense. In fact, they ranked the Seahawks offensive line 27th out of 32 teams – far and away the worst mark among teams in the playoffs.

Wilson finished the regular season with 4,110 passing yards and a 31-to-five touchdown-to-interception ratio – despite leading the NFL with 48 sacks taken.

Wilson will need to be on his game if Seattle wants to advance in the playoffs this year, where they’ll take on an Eagles squad that won four games in a row to earn the top spot in the NFC East.

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Sean McVay pleased with how Rams’ OL played despite adversity

The Rams underwent countless changes on the offensive line but still allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL.

There was no lack of questions and concerns surrounding the Rams’ offensive line entering this season. Brian Allen and Joseph Noteboom both stepped in as first-year starters, but they struggled out of the gate.

Eventually, both would be placed on IR with season-ending injuries, which created even more problems up front for the Rams. Austin Corbett was acquired, Austin Blythe moved to center, David Edwards became a starter at guard and Bobby Evans replaced an injured Rob Havenstein.

Yet, despite all that adversity and change, the Rams still allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL this season. Yes, you read that correctly: the fewest.

That doesn’t mean the offensive line was one of the best in the league; it ranked 22nd in pass block win rate and created few holes for Todd Gurley and the running backs. All things considered, though, Los Angeles made the best of what it had on the O-line and Sean McVay is pleased with how the unit played.

“Well, I think the players continued to play. I thought the coaches did a great job – a lot of adjusting and adapting on the fly from Coach (Aaron) Kromer, Zak Kromer, Andy Dickerson. I think Andrew Whitworth’s leadership, really impressed with Austin Blythe’s command when he took over at playing that center spot,” McVay said.

However, just as all the blame doesn’t fall on the offensive line, all the credit doesn’t go to the five big men up front, either.

“Anytime you just look at that number, sacks are always a reflection of the unit. I think exclusively, in a lot of instances, offensive linemen are not always accurately pegged for the responsibility of sacks,” he continued. “They are certainly very helpful, but I think the quarterback has a huge responsibility, the backs if they’re used in protection, and then the other eligibles separating in the timing and rhythm. In some instances, those guys are even asked to protect. We’ve got receivers that are willing to protect, obviously the tight ends are used. I think it’s a great reflection of the entire unit and their ability to work through some adjusting, some adapting and then ultimately it’s about the players’ execution.”

Whitworth and Blythe are both free agents, and there’s no guarantee either Allen or Noteboom will be starters. Edwards and Evans are both candidates to start, as is Corbett. Havenstein should get his job back at right tackle, but that’s not a certainty either.

In other words, the Rams have a lot to figure out with their offensive line, but the potential for success is there.

Despite early struggles, Rams allowed fewest sacks in NFL this season

The Los Angeles Rams’ offensive line has been criticized all season long. Despite that, they gave up the fewest sacks in the NFL.

The Los Angeles Rams’ offensive line has received plenty of criticism over the course of the 2019 season. Many have pointed the finger at the line being a major reason why both Jared Goff and Todd Gurley regressed this year.

Much of the criticism was warranted. But here’s a truly surprising stat about the 2019 Rams: They finished the season giving up the fewest number of sacks in the NFL. The Rams gave up just 22 sacks on the season, narrowly beating out the Dallas Cowboys, who gave up 23.

This was the second-lowest total for the Rams in a full 16-game season, only trailing the 2015 unit that gave up just 18 sacks on the year. Goff was sacked only 10 times over the team’s final 10 games, and four of those sacks came against Pittsburgh.

Veteran tackle Andrew Whitworth was asked how it was possible that the Rams gave up the fewest sacks in the NFL. “I don’t know,” Whitworth joked. “Sure doesn’t fit the narrative though.”

The aforementioned Pittsburgh game was a disastrous performance for the Rams’ offensive line, and the team lost starters Brian Allen and Rob Havenstein in the process. They rolled out a new-look offensive line the following week, with Austin Blythe sliding from guard to center, David Edwards sliding from left guard to right guard, rookie Bobby Evans stepping in at right tackle, and mid-season acquisition Austin Corbett stepped in at left guard. Whitworth was the only constant on the offensive line this season.

The new-look group deserves plenty of praise for this number, as they gave up just six sacks in the seven games they started together. Goff was much more comfortable behind this group, completing 6% more of his passes in the final seven games than he did in the previous nine. Most importantly, Goff fumbled just one time and the Rams were able to recover it. He fumbled nine times in the previous nine games, and the Rams lost five of them.

Leading the league in fewest sacks allowed should give Rams fans a sense of optimism about the offensive line moving forward. They were far from perfect, particularly in the running game. But this unit was able to bounce back after a disastrous start to the season, and both Goff and Gurley played better in the second half of the year. The rookie duo on the right side of the line played far better than the veteran combination of Rob Havenstein and Austin Blythe, and Blythe played far better at center than he did at guard.

The Rams will have some decisions to make on the line heading into 2019. Blythe and Whitworth are free agents, with the latter mulling over retirement. Rob Havenstein, Joseph Noteboom, and Brian Allen will be returning from injury. All three of them were outplayed by their replacements, and all three are under contract in 2020.

Regardless, both Rams fans and the Rams staff have to feel better about this unit heading into the offseason than they did after the Pittsburgh game. Things are looking up in Los Angeles, at least when it comes to the front five.

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Alamo Bowl Comparison: Line of Scrimmage

Most games in college football are won at the line of scrimmage. Here is a comparison of Texas’ and Utah’s offensive and defensive lines:

Most games in college football are won and lost at the line of scrimmage. Having offensive lineman that can block and give time for plays to develop is just as crucial as getting pressure from your defensive line to disrupt what the other team is doing.

That will be no different for this year’s Alamo Bowl when Texas faces Utah. The Utes have some of the best units on the line of scrimmage in the country and have the opportunity to give the Longhorns some problems. Both units considered weaknesses for Texas, if they are not able to hold their ground, it could be a long night.

Here is a comparison of Texas’ and Utah’s offensive and defensive lines and how they matchup against each other:

Texas’ offensive line vs Utah’s defensive line

The second most sacked quarterback in the Big 12, Ehlinger has taken some shots from opponent defensive lines this season. The worst came against Oklahoma when the Sooners were able to record nine sacks from eight different players. The Longhorns offensive line has given up a lot but still has been above average throughout the season.

As for Utah’s pass rush, they have gotten to the quarterback 29 different times this season. Senior defensive end Bradlee Anae is second in the Pac 12 with 12.5 sacks after leading the conference last season. The run defense has also been excellent, only giving up 56 yards per game. After going quiet against a very good Oregon offensive line in the Pac 12 championship, the Utes will be looking for redemption.

Who has the advantage?

Utah’s defense was the best in the Pac 12 and it all started on the line of scrimmage. They have the advantage, but it is not like the Longhorns have gone against bad defensive lines all season. The offensive line for Texas should be prepared for whatever is thrown at them, but if mistakes are made, the Utes will capitalize quickly.

Quarterback Sam Ehlinger may have to do some scrambling throughout the game. Extending plays with his feet and running for a few first downs or finding receivers will be critical. Utah will more than likely have good pressure throughout the entire game, but if Ehlinger can be as clutch as we know he can be, Texas will be just fine.

Texas’ defensive line vs Utah’s offensive line

From a pass-rushing standpoint, the Longhorns have struggled this season, only having 22 sacks this season, the third-fewest in the conference. While the unit as a whole is young, it has still struggled this season, especially in the Big 12. With a defensive line led by senior Malcolm Roach, Texas has a tough test against the Utah offensive line.

The reason running back Zach Moss is having such success this season is because of space the Utah offensive line is giving him. A big, physical group led by left tackle Darrin Paulo, the Utes have one of the best offensive lines in the country. Only allowing 21 sacks this year, only one team in the Pac 12 gave up less. From a running perspective, they average 214 yards per game, the best in the conference. The offensive line has been the key to this success, giving Moss and quarterback Tyler Huntley the opportunity to make plays.

Who has the advantage?

The defensive line has been a weakness for Texas this season while Utah’s offensive line has been one of their strengths. The Utes have the advantage going into the game as it is one of their strengths against one of Texas’ weaknesses, but the Longhorns have an opportunity to flip that.

The matchup between the Longhorns defensive line and the Ute offensive line will be one of the most critical in this game. If Texas is able to get constant pressure, it will disrupt everything Utah has planned offensively. Limiting Moss and forcing Huntley into some early throws would give the Longhorns a great chance to win.

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Are the Texans planning to sit LT Laremy Tunsil out for the Titans game?

The Houston Texans made roster moves on Saturday that indicate they will have LT Laremy Tunsil inactive for Week 17’s tilt with the Tennessee Titans.

The Houston Texans may declare left tackle Laremy Tunsil inactive for the Tennessee Titans game, not even dressing him for the Week 17 rematch with their AFC South rivals.

A series of roster moves on Saturday suggests the 10-5 division champions won’t dress the former 2016 first-round pick, who was limited all week in practice with an ankle injury and declared questionable on the final injury report.

On Saturday, the Texans waived defensive lineman Joel Heath, and in a corresponding move they promoted offensive tackle Elijah Nkansah from the practice squad to the active roster.

Dropping Heath is one of the moves the Texans make when they add a player due to an injury at another position.

Case in point: in Week 12, coming off of a 41-7 beat down in Baltimore, safety Jonathan Owens was signed to the active roster from the practice squad as Justin Reid would be out for the rematch with the Indianapolis Colts with a concussion. As a result, the Texans waived Heath.

However, when the club lets go of Heath, it doesn’t mean that he is out of their plans. After they got through Week 12 and Reid was back, they waived Owens and signed Heath back to the active roster.

With Heath dropped for Week 17, the game relatively meaningless in terms of getting out of wild-card weekend, and Tunsil, a Pro Bowl left tackle, battling an ankle injury, all signs point to Nkansah being the swing tackle as tackles Roderick Johnson and Chris Clark help the Texans get through the final 60 minutes of the regular season.

Could Bill O’Brien add Jaguars coach Doug Marrone to the Texans coaching staff?

With the Jacksonville Jaguars set to fire coach Doug Marrone, could Bill O’Brien add him to his Houston Texans coaching staff?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are cleaning house and seek the move on from the Tom Coughlin era in Duval County.

According to a report from Dianna Russini from ESPN, the Jaguars have informed coach Doug Marrone that he will be dismissed following Sunday’s season finale against the Indianapolis Colts.

Could the Houston Texans look to add the former coach of their division foes to the coaching staff?

The two are good friends outside of the game of football, and it goes back to their time with Georgia Tech from 1996-1999 when they were on the staff of head football coach George O’Leary. Marrone was a tight ends coach for a season before taking over as offensive line coach. O’Brien was a graduate assistant for their first two seasons together before taking over as running backs coach in the last two seasons together.

“We’re good friends, we care about each other, we love each other’s family, but we kind of keep business on the outside,” Marrone told the Houston media on a conference call on Sept. 11. “I think the only — this is — I probably talk to him less now.”

Marrone and O’Brien talked less during the regular season, and they were competitive with one another as they both coached in the same division, and were the only two coaches since 2015 to win the AFC South.

However, Marrone and O’Brien do have a working history together and they do get along outside the football field. The problem would be Marrone’s specialty is the offensive line, and Mike Devlin is someone O’Brien considers in his inner circle.

“I lean on [defensive coordinator] RAC (Romeo Crennel),” O’Brien told reporters on Jan. 6, 2019. “He was a head coach. I lean on [special teams coordinator] Brad Seely. He’s been around a long time. I lean on Mike Devlin. Mike Devlin has worked for a lot of different guys, played for a bunch of different guys.”

It is possible O’Brien could bring in Marrone as an assistant head coach, a role that Crennel has had since joining the Texans in 2014. In 2017, it was his exclusive role as defensive coordinator was handed over to Mike Vrabel. In the same vein, by adding Marrone, perhaps Crennel could be the defensive coordinator only while Marrone is the assistant head coach.

O’Brien and Marrone have history. Whether they find a way to work together will come down to whether it makes sense for both of them.

The Miami Dolphins have allowed the most QB hits through Week 16

The Miami Dolphins are leading the league in quarterback hits allowed and the numbers are startling.

And water is wet. It should be no real surprise to hear that the Miami Dolphins’ offense line has had their fair share of struggles this season. And “fair share of struggles” would be putting it nicely. But to see the stark difference in Miami’s QB hits versus some of the other teams across the league is still an eye opening moment that illustrates just how bad the line play has been.

Any Dolphins fan has been somewhat desensitized to bad line play, it has plagued the Dolphins for years. But this is a whole new level of bad.

The Miami Dolphins have allowed more than double the quarterback hits than seven other teams across the league. Miami’s 148 hits is 31 more than any other team and nearly three times the total number of disruptions of the best team in the league on this front, the Oakland Raiders.

Blindside tackle is high up on Miami’s needs but it can be argued that getting the center position upgraded is equally important. It impacts the run game and pass game alike with such a direct line to the football — and Dolphins center Daniel Kilgore isn’t getting it done on the inside, he’s often physically outmatched.

In all, the Dolphins would be wise to spend significant resources on the line this offseason. Not just to address the need, but invest in the need. Doubling down on positions, overhauling the entire unit and not just being content to add one or two new pieces, a mistake we’ve seen Dolphins teams of years past make. The starters on Miami’s current offensive line (with the exception of rookie Michael Deiter), shouldn’t be starters next year. Some of them shouldn’t be backups.

It’s on the Dolphins to make that happen and take it seriously this offseason for the first time in a long time.

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Broncos make 2 roster moves

The Broncos have placed defensive end Adam Gotsis on injured reserve and promoted offensive tackle Quinn Bailey from the practice squad.

The Denver Broncos will place defensive end Adam Gotsis (knee) on injured reserve this week, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. To take Gotsis’ former spot on the 53-man roster, undrafted rookie offensive tackle Quinn Bailey will be promoted from the 10-man practice squad.

It’s a disappointing end to the season for Gotsis and it might also mark an end to his career in Denver. Gotsis (6-4, 287 pounds) was selected by the Broncos in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft out of Georgia Tech. He never quite lived up to his draft status.

Gotsis was a regular starter from 2017-2018, totaling 79 tackles and five sacks during that time. He didn’t appear to be a great fit in Vic Fangio’s defense, though, and he was benched four games into the 2019 season.

Gotsis earned $3,937,904 during his four years in Denver and he’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March. Given that he was benched this year, it would be surprising to see Gotsis re-signed in 2020.

Bailey (6-6, 323 pounds) appeared in 43 games during his time at Arizona State and spent the first 16 weeks of the season on the Broncos’ practice squad. Denver now has an opening on the practice squad.

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