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Difference Between RT & LT and What's Best For The OL in 2008


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IcyPatriot

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OL 101 - 201 - 301 class - time for all to add their 2-cents as teachers or students.... Me ;) I'll be a student I'm just starting it. I couldn't find the old one so we can start a new one. :)

Originally Posted by mgteich
I think we need to dig out our old thread regarding the the difference between playing on the right side of the OL and playing on the left side (for a right-handed QB).
 
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Well I'll start with the most basic premise - that defenses want to attack the blind side of the QB with their best pass rusher. Best usually means fastest and best moves, meaning the LT should have quick feet, good hands and sound technique to follow and absorb the DE's moves.

Beyond that, I know nothing.
 
I would draft a LT in the higher rounds, move Light to RT... and move Kazcur either to RG, or backup RT.

Light is so overrated... he is good enough for the average defender, but for the best... he sucks.

Just my opinion.
 
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I would draft a LT in the higher rounds, move Light to RT... and move Kazcur either to RG, or backup RT.

Light is so overrated... he is good enough for the average defender, but for the best... he sucks.

Just my opinion.

I AGREE. Man I wish we could get Jake Long.
 
i may be missing something....

but when the break the NFL record for most points scored in a season...i assume you have to have a pretty good o-line...especially when your schedule is like the pats was his previous season...
 
i may be missing something....

but when the break the NFL record for most points scored in a season...i assume you have to have a pretty good o-line...especially when your schedule is like the pats was his previous season...

Just looking for some good old fashioned football talk ... not complaining.
We used to start our own topics here back in the day ... now the media
sort of starts them all ... so here's a thread that's ours ... I'm noticing a few others also ... keep them coming Patriots fans ... other than Reiss we really don't need the media.
 
Is Light even built to play RT? Usually they are much meatier players.
 
Ah, we start! No, IMHO, Light is NOT meaty enough to be a top RT.

I call the perfect RG's and RT's road graders. As a group they are bigger, stronger, and slower than LT's or LG's. We have three probowlers on the left side. They did fine last year, needing help from schemes and from TE's chipping against top speed rushers.

For me, the beauty of a running game is "student body right" with the speedy left guard or center pulling and the grind-it-out running back following his roadgraders.

Is Light even built to play RT? Usually they are much meatier players.
 
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Ya know, I think Light is the only Patriot I actually don't like. He's the only one I find completely underrated and underperforming. I'm no O-line expert, I just know what I see.
 
I think Belichick(?) once mentioned the RT's job being difficult because he's all by himself and only gets mentioned when overwhelmed by double teams, or something to that effect.
 
It would be highly unusual for any rookie LT to come in and be better than Light will be next year.

Light does and average to above average job in there. Any rookie is going to take time. There are only a handful of ends which give light any trouble. And if we were to draft one with the 7th overall.... There are more pressing needs at cb and lb to begin with.
 
LIGHT IS THE MOST UNERVALUED FAN BY THE FANS.
he has had brady`s blind side forever and a qb-lt relationship is spl.so is the center.dan,light ,neal and logan are bradys buddys from the way he talks about them so i am sure he is comfortable with them.

we have never had a high start studded line but hard working player with better scheme.

Bigger LT - will struggle against smaller faster ends in 4-3
smaller athelitic LT - struggle aqinst monster 3-4 ends

its pick you poison.
 
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Bigger LT - will struggle against smaller faster ends in 4-3
smaller athelitic LT - struggle aqinst monster 3-4 ends

you forgot one:

better LT - will be better than Light


This is the best LT crop in two decades and we're blessed to be picking in the #7 spot. I think I saw some decline in Light's play last season and we are faced with the opportunity to draft a 10-year left tackle. I don't think we pass that up for freakin' Mike Jenkins or sommat.
 
I think Matt Light is a great tackle if he can get in front of them. Even the best have trouble with Kight because he is great with the hands. Unfortunately, he has no recover ability when they get a step on him and so when he gets juked he looks bad. Overall ... for the money we pay him he is one of the better (not elite) LT's in the game IMO.

We need a RT who is nimble on his feet and with the legs and waist of Joe Andruzzi. Like Parcells used to say built like a tree trunk. Someone who can push the pile ... we haven't had a RT like that for a very long time. I feel it hurts our running game because we run to the left so much. Neal helps out and is a better than average guard ... but what if he had a partner on that side ... Maroney would go to All-Pro instantly.
 
you forgot one:

better LT - will be better than Light
.

so why don`t we just tank every season and get the no1 rated guy. remember every game merriman has been absolutely dominated by light especially in the 4th quater .the sack leader for some reason get 1/2 sacks is a playoff and yes lets get rid of the LT.brady is suppose to be this great 4th quater qb who leads game winning drives yet the LT who in the 4th quater on his blind side is just horrible.

lets trade brady and get better falco he is taller, better arm and is an improvement.
 
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so why don`t we just tank every season and get the no1 rated guy. remember every game merriman has been absolutely dominated by light especially in the 4th quater .the sack leader for some reason get 1/2 sacks is a playoff and yes lets get rid of the LT.brady is suppose to be this great 4th quater qb who leads game winning drives yet the LT who in the 4th quater on his blind side is just horrible.

lets trade brady and get better falco he is taller, better arm and is an improvement.

Can anybody translate this? :confused:
 
Getting back to the OP's question:

Well I'll start with the most basic premise - that defenses want to attack the blind side of the QB with their best pass rusher.

That's worth quoting.

Most quarterbacks are right-handed, which means that not only are most left tackles defending their blind side, but most offenses (read: non-NFL offenses, which are more sophisticated) are set up with a bias to the right side of the field.

The traditional Pro set offense has an end tight on the right side of the line, with a flanker split wide, a single end split wide left, and the quarterback under center. This bias happens because it is easier for a right-handed quarterback to read the right side of the field during his dropback then the left side, hence why the strong side is set that way.

It is also simpler from a footwork perspective to make handoffs that way, especially stretch handoffs; if you watch high school and college games, you'll note that sometimes those handoffs gets botched and the quarterback has to run the ball because he wasn't quick enough getting to his spot. That's especially common if the stretch is to the QB's non-handed side. So that's another reason why the tight end is usually set up on the right side.

So in the lower levels of football, left tackles are usually on the blindside of the QB, are usually unsupported by a tight end, and are often matched against the defense's best pass rusher. This arrangement tends to incubate pass blocking skills.

This leads to a left tackle bias on the pro level because to switch sides, a college left tackle turned right tackle has to relearn all their footwork. While NFL offenses do their best to eliminate bias to confuse the defense, for this reason you still have a significant difference between right and left tackle on the pro level; along with the previously stated reason that most quarterbacks are still right-handed and the left side is the blind side where the best down rusher is.

Thus, left tackles on all levels are valued for their pass blocking abilities; long arms, agility, balance, speed, etc. Right tackles tend to be like the rest of the line, powerful inline blockers with strong leg drive. Those requirements change quite a bit depending on if you're primarily a passing or running offense.
 
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If we drafted a LT who could start, what do you think we would do Light? We'd cut him! He isn't worth $3.75M as a RT and backup LT, and go out and sign a RT. There are two SEPARATE issues. Perhaps we could draft a player and have him sit for a year, or even play RT while he is in waiting to move.

1) What are willing to do, if anything, to upgrade the LT position for 2008. My answer is zero. We have a probowler.

2) What are willing to do, if anything, to upgrade at RT. It is not clear to me that a rookie LT is an upgrade. And even if he, #7 is to much to pay for a RT.
 
you forgot one:

better LT - will be better than Light


This is the best LT crop in two decades and we're blessed to be picking in the #7 spot. I think I saw some decline in Light's play last season and we are faced with the opportunity to draft a 10-year left tackle. I don't think we pass that up for freakin' Mike Jenkins or sommat.

I've not hear that at all, to be honest. I've heard its actually a very WEAK LT draft and that most of the players are better suited for RT. Even Jake Long.
 
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