Tag: Right Guard

Bears OL Teven Jenkins says he’s playing left guard in 2023

Teven Jenkins told Twitter he’s moving to left guard for the 2023 season.

It sounds like Teven Jenkins will be playing at a new spot on the offensive line when the Chicago Bears begin the 2023 season. Just ask him yourself.

On Sunday, the third-year offensive lineman was asked on Twitter where he was going to play this upcoming season. Jenkins responded with a link to a tweet by Bryson Stricker saying he would be moving to the left side of the line.

Stricker tweeted the move following the Bears’ signing of former Tennessee Titans guard Nate Davis last month during free agency.

Plans can always change and the Bears haven’t been shy about tinkering with their offensive line throughout the offseason since general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus were hired. But if the move takes place, it will be Jenkins’ third position change since coming into the league in 2021.

Jenkins was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft with the expectation of playing left tackle under former general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy. Injuries limited him to just a few games late in the year with up-and-down results. When the new regime took over last year, they tried him at right tackle before settling at right guard in training camp to begin the season.

Right guard appeared to be the best landing spot for Jenkins as he excelled at the position. He allowed just two sacks according to Pro Football Focus and was consistently effective as a run blocker. Injuries ended his season prematurely and now he will begin a new year at yet another new position. Davis, meanwhile, will start at right guard, where he’s played every year since coming into the league back in 2019.

Jenkins has shown the versatility to play wherever he’s needed and has the attitude to back it up. “I’ll play wherever they need me,” Jenkins told reporters last spring. “Get in where you fit in.” He’ll have his shot to fit in at left guard, which has been occupied by Cody Whitehair for the past few seasons.

This means Whitehair could move to center, which Poles suggested a few weeks ago in a press conference, or perhaps the two will battle it out to see who comes out on top at the position. Regardless, it will be another position for Jenkins to learn this offseason.

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Battle for starting Vikings right guard position has a frontrunner

After the first week of training camp, the offensive line picture is already coming together.

Right guard is a position that the Minnesota Vikings have struggled like crazy to fill since Joe Berger left the team after 2016. From Tom Compton to Mike Remmers and Dakota Dozier, it has been a turnstile in more ways than one.

During training camp this year, the Vikings are having another battle for the starting right guard position. After converted tackle Oli Udoh won the job out of training camp last season, he comes into this year having to battle for that same position.

As we head into the second week of camp, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips alluded to one player already having a leg-up on the competition.

This is quite the compliment for Davis, as he is currently competing with Udoh, former Indianapolis Colt Chris Reed and last year’s third-round draft pick Wyatt Davis.

Having come over from the Miami Dolphins, Davis has starting experience all across the offensive line. His best season as a pass blocker, which the Vikings desperately need on the line, came in 2018 as right guard with a Pro Football Focus grade of 69.3.

The competition is far from over, but Davis is in the driver’s seat for the starting position.

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Chiefs RG Trey Smith self-assured after his start in preseason Week 1

After logging his first NFL start in preseason Week 1, #Chiefs’ Trey Smith feels more certain of himself and his teammates. | from @TheJohnDillon

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After showing improvement on the offensive line in their first preseason game, the Kansas City Chiefs look ready to keep Patrick Mahomes on his feet during the regular season. Starters played minimal snaps in Saturday’s exhibition, but in their limited capacity, the development of their new-look line was hard to miss.

Among other additions on the Chiefs’ offensive front, Trey Smith stood out as a body-mover against San Francisco, logging his first NFL snaps and holding his own against the San Francisco 49ers defense. The starting right guard, a two-time All-SEC selection at Tennessee, looks to have found his stride after a strong training camp.

During Monday’s media availability, Smith told reporters he felt more than capable to anchor the offensive interior after his performance against San Francisco. Responding to a question about what he had learned about himself in his first start for the Chiefs, he sounded supremely confident, yet also acknowledged room for improvement.

“I can actually do it,” Smith said, “That was probably the first thing. Just watching the film, got to finish better is the first thing that stood out to me. Finishing my assignment and executing a lot better.”

On the line’s performance as a whole, Smith seemed hesitant to place a definitive grade on the showing, but seemed pleased, even if it was imperfect.

“We haven’t had the chance to go back and watch as a unit,” Smith conceded. “There are some things that we did well, a lot of things we got to work on. We’re working for perfection, but obviously, we’re never going to obtain that. There’s always something we can do better. Getting on our assignment, better technique, there’s always something we can improve on.”

Gradual improvement will be a theme for the line this season. With five new starters and depth galore behind them, the trenches will likely take time to jell completely as a cohesive unit. The limited snaps inherent to the preseason process will leave some suspense for when the games actually count, but Smith told reporters the new-look line was glad to have their presence felt early.

“We take a lot of pride in that in fact,” Smith said of their fast start up front, “We take pride in moving the people in front of us, so we know we have some studs on offense. Our job is just to give him time and space to allow them to do what they do.”

Smith’s role as a space-maker at right guard could be a godsend for Kansas City’s offense, especially in the running game. The Chiefs have lacked a dynamic rushing attack in recent years, putting most or all of the onus on Patrick Mahomes to carry the load offensively, effectively living or dying by the performance of their MVP quarterback.

Though preseason confidence is hardly a guarantee of regular-season success, it’s a good sign that the Chiefs’ offensive front is coming together day by day. There should be little doubt Trey Smith has played a big part in that, even as a rookie.

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Longhorns Profile Snapshot: No. 78 Denzel Okafor

LonghornsWire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Texas roster. Today, we will be looking at senior RG Denzel Okafor.

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Going into the 2020 football season, LonghornsWire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Texas roster.

Over the summer, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Tom Herman this season.

Today, we will be looking at senior right guard Denzel Okafor.

Denzel Okafor, Right guard

Height: 6-4 / Weight: 317

Class: Redshirt Senior

Hometown: Lewisville, Texas

High School: Lewisville

HS ranking (247Sports): Four-star / No. 243 overall / No. 12 position / No. 36 in-state

HS ranking (Rivals): Four-star / No. 244 overall / No. 14 position / No. 34 in-state

Analysis: Going into his fifth season with the program, Denzel Okafor is going to be the oldest member of the offensive line. Part of the 2016 recruiting class, Okafor was a Charlie Strong recruit.

Redshirting during his junior year, Okafor returned in 2019 and appeared in all 13 games. He made one start throughout the year against Iowa State. The redshirt senior has five career starts going into this season.

Head coach Tom Herman said he feels “better today than ever” about Okafor taking over as the starting right guard. Playing guard and tackle during his time in Austin, Okafor will now be apart of an interior offensive line that must improve in 2020.

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Texans G Zach Fulton says Deshaun Watson will benefit from OL’s chemistry, continuity

Houston Texans right guard Zach Fulton says quarterback Deshaun Watson will be the biggest beneficiary of the offensive line’s chemistry.

Houston Texans starting right guard Zach Fulton is enthused for quarterback Deshaun Watson, who enters his fourth season in the NFL.

The chief reason Fulton can’t wait to play with Watson is because of the cohesion of the Texans’ offensive line, which is returning the same five starters for the first time since 2011.

“Continuity and the chemistry that we have in the O-line is definitely going to be great for Deshaun,” Fulton said after the Texans’ virtual kickoff luncheon Thursday. “We know how he plays, so, it’s something we have in the back of our mind just to block for a tick longer or however long he needs to be able to get that play off.”

When the Texans had a turnstile along the offensive line in Watson’s second year, 2018, somehow the first-round pick was able to lead Houston to an 11-5 record and earn a Pro Bowl selection while taking a league-leading 62 sacks in the process.

In 2019, the Texans traded with the Miami Dolphins for Laremy Tunsil, drafted guard Max Scharping and tackle Tytus Howard, and left Nick Martin at center and Fulton at right guard. Though there were some absences, the continuity remained the same, and Watson’s sacks were cut to a more manageable 44 while the Texans repeated as AFC South champions with a 10-6 record.

The offensive line spends their time discussing how to protect their two-time Pro Bowl quarterback.

Said Fulton: “We just talk about protecting D4, no matter what it takes. No matter what we have to do, just get the job done and protect him because we know he’s going to take us a long way. He extends plays, we know that. Whatever we have to do on our side to make that happen for him, we’re going to do it.”

The continuity with the offensive line is also a boon for the Texans’ run game, which will debut David Johnson as the feature back following a trade with the Arizona Cardinals. The former All-Pro teams up with Duke Johnson to provide a backfield of running backs with similar skillsets.

“They’re both great guys; two professionals,” Fulton said. “They definitely know what they’re doing. We’re going to have a lot of fun blocking for those two guys and I’m excited to see what they can do.”

The Texans kickoff the season Sept. 10 versus the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Seahawks guard Damien Lewis thinks LSU prepared him well for NFL

Seahawks rookie offensive lineman Damien Lewis thinks LSU prepared him well for NFL, as he is in line to start at right guard for Seattle.

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Seattle Seahawks rookie offensive lineman Damien Lewis spoke to the media on Wednesday about transitioning from college football to life in the big leagues of the NFL.

Lewis is competing to start at right guard right of the gates and credits his alma mater for his preparedness despite the lack of a true offseason. Lewis was selected by Seattle in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of LSU.

“I feel like LSU did a great job with me, preparing me well playing against tough teams in the SEC,” Lewis explained. “Some of those guys that I played last year were some draft picks, some big, top-round round draft picks. So I feel like LSU did a real good job with me as far as just competing and putting my head down and battling every day.”

It also helps that Lewis’ former college coach, Ed Orgeron, was formerly an assistant under Pete Carroll at USC.

“The guys made me real comfortable, Coach Pete, the offensive linemen, just getting a good feel of the whole place,” Lewis said. “Everything has come naturally to me.”

The Seahawks have to trim their roster to 53 players by Saturday, Sept. 5 at 1:00 p.m. PT.

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Guard Isaiah Hookfin out two to three weeks with shoulder injury

According to Rivals, guard Isaiah Hookfin will be out for two to three weeks. The redshirt freshmen suffered a shoulder injury in practice.

According to Anwar Richardson of OrangeBloods.com, guard Isaiah Hookfin will be out for two to three weeks. The redshirt freshmen suffered a shoulder injury in practice this week.

If Hookfin does miss the maximum timeline of three weeks, the guard would miss the season opener against UTEP. The Longhorns are scheduled to host the Miners on Sept. 12.

However, Brian Davis of the Austin States-American is reporting Hookfin will be ready to go for the opener.

Hookfin is going into his second year with the program. He sat out all of last year, taking a redshirt year. Now, Hookfin is projected to be the starting right guard against UTEP.

Redshirt sophomore Willie Tyler was supposed to start, however, he opted out of the 2020 season on Aug. 19.

With Derek Kerstetter moving from right tackle to center, the interior offensive line will consist of Junior Angilau, Kerstetter, and Hookfin. All three will be playing their respective positions for the first time in college.

Texas’ offensive line is expected to be a strength this season, even with injuries. Protecting quarterback Sam Ehlinger and giving him time to make plays is what makes the Texas offense work.

Just over two weeks from the UTEP game, the Longhorns will be working to remain healthy. A couple of weeks off the practice field will make sure Hookfin is ready to go on Sept. 12.

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Texans RG Zach Fulton excels at pass protection, struggles with run blocking

Houston Texans guard Zach Fulton had his contract with the club reworked. The Texans keep a blocker who is good in pass protection.

The band is staying together and will return for another season.

The Houston Texans reworked the contract of starting right guard Zach Fulton, which means the Texans will return the same five starting offensive linemen for the first time in the Deshaun Watson era.

Pro Football Focus released their run blocking and pass blocking grades for Fulton over his past two seasons in Houston. What the grades reveal is that the former Kansas City Chief is the right fit as a pass protector. However, he has struggled with run blocking. That makes the 28-year-old perfect to play bodyguard for Watson, but a liability as a road grader for running back David Johnson.

The Texans’ run game has still has success with Fulton in the lineup. In 2018, running back Lamar Miller made the Pro Bowl and tallied 973 yards. In 2019, Carlos Hyde collected his first 1,000-yard rushing season when he ran for 1,070.

Report: Texans rework the contract of RG Zach Fulton

The Houston Texans and right guard Zach Fulton have agreed to rework his contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN.

The Houston Texans are getting salary cap relief while also retaining a quality starter on the offensive line.

There were questions after the 2020 NFL Draft how the Texans would solve the problem of Zach Fulton, whose contract was taking a chunk out of the salary cap in the next two seasons. Perhaps the Texans would release Fulton and look to another guard on the market as an upgrade.

According to Field Yates of ESPN, the Texans and Fulton have agreed to rework the 28-year-old’s contract. Originally, the former Kansas City Chiefs 2014 sixth-round pick was to earn $14 million with no guarantees over the next two seasons.

Now, the new deal is $5 million guaranteed in 2020 with $3 million in 2021, but non-guaranteed money.

On Nov. 13, 2019, ahead of the Texans’ Week 11 road game against the Baltimore Ravens, coach John Harbaugh described Fulton as, “one of the most physical right guards in football.”

“I just think they’ve done a great job putting that line together and they’re very well coached and they’re playing at a high level,” Harbaugh said.

Unless injuries or COVID-19 gets in the way, the Texans will assuredly field the same five starters on the offensive line from a year ago. With that level of continuity returning to the offensive line, it helps Houston take the next step in 2020.

Seahawks confirm release of center Justin Britt, guard D.J. Fluker

The Seahawks have officially confirmed the team has released starting center Justin Britt and right guard D.J. Fluker, both cap casualties.

The Seattle Seahawks have officially confirmed the release of two veteran, starting offensive linemen – center Justin Britt and guard D.J. Fluker. News broke Sunday afternoon that both had been cut, with each player sharing his goodbye on social media.

Britt spent six seasons in Seattle after he was selected by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. After a couple of years at tackle and guard, Britt found his place at center in 2016 where he remained the starter.

Only quarterback Russell Wilson was a longer-tenured member of Seattle’s offense and the Seahawks quarterback penned his own goodbye to his center via his Instagram account.

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“Thanks for all the focus and hard work and love you brought to the game,” Wilson posted. “You laid it on the line for many years together and I will be forever grateful for your work ethic, passion, and love for the game, but most importantly others.”

Fluker, another cap casualty this season, spent two years in Seattle as the starting right guard. He will likely be replaced by Damien Lewis, who the Seahawks selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

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