Road Grader wanted

[jczxohn1]

They tell the story of the King who couldn't find the pin; but it was always hidden right there in front of him in his clothes all along. Practice Squad ORT Jeremy Britt was a mauling All-SEC drive blocker from the Crimson Tide, who broke his leg before the combine and wasn't really healthy in his rookie TC and was cut as a fifth round choice that he had fallen to. The Pats could afford to wait and send him to the Dante Scarneccia Post Graduate School for Offensive Linemen.

He made it to multiple ALL-SEC status on the basis of his overpowering run blocking, @ 6-8 and 335, he may be starring you in the face...

Forgot about this guy. Something not mentioned is that Rosie credited Britt with being a guy he did extra work against when he (RC) started practicing to go full-time at OLB. Spoke very highly of him. So, we may well have a sleeper in our midst.

 

[nickw308810]

I don't think we are in a good position to take Max without a trade. 21 is too high and our 2nd rounder is too low. The lineman from Alabama's name is Wesley Britt.

 

[Alk]

Good call. He seems to fit the bill. "Pancakes". I didn't even know that was a stat. :rocker: :rocker:

It was at Nebraska anyway. I've got to admit, he would be a risk but I think his potential is outstanding and Dante seems to have a way with offensive lineman.

 

[drew4008]

It was at Nebraska anyway. I've got to admit, he would be a risk but I think his potential is outstanding and Dante seems to have a way with offensive lineman.

The guy is nothing but a FATA**!!!

He went into Vikings camp, after he was traded, at 403 pounds!

 

[Alk]

The guy is nothing but a FATA**!!!

He went into Vikings camp, after he was traded, at 403 pounds!

He was also coming off of an injury to one of his legs. When your leg is hurt it's impossible to stay in shape. He played his entire career at Nebraska at about 340 and that's what he weighed while he was in San Diego. It's just a matter of getting in shape and having a coach that will keep on him and make sure he stays that way. Wouldn't you tend to agree that Dante would be the most qualified for the job? Like I already said, he would be a risk but if we could get him in here at or near the minimum, I think he would be a risk worth taking.

 

[AzPatsFan]

that my desire

Great point. I liked Wesley Britt coming out of school -- supposedly a very smart player with good football awareness and a tremendous frame. With Light, Kaczur, Mankins, Britt and Gorin as potential tackles for 2006, I can't see OT as a glaring need. Same for Koppen at center. I agree that another good interior lineman is in order, possibly even a first-day pick. But in my opinion no way at #21.

Last year was a weak draft with OT one of the few bright spots. So the Pats splurged on two of them on the first day, with good results. This year is so much deeper -- and they're picking so much higher -- that spending a #1 on a guard strikes me as a spectacular waste. It's the opportunity cost. The players available at #21 this year could ending up looking like the ones taken 10 spots higher last year...i.e., Demarcus Ware and Shawne Merriman. Bodies like those simply can't be found in later rounds, and even very good interior linemen can.

That's who i want at #21 a Demarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman clone, but who are tehy this year?

Manny Lawson? Bobby Carpenter? Tamba Hali? somebody else?

 

[RayClay]

I know the question: How do we knock the other team on their ass while keeping Tom Terrific off his?

I don't know the answer though.

Great input guys, keep it coming. :rocker:

 

[Ring 6]

I know the question: How do we knock the other team on their ass while keeping Tom Terrific off his?

I don't know the answer though.

Great input guys, keep it coming. :rocker:

By using valuable resources on OL.

Doing it the way we have makes you choose. Do you want a guy who will protect the QB, or who will dominate in the running game? With later picks, developmental guys, cheap FAs, etc, you dont end up with a strong group of both.
Those players are avaiable, but you need to invest in them. We did that with Light, we did that with Mankins. To an extent we did with Kaczur.
We have the nucleus of a dominant OL, and the resources to fill it out. IMO, accomplishing that would elevate the franchise.

Look at the best OLs in the NFL. They are capable of doing both, and are not built the way our OL primarily was.

Im not doomsaying continuing the same course because it has worked for us.
I'm just saying that if you could project one quality on this team on top of what it has, assembling an NFL-best caliber OL IMO would be the most valuable.

 

[dryheat44]

By using valuable resources on OL.

Doing it the way we have makes you choose. Do you want a guy who will protect the QB, or who will dominate in the running game? With later picks, developmental guys, cheap FAs, etc, you dont end up with a strong group of both.
Those players are avaiable, but you need to invest in them. We did that with Light, we did that with Mankins. To an extent we did with Kaczur.
We have the nucleus of a dominant OL, and the resources to fill it out. IMO, accomplishing that would elevate the franchise.

Look at the best OLs in the NFL. They are capable of doing both, and are not built the way our OL primarily was.

Im not doomsaying continuing the same course because it has worked for us.
I'm just saying that if you could project one quality on this team on top of what it has, assembling an NFL-best caliber OL IMO would be the most valuable.

Unfortunately, there are few linemen who excel at both, and they command big dollars. Look how much Woody got, and he wasn't elite by any means.

Faced with the reality of choosing, I think you always want a line that can open holes in the run game, provided you have a QB who can progress through his reads and deliver the ball quickly. Which we do. Guys like Culpepper, Plummer, McNabb, Carr, wouldn't do well in our current offense, and we'd have to get linemen to accommodate them, which would hinder the run game. As long as we have #12 taking snaps, I'm okay with an OL than can spring the RB at the expense of an extra 1/2-1 second in pass blocking ability. The best defense against the pass rush is a proficient quarterback. All of Marino's years, he did without a running game, because his O-line were all pass blocking specialists. He went a full season without being sacked once, but he had such a quick release that Miami would have been better served with the road grader type to prevent opponents from routinely playing the dime.

 

[mgteich]

You think that Marino would have preferred weaker pass blocking and more run blocking? WOW!

Unfortunately, there are few linemen who excel at both, and they command big dollars. Look how much Woody got, and he wasn't elite by any means.

Faced with the reality of choosing, I think you always want a line that can open holes in the run game, provided you have a QB who can progress through his reads and deliver the ball quickly. Which we do. Guys like Culpepper, Plummer, McNabb, Carr, wouldn't do well in our current offense, and we'd have to get linemen to accommodate them, which would hinder the run game. As long as we have #12 taking snaps, I'm okay with an OL than can spring the RB at the expense of an extra 1/2-1 second in pass blocking ability. The best defense against the pass rush is a proficient quarterback. All of Marino's years, he did without a running game, because his O-line were all pass blocking specialists. He went a full season without being sacked once, but he had such a quick release that Miami would have been better served with the road grader type to prevent opponents from routinely playing the dime.

 

[mgteich]

So, Britt is our 4th/5th round prospect at OT. He is arguable as good as most Day One prospects. We will then hae Light and Kaycur, with Gorin and Britt as backups. We could of course also re-sign Ashworth.

The guard position will likely depend on whether we sign Neal or perhaps another free agent before the draft. In any case, we probably could use a late pick G/C prospect.

---------------------------

Does this do it? Or should we spend a Day One pick?

 

[dryheat44]

You think that Marino would have preferred weaker pass blocking and more run blocking? WOW!

Assuming he wanted to win a Super Bowl or two, sure. He only needed 2 seconds from snap to throw....giving him 4 was a bit superfluous considering they didn't have a 1000 rusher his entire career until his very last year when Karim Abdul Jabbar had something like 1002.

 

[flutie2phelan]

Some days ago, i was quite struck by Andy's original thread on devoting resources to fill out the league's best O-line.

Having thought about it some ... when the rest of life allows ... i find that i cannot shake my complacency - even glee - with a line of:
Light - Mankins - Koppen - Neal - Kaczur, with
Ashworth - Hochstein - Britt - and 1 or 2 of our remaining guys in reserve.

That would be the best O-line we've had in ages, if not forever. I think we can afford to pay the market rate to re-up Neal and Ash ... extend Koppen.

The picks and FA cap space are better deployed elsewhere.

 

[shakadave]

Watching Rothlesshamburger today with all day to throw vs. Denver made me envious. Hopefully health + another year's experience will improve our O-line next year. (As some have posted, it was pretty good in 2004!)

Soon I want to stop drafting OL, and start letting the unit do a multi-year gel. Can't make up my mind whether I'd like one more 2nd rounder before this. Probably yes, given the injuries we've learned to expect.

Summary: Pick a 2nd round OL this year, then stop.

 

[mgteich]

We don't have the OL under contract for several years, as would be required for your gelling scenario. Neal and Ashworth are free agents now. Koppen, Gorin and Hochstein are signed though the 2006 season. Light, Mankins and Kaycur are here for awhile. If we brought in another as you suggest, AND extend Koppen or Hochstein, AND re-sign Neal, AND we extend Gorin or sign Ashworth, THEN we could be looking at three years of relative stability.

Don't get me wrong. I agree with your idea that we should try to solidify a long-term line this year. I just think that there are several pieces to the puzzle. For example, Britt could be one long-term answer.

Watching Rothlesshamburger today with all day to throw vs. Denver made me envious. Hopefully health + another year's experience will improve our O-line next year. (As some have posted, it was pretty good in 2004!)

Soon I want to stop drafting OL, and start letting the unit do a multi-year gel. Can't make up my mind whether I'd like one more 2nd rounder before this. Probably yes, given the injuries we've learned to expect.

Summary: Pick a 2nd round OL this year, then stop.

 

[shakadave]

We don't have the OL under contract for several years, as would be required for your gelling scenario. Neal and Ashworth are free agents now. Koppen, Gorin and Hochstein are signed though the 2006 season. Light, Mankins and Kaycur are here for awhile. If we brought in another as you suggest, AND extend Koppen or Hochstein, AND re-sign Neal, AND we extend Gorin or sign Ashworth, THEN we could be looking at three years of relative stability.

Don't get me wrong. I agree with your idea that we should try to solidify a long-term line this year. I just think that there are several pieces to the puzzle. For example, Britt could be one long-term answer.

Yeah, there are more steps than I realized, but it's a worthy goal, so I say, do that stuff you said!