In the Line of Fire: Offensive Linemen sound off

[YoloinOhio]

Cool round table with 4 NFL Olinemen - funny to see their opinions on things like PFF grading

Limits on practice time have forced NFL coaches to spend most of their time installing the offense, rather than focusing on the tricks of the trade. That's led to sloppy play. There are other reasons for the deterioration of line play, such as the spread offense in college, free agency preventing cohesion, and little contact in practice, which limits growth together as a unit. Add it all up, and it's why the big guys up front have become the NFL players everybody loves to hate.

 

I came here to sit down with some of them in a roundtable setting to discuss line play as a whole, but also to get their feelings on residing and working in the Land of the Persecuted.

http://mweb.cbssports.com/nfl/feature/25577288/in-the-line-of-fire Edited May 4, 2016 by YoloinOhio

[GunnerBill]

Cool round table with 4 NFL Olinemen - funny to see their opinions on things like PFF grading

http://mweb.cbssports.com/nfl/feature/25577288/in-the-line-of-fire

 

Brilliant read Yolo, thanks for sharing. My distrust of PFF grades on o-linemen is long held. I haven't played a down of professional football so I am no expert either but what I see with my eyes often doesn't match what they are grading. And the answer is neither I nor they know the play, know the responsibility.... it is all interpretation. I might be wrong on guys sometimes too, but I am always going to with what I see because I don't think it is any less reliable than what PFF sees.

[Malazan]

So...we had our Union negotiate for all of these things and now we're going to complain about them....

[TakeYouToTasker]

So...we had our Union negotiate for all of these things and now we're going to complain about them....

That was your takeaway?

[Captain_Quint]

That was your takeaway?

LOL #offseason

[Malazan]

That was your takeaway?

 

One of them. Might be a shock to you, but some of us have more than one thought when reading something.

[YoloinOhio]

I like how Weston richburg threw his linemates under the bus

[TakeYouToTasker]

 

One of them. Might be a shock to you, but some of us have more than one thought when reading something.

It was the only one you chose to share, so clearly it's the one the stuck out to you.

I like how Weston richburg threw his linemates under the bus

They sit in the film room together. I think of it more as motivational.

[Coach Tuesday]

Has the latest CBA ruined the game of football? It doesn't get discussed enough...

[Marty McFly]

 

Brilliant read Yolo, thanks for sharing. My distrust of PFF grades on o-linemen is long held. I haven't played a down of professional football so I am no expert either but what I see with my eyes often doesn't match what they are grading. And the answer is neither I nor they know the play, know the responsibility.... it is all interpretation. I might be wrong on guys sometimes too, but I am always going to with what I see because I don't think it is any less reliable than what PFF sees.

I gotta agree you on this Gat Blastin Bill, none of us know the play so we dont know the assignments therefor we cant make accurate assumptions on who botched what.

[Nihilarian]

The thing is being an NFL O-lineman is a very difficult job and those guys don't get the credit they deserve at times and vice versa. It's a team sport and the line is really only as good as the lines weakest link because opposing teams will switch around their strongest pass rushers to play against the offenses lesser talented players.

 

What really stinks for those line players is because they need to play as a solid unit to be successful they are so dependent on each other to grade well in both pass and run blocking. Plus, they are also dependant on the entire offense to be successful, coaches who set up the scheme and game plans, game plays. The QB, the RB's, the TE's, the WR's because all offensive players are required to know how to properly block.

 

While I agree that people not privy to the play call or blocking assignments might not know the assignments. It's also not that difficult to give a bad grade to an offensive line player who gets pushed back five yards on a run play by some scrub D-tackle. Which is exactly what happened to Kraig Urbik in that 2014 Raider game with a playoff berth on the line and it didn't just happen once.

 

 

Think about what has happened the last few years with the Buffalo Bills offensive line and the players on it. Take 2013 for an example, LT Gordy Glenn in his second year graded a (+23.0) by PFF and that weak link in LG Colin Brown who replaced Andy Levitre for the first five games graded an astonishingly bad (-30.1) and the backup center Doug Legursky replaced Brown also played poorly (-12.5). The other players on the line were C Eric Wood, RG Kraig Urbik, RT Erik Pears. BTW, Brown and the backup OG in Sam Young were both outright cut from the team after week six. Young played in four games and after he replaced Brown in week six he immediately gave up a sack and two hits.

The overall line graded 22nd in the league.

 

For most of 2014, the Bills fielded the very worst offensive line in the league with Pears at RG who grade at (-25.0) LG Chris Willams was a waste of money at 5 mill guaranteed as he only lasted three games before he went on IR and Urbik took over at LG. Both Glenn (+6.5) and Wood suffered in grades because Urbik was just not that good. A seventh rounder in RT Seantrell Henderson got the starting nod over the second round pick in Kounandjio who really never saw the field.

The 2014 line ended with a grade of 30th in the league.

 

Then in 2015, the Bills signed LG Richie Incognito (+9.4 after week 5) who played his best football last year and was named to the pro bowl. His stellar play also elevated the play of both Woods and Glenn to make the left side of that Bills line one of the best in the league. Rookie RG John Miller was the weak link of the line while he was in there (-10.6) clearly that grade was mostly for his pass blocking as he was pretty good at run blocking.

The 2015 Buffalo Bills ranked 9th overall per PFF.

 

I don't think PFF's grades are perfect, but I also think they are closer to the reality that many give them credit for being. Now, If Bills line coach Aaron Kromer is as good as some say he is that right side should improve for Buffalo this year. Just my two cents.

[hondo in seattle]

Cool round table with 4 NFL Olinemen - funny to see their opinions on things like PFF grading

http://mweb.cbssports.com/nfl/feature/25577288/in-the-line-of-fire

 

Great find.

 

Makes me feel guilty about those times I criticized offensive linemen. They all seemed to have chips on their shoulders about being unfairly judged by people who didn't know their assignments.

 

Interesting that there's a perception that line play may not be getting worse but it's not getting better due to lack of technique and opportunities to practice.