Needs Analysis: Offensive Line

[PatsFan2]

I'll say this Nick Kaczur is a horrible run blocker and Matt Light is known for a few look out Blocks a game. With Brady coming back off that injury we might finally get that Stud at RT or LT. I for one wouldn't mind Matt Light on the right side.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I did like Urbec and thought he had good feet. I do not remember which DT tried the spin and he used his hands very well and he spun himself to catch the DT and stand him up. I think he was the only one who was able to sit and lockout agaisnt the big and I mean BIG bullrush from Brace (who I liked a lot but that if for another thread). The DT's all looked pretty good which may be the reason for the poor showing for some of the O-Line in a drill which is geared toward the defense (trust me I was a d-lineman).

I was a 120 lb. DL myownself DL should look better in this drill, no combo blocks, no RB/TE help, it's just pin your ears back and go. Brace did look very good and I might wind up voting for him over Gilbert for the Pats.

 

[CanadianPat'sFan]

I was a 120 lb. DL myownself DL should look better in this drill, no combo blocks, no RB/TE help, it's just pin your ears back and go. Brace did look very good and I might wind up voting for him over Gilbert for the Pats.

Please tell me that was 220lbs I hope You must be one tough SOB

Brace really did impress me but with Tom Brady coming back from major surgery maybe we should take a stud on the O-line!!

 

[mayoclinic]

:agree: both Unger and Mack are awesome. I think they are "can't miss prospects", I like William Beatty but I think Jason Smith from Baylor is better.

Jason Smith from Baylor IS better, but he will probably go top 15, possibly top 10. Like Chris Williams from Vanderbilt last year (who went #14 to the Bears), only even better. I'd take Jason Smith in a nanosecond if he fell.

 

[mayoclinic]

Canfield struggled in the one-on-ones. Beatty also struggled and got gigged for bending at the waste - Cody Brown was pressing him hard. The interior OL whom I was most impressed with in the one-on-ones was Urbik, he really impressed me with his quickness and recovery speed - I didn't expect that from a little fellow his size. Levitre did okay.

Very interesting Box - thanks for the eyewitness account. I wouldn't have thought Urbik has the kind of quickness which the Pats value, but if he does he would be a serious option. Canfield is known for having quick feet, and for being tough, but the proof is in the pudding. We'll see how they do the rest of the week.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Please tell me that was 220lbs I hope You must be one tough SOB

Brace really did impress me but with Tom Brady coming back from major surgery maybe we should take a stud on the O-line!!

Nope, small high school, and one clumsy 8th grader you wanted nowhere near the ball. So the ever clueless math teacher moonlighting as coach equates clumsy to OL/DL and in you go kid, now block that 200 lb. meathead and stack him in the hole when he switches sides.

 

[mayoclinic]

:agree: both Unger and Mack are awesome. I think they are "can't miss prospects", I like William Beatty but I think Jason Smith from Baylor is better.

Here's some reports out of the Senior Bowl on Mack, Unger, and Beatty, among others:

1. From NationalFootball Posts (calling Mack a "day one stud"): "C Alex Mack displayed good versatility bouncing back and forth between center and guard. He showed better athleticism in space than first thought by consistently getting out to the second level. Mack has by far the quickest and most powerful punch at the Senior Bowl." The National Football Post | Senior Bowl Practice Recap

2. From footballsfuture.com on the OL: "As the focus turned away from the outside to the big uglies, the real fun began. Alex Mack had a difficult day, but faced the best competition. He was beaten on several occasions by Ziggy Hood out of Missouri, but also held his own several times. The other center on the team, Max Unger was really humiliated several times. As many mentioned prior to the event, he’s needs add some weight to handle the larger tackles. He was bull rushed and abused by several players. He has the versatility to play on the outside so maybe he should be moved back there. Tackle Xavier Fulton and guard Ryan Shuman looked as if they didn’t belong. Fulton struggled with the speed rush, while Shuman was left helpless on the highlight of the day by Ziggy Hood. That will be explained a little later. William Beatty, the athletic tackle from Connecticut flashed some potential and proved why he’s considered to be a first/second round prospect. He slid well and handled the speed rushes, but struggled a little with the power moves. The two biggest winners on the day were Kraig Urbik and Phil Loadholt. Urbik showed good technique and knee bend standing up the best of bull rushes and moving his feet to neutralized double moves. Loadholt looked quick out of his stance and demonstrated once again that defenders don’t stand a chance once he locks onto the defender. He was moved to the right side and didn’t face a great speed rush all day." 2009 Senior Bowl: Monday Recap

 

[j00fek]

need a LT, light is on the down slide

 

[patchick]

Nope, small high school, and one clumsy 8th grader you wanted nowhere near the ball. So the ever clueless math teacher moonlighting as coach equates clumsy to OL/DL and in you go kid, now block that 200 lb. meathead and stack him in the hole when he switches sides.

A friend of mine was a 130-lb OL at his small high school in Texas. He actually won some local honors based on his ability to basically dive at the DL's feet and be too small and quick for them to get a good hit on. So as he was heading off to college at Rice, his mom got a call from the football coach who noticed the kid's achievements and invited him to walk on...leading his mom to screech into the phone, "have you SEEN my son???" She wouldn't let him go to college at all until he swore never to come within 100 feet of a division-1 football field.

 

[mayoclinic]

need a LT, light is on the down slide

That's why I kind of like William Beatty from Connecticut if he falls to the second round. Very athletic, did extremely well against George Selvie the past 2 years. A bit light (291# at the Senior Bowl), kind of like D'Brick but if he bulks up a bit he could be great. Move Light to RT and you get 3-4 more years out of him. Kaczur and LeVoir would be more than adequate as backup OT's.

 

[AzPatsFan]

I did like Urbec and thought he had good feet. I do not remember which DT tried the spin and he used his hands very well and he spun himself to catch the DT and stand him up. I think he was the only one who was able to sit and lockout agaisnt the big and I mean BIG bullrush from Brace (who I liked a lot but that if for another thread). The DT's all looked pretty good which may be the reason for the poor showing for some of the O-Line in a drill which is geared toward the defense (trust me I was a d-lineman).

I have been thinking that the Pats would go for a backup NT. How was Terence Taylor ? I thought Ron Brace was a good possibility for Backup NT tackle candidate too.

I have heard the BJ Raji has an exhaulted opinion of himself, and is more the John Randle penetrating tackle rather than a stay home NT. He doesn't fit the Pat's scheme.

 

[CanadianPat'sFan]

I have been thinking that the Pats would go for a backup NT. How was Terence Taylor ? I thought Ron Brace was a good possibility for Backup NT tackle candidate too.

I have heard the BJ Raji has an exhaulted opinion of himself, and is more the John Randle penetrating tackle rather than a stay home NT. He doesn't fit the Pat's scheme.

BJ Raji is extremely talented but I really do not see a need to grab this kid (We need to extend Wilfork and sign Wright). Even if he falls to us at #23 and is the BPA I believe that there are bigger needs and better DT value in the third IMO. He is quite a bit bigger then Randle but is very quick and could be a force in a 4-3 and a 3-4 the boys in the booth were saying.

Overall I would say the O-Line won the 1 on 1 session this morning and some really looked good. Unger still strugled and Mack looked good setting his ass down a a couple of bull rushes and stoned big guys like Brace and Hood. Unger got destroyed and driven right back to the QB by BJ. I thought that Xavier Fuller had a good session and showed good athletic ability (former d-line)

I did notice that Loadholt had bad knee bend and think that NFL rushers will just get under him and bull him right back but these kids can't seem to do it. Canfield showed much better feet and good lateral movement stoning a few D-Line and Levitre looked comfortable at RT but will be playing inside but that athleticism will help him a lot.

Beaty really intrigue's me where he looks great but he needs to add 20lbs at least but his technique looks the best. Could be a great LT given some time to bulk up a bit. The boys in the booth were all raving about how A.Q. Shipley, Penn State would not go until the late rounds but will be a great NFLer for many years.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I have been thinking that the Pats would go for a backup NT. How was Terence Taylor ? I thought Ron Brace was a good possibility for Backup NT tackle candidate too.

I have heard the BJ Raji has an exhaulted opinion of himself, and is more the John Randle penetrating tackle rather than a stay home NT. He doesn't fit the Pat's scheme.

Taylor was the coach's whipping boys at the Shrine Game, he does get points for not quiting under the abuse but he's not a strong talent for the job.

Raji would be fine as a NT once he learned how to stay home, I haven't heard about the attitude. SD or Dallas with their one-gap 3-4s might be all over him.

Brace looked very good for a reserve NT project.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

A friend of mine was a 130-lb OL at his small high school in Texas. He actually won some local honors based on his ability to basically dive at the DL's feet and be too small and quick for them to get a good hit on. So as he was heading off to college at Rice, his mom got a call from the football coach who noticed the kid's achievements and invited him to walk on...leading his mom to screech into the phone, "have you SEEN my son???" She wouldn't let him go to college at all until he swore never to come within 100 feet of a division-1 football field.

The coach liked to have me work against the 200+ lb. C in one-on-ones, bastitch would just slap me upside the helmet and I'd roll tail over tea kettle for a few yards. Still, we farm boys are (or, um, were) stupid tough and in scrimmages or games they'd have to double me because I'd shoot the gap almost fast enough to take the handoff.

 

[sg14]

I don't remember the Parcells reference. However, when RG Joe Andruzzi moved to LG (due to someone's injury), Belichick complemented him on how he made the transition so seamlessly, further stating that playing the left and right OG positions require different techniques and can be a difficult move. Perhaps this is similar to what Parcells meant.

Short interuption to the Senior Bowl,,,

This is the point that Parcells was stating, in that you don't try to move a guy from left to right, or vicversa when drafting..
(Sorry I did not explain that better previously)

Back to your regularly scheduled SrB discussion.

 

[WhiskeyBreath]

California C Alex Mack was reportedly the only lineman who could contain Boston College DT B.J. Raji on the first day of Senior Bowl practices.

Mack, who could probably play any line position except left tackle at 6'4/312, picked up Raji in one drill and drove him backwards off the football. Mack was allegedly more impressive than fellow highly touted C Max Unger of Oregon.

Somethin' I just stumbled on.

 

[BritPat]

Been touting Mack for a while. If we could get another late first rounder from somewhere, I'd grab him in a heartbeat.

 

[patchick]

This is the point that Parcells was stating, in that you don't try to move a guy from left to right, or vicversa when drafting...

...which is useful to keep in mind as we hit the annual round of "I'd rather see Matt Light at RT." By past reports he's struggled when placed on the right side, it's not his natural position.

 

[Warren94]

Light still has his issues with Speed rushers. I don't know what his deal is. He is light a light switch, sometimes on and sometimes off. very frustrating to me.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Light still has his issues with Speed rushers. I don't know what his deal is. He is light a light switch, sometimes on and sometimes off. very frustrating to me.

He's one of the best run blocking LTs. In the upcoming draft maybe Andre Smith is comparable - Oher might learn to be in time, but the other top OTs in this draft are more finesse LTs for the passing game. BB and Scarnecchia have a formula for their OTs, Light, Kaczur, and now LeVoir are pretty similar guys. O'Callaghan was a chance to land a highly regarded roadgrader pretty cheaply in the 4th round. Light has been an excellent find from the 2001 second round.