Blocking to Win? Patriots Offensive Line Needs an Upgrade

This is part of a multi-week series on the analysis of every position on the Patriots in 1999. This week’s subject: Offensive Line.

You know things look bleak for the Patriot offense when Ed Ellis has to play in 2000.

Well, maybe not bleak. Let’s just not say that the Patriot offensive line will resemble a Sherman tank anytime soon. Lets’ also hope that the Patriot offensive line improves at moving the blocking sleds, and not turn into a facsimile of the sleds themselves.

When you look to improve the Patriots for 2000, all talk begins with the Big Blockers for Bledsoe. Whatever problems the Patriots had in the second half of 1999 can be traced back to the shortcomings of the five huge men up front. Drew Bledsoe barely survived the season, as blitz after blitz came after him and ate him alive. And there is still no consistent running game to keep defenses from teeing off on the pass.

Before anyone talks about a plan to upgrade the line, one must sit back and accept the release of Bruce Armstrong and the loss of Heath Irwin to Miami. You talk about adding, but there already has been too much subtracting going on. It’s like fixing a broken leg by amputating it.

Armstrong may yet return, as there have been no takers so far. Armstrong has welcomed a return, and the Patriot offer of $2 million per year is still on the table. Despite his age and declining skills, he still has a lot to offer his team of 13 years. Besides, few people feel comfortable over the thought of turning Bledsoe’s back side over to Ellis, currently in Europe.

Ellis, a massive physical specimen, has shown that being so massive is not an automatic prerequisite to start at offensive tackle in the NFL. Ellis, one of three linemen drafted by Bobby Grier in 1997 (the other two have been cut; Scott Rehberg was waived by Cleveland and signed by Cincinnati the other day), remains still another poor example of Grier’s draft acumen. Grier will counter with the fact that Pete Carroll never gave men like Ellis a chance to play, but Ellis had chances to show his stuff during brief stretches in 1999 when Zefross Moss and Armstrong were hurt and had to come out. Ellis didn’t show anyone that he had to stick while in there.

Like Armstrong, Moss is also long in the tooth. Moss, a salary dump rumour every year, may stick around for yet another year if the Patriots cannot find better. Moss is at the very least good to adequate, and may be the best choice for the Patriots at right tackle, especially if Ellis is forced to play left tackle.

The guards are a bit more problematic. Irwin won’t be sorely missed, as many fans referred to him as a “turnstile”. Max Lane, moved to left guard after beginning his Patriot career at right tackle, hasn’t shown that he belongs anywhere on the line, but is too costly to release. Todd Rucci graded out the best of any lineman in 1998, and needs to return to that form in 2000. Rucci, despite a contract that is overpriced, remains perhaps the most consistent player on the line.

Damien Woody was the find of 1999. Once Dave Wohlabaugh left as a free agent in 1999, everyone figured that the former BC center would be a first-rounder for the Patriots. The team traded up two slots to get him, and though the trade was deemed by some as unneccessary, Woody has shown a great upside. In the games where the Patriots did run well, many of the key runs were up the middle, behind Woody. He figures to get better with time, and he could wind up as the anchor of whatever the makeup of the line turns out to be.

The role of Derrick Fletcher in the mix is still unknown. Fletcher, even bigger than Ellis, hopefully will not waste away on the bench like Big Ed. Since the development curve for offensive linemen is among the slowest in the NFL, the jury is still out on this guy. Ellis is still a flop until he proves otherwise, and Fletcher will try not to head down Ellis’ path.

It is clear that, barring some unforseen turn of events, the Patriots should spend their highest draft picks on offensive tackles. The ages of Moss and Armstrong are the main reasons, but this is also predicated upon Fletcher and whether he (or backup center Jason Andersen) pushes Lane or Rucci for a starting job. If Ellis cannot assume a starting tackle position, tackle becomes priority one for the Patriot War Room.

Another thing that bears studying is this program for offensive linemen that Bill Belichick mentioned when he was hired.

Belichick wants to study his men carefully, find out what they can do, and put them into blocking schemes that they can handle. Belichick is taking the assumption that the players aren’t at fault, merely the coaching. And since Dante Scarnecchia is being retained as offensive line coach, Belichick is aiming his criticism at Carroll.

Belichick and Charlie Weis will devise plays and schemes based upon the abilities of the linemen. Weis himself echoed these sentiments in an interview he did recently. The key here is not to get big men to block, but rather to get men to block big.

That’s fine, but someone chastised Rick Pitino this week by saying “You still need talent”. All the scheming and planning won’t mean a hang if you have boys trying to do a man’s job. Belichick may think he knows how to scheme for blockers, but those of us who remember Bledsoe eating six or seven sacks a game need to be convinced that this plan can actually work.

Whatever the case, the Patriots are now fully feeling the effects of the failed 1997 draft. Ellis, Rehberg and Damon Denson were supposed to be the big studs; instead they became the big duds. Bledsoe and the Patriot running backs have paid the price.

If Armstrong returns, you could start him, Lane, Woody, Rucci and Moss and try to implement this Belichick plan. And it may work. But you still have next to no depth if injury occurs. Ellis, Andersen and Fletcher are pretty much it. Drafting offensive linemen has to be a priority in April.

Even if an upgrade at running back is a year or two away, a revamped, or even a better coached offensive line will help greatly for the short term. All Bledsoe needs is a few more seconds. All Kevin Faulk or Raymont Harris need are a few good holes. If the starting line can stay healthy, it can work.

If not, you still can’t blame Paul Boudreau.

Next week: defensive line.