The Myth of the Ten-Year Offensive Lineman

[shakadave]

Have you noticed that whenever someone in the media talks about drafting an offensive lineman in the top ten or so, they usually follow that up with a mention of locking him in and being all set at that position for 10 years? Why does everyone think O-linemen stay on their team for 10 years? The longest allowed rookie contracts are 6 years, right? You can get 6 years for a good price, but that 7th year is gonna be a killer! Haven't many great O-linemen changed teams? Doesn't it happen even more than ever in the era of free agency? And why aren't any teams trying for a 10-year linebacker or a 10-year corner?

 

[GoWhalers]

Great linemen who've stayed: Ogden, Pace, Jones, Shields & Roaf (any other KC linemen?), Larry Allen (until he hit the back end of his career)

The only "great" lineman who's moved that I can think of would be Hutchinson (poison pill).

After that, you're looking at teams like Dallas radically overpaying for busts like Leonard Davis, or Houston being sunk with Boselli.

Fact is, truly "great" linemen do tend to stick around, because their teams will pay them for their valuable service.

 

[DaBruinz]

Matt Light should easily hit the 10 year mark with the Patriots.
Neal could very well hit that mark also. So should Koppen.

There are plenty of examples.

Jon Jansen will probably hit 10 years unless he retires due to injury.
Alan Faneca is entering his 10th year with the Steelers, though he could be traded.

Its only been recently that O-linemen have been a hot commodity in free agency.

 

[stinkypete]

Great linemen, offensive and defensive, stay with their teams probably more than any other position because a great lineman is so hard to find.

Contrary to public percetion, though, not too many great offensive linemen come out of round 1. Most high profile tackles taken in round 1 lately have turned out only decent at best (Leonard Davis, Vernon Carey, Jordan Gross) while others have been flat out busts.

Interestingly enough, if you examine the drafts from 2000 on, you'll notice that 1st round guards have had far more successful careers than 1st round tackles.

 

[shakadave]

There are plenty of examples.

There are definitely examples, but are there more of these than examples of LBs, corners, etc.? Is the job of an O-linemen so cerebral that teams consider them less replaceable than other positions? (I would think the Pats feel this way about ILBs.)

Its only been recently that O-linemen have been a hot commodity in free agency.

. .. ... ....

 

[Terry Glenn is a cowgirl]

Great linemen who've stayed: Ogden, Pace, Jones, Shields & Roaf (any other KC linemen?), Larry Allen (until he hit the back end of his career)

The only "great" lineman who's moved that I can think of would be Hutchinson (poison pill).

After that, you're looking at teams like Dallas radically overpaying for busts like Leonard Davis, or Houston being sunk with Boselli.

Fact is, truly "great" linemen do tend to stick around, because their teams will pay them for their valuable service.

Willie Roaf was an Ain't before he wanted out via Joe Horn. Horn screwed his wife apparently...

 

[TheBaronPatriot]

O line is also a position of cohesion where working with the same unit makes you and those you work/play with better.

The o-line all work together to achieve one common goal, knowing one another's strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies.

I played o-line so I can say that o-line have a comroderie shared by almost no other nfl positional group.

They also tend to understand their role is a non-glamourous one so the big $$$$ deal isn't always the #1 concern. They want to get paid sure, but breaking the bank isn't the #1 concern.

However, considering recent trends this might be a new era where o-line get paid and treated like other positions.

If I were an o-line in the pros I'd want good money given my position and skill and to work with a group of guys I like and can compete with.

So they tend to move around less

 

[Mike the Brit]

I think that the only point about the "ten years" reference is that O-linemen tend to have longer careers, so that you can reasonably expect a 25-year-old to continue until 33 or 34 and perhaps longer. Of course, there is free agency but, as has been pointed out, a lot of offensive linemen have been content to stay part of the group that they have developed with.

Another recent example is Jon Runyan who made one free agent visit (with the Jets?) and then decided that he had plenty of money for what he wanted so preferred to stay in Philly where he was happy.

 

[PatsSteve1]

Have you noticed that whenever someone in the media talks about drafting an offensive lineman in the top ten or so, they usually follow that up with a mention of locking him in and being all set at that position for 10 years?

* I really don't think they mean it quite the way you've taken it. Maybe they should say "could" be set for 10 years, but the idea is that this player will be good for years.