Offensive Line

All posts tagged Offensive Line

MARK SANCHEZ WILL START

Posted by The BEAST on 2015/09/16
Posted in: Coaching, Offense, Players. Tagged: , , . 12 Comments

 

blacksportsonline.com

Photo courtesy of blacksportsonline.com

QUARTERBACK Sam Bradford’s knee has to be of some concern to you now. I know during the offseason and preseason many Eagles fans seemed convinced that there would be no issue with Bradford’s knee. That he’d start 16 games, while never throwing a single incompletion, on his way to being something other than the guy he’s been as an NFL QB. I’m not sure if that was naive optimism, or just grown people with a 6 year old’s understanding of the human body.

I on the other hand, wrote an article talking about the knee and how the Offense might look different with Bradford out there. Most of what I wrote was centered around the fact that the Eagles average 35 pass attempts per game under the current head coach. I wondered openly, just how long that knee would take the pounding of simply planting on that knee to throw.

Well in Bradford’s first game as an Eagle, he attempted 52 passes. This is in contrast to just 16 rushing attempts (as a team), all game long. Put down your calculators, that means 76% of the plays called were for passes; on what I keep being told (but not shown) is a run-first team. In a 2 point loss in a game that was never out of control, there was no reason to abandon the run. None. That many pass attempts also didn’t help Bradford, seeing as he was hit 8 times in the pocket in that game.

While his often discussed ACL injuries weren’t the direct result of being hit, his shoulder injuries were. Given his lack of real mobility, he’s a sitting duck if the interior Offensive Line doesn’t do a better job of giving him an area to safely step into.

In one of my fantasy leagues I drafted Mark Sanchez (very late), because I fully believe that Bradford will be shelved at some point this season. I was originally thinking it would be Week 9 or 10. However, if the play selection and/or the pass protection doesn’t get better soon, I’d say Mark Sanchez will start Week 7 or sooner.

IS THERE PROFIT IN JOHN MOFFITT?

Posted by The BEAST on 2015/06/29
Posted in: Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Roster. Tagged: , , , . 4 Comments

john moffitt

YOU’LL have to pardon me if I don’t jump up and do the ‘Chicken Dance’ over the signing of Guard John Moffitt. It’s not like we added an All-Pro or Pro Bowl level performer.  The guy is a reclamation project, pure and simple.

After retiring for two years to handle a multi-faceted drug problem (performance enhancing drugs, marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy), Moffitt is back hoping to show that he can be a contributor in this league.

This despite the injuries that also plagued him. That list includes a blown out knee, elbow surgery, and shoulder damage. Oh yeah, there’s also sleep apnea and “floaters” crossing his vision from all the head trauma he absorbed from over almost  20 years (man and boy) in football. We’ll see what he’s got left, but as a player he wasn’t all that great before he retired. Somehow I’m doubting that two years of sitting on his couch did his game much good.

The signing perplexes me more for another reason though. Chip Kelly says that culture is the most important thing. He says that “culture wins football”, and that “culture beats scheme every time”. So how does the signing of Moffitt benefit the culture here? For instance, what message does it send to Lane Johnson, who was already stung once by a PED suspension last year?

Moffitt has by pretty much any and every account, been sort of fuck-up his whole NFL career. The idea that Moffitt has something meaningful to contribute to this team’s culture, when LeSean McCoy or DeSean Jackson or Evan Mathis apparently did not, is worth a raised eyebrow I think.

The truth is, the Eagles neglected the Guard position, then let go of a player (Mathis) they could ill-afford to lose (just to make a point). Apparently Guards have not shown well during OTA’s and the Front Office has attempted to patch a leaky roof by signing first a college back-up (Jared Wheeler), and now a ho-hum player with a history of what he called “dumb mistakes”.

Put bluntly, I don’t like this signing. I mean be honest, if the Redskins, giants or Cowboys added these guys you’d hound your rival fans about it. I have no idea why we don’t trade for a real Guard if we can’t agree to terms with someone like Gabe Carimi, Nate Garner or even Davin Joseph.

In any case, for the sake of anyone dropping back to pass in an Eagles uniform this year, I hope Kelly is right and I’m wrong about Moffitt. However, if you’ve been reading me consistently over the last year and a half, you know that my track record is more than simply impressive, and the odds that I’m wrong about this, are staggeringly low.

EAGLES WORRIED ABOUT THEIR GUARDS

Posted by The BEAST on 2015/06/29
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Roster. Tagged: , . 4 Comments

players-o-line440px.philly

THREE weeks ago I took heat from some fans when I said that Guard would be a problem for the Eagles this year. At the time Evan Mathis was still an Eagle, but I said he wouldn’t be for long, and I was right. No miracle there, since the Eagles had been doing everything to make that a reality. Also I’d already said that last year. (Said that about Todd Herremanns too.)

Fast forward three weeks and now it’s clear that “the roster currently has a major problem at offensive guard.”  Oh really?? You don’t f****n’ say.

Look, the point of this article isn’t to say I told you so. Well, it’s not the whole point. The primary point of this article is to brace my fellow fans. Honestly, at this point regardless of anything the Eagles do between now and Week One, the Guard position will still be a problem in 2015. Let me break it down to a point beyond debate.

We’re stuck with bad options: There are better players out there than the guy we’re signing today (John Moffitt), but each of them comes with a drawback that would preclude a wise team from investing long-term in them. Unlike Moffitt who has to prove that he’s back, the remaining players may be reluctant to play just one year in a scheme they don’t know.

All of our depth is bad: Were signing Moffitt today with the hopes that we’re getting a steal. That however only pans out if he starts. That means we have to start him to get any value out of him. Starting him means that we have to sit either Matt Tobin or Allen Barbre. So Tobin will sit.

Hey! Here’s a great question. If you’re willing to bench your starter for a guy who just spent 2 years on his couch, what does that say about your starter? Here’s another question. If you have to sign a guy off his couch instead of elevating someone else on your roster, what does that say about your depth?

GAME TIME! QB Sam Bradford needs a pocket to step up into, right? This is where it gets contentious between me and some fans. Some fans assume that the line will just come together since they’re all professionals. Those fans are pinheads.

The offensive line needs to communicate well to be able to function well. These guys hardly know each other, and their first significant live action won’t come until Week Three of the preseason. Oh, and by the way, the defensive players they’ll be facing are also professionals; and our division is returning mostly intact units manned by players who DO know each other.

We’re already at a disadvantage here both from a time and talent perspective. There is simply no way to catch up in 2015. When the Draft ended without a Guard being selected, the position’s 2015 fate was just about sealed. Now we’re getting signings like Jared Wheeler and John Moffitt served up to us. The pinheads can pretend to like it if they wish, and they can polish that turd to a high gloss if they like, but the truth is unless we trade for some SERIOUS help, Guard is dead weight for our team this year.

LIKE JARED WHEELER? BACK UP A MINUTE.

Posted by The BEAST on 2015/06/15
Posted in: Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , . 2 Comments

wheeler

THE Eagles released Pro Bowl Guard Evan Mathis this week, and filled his spot with another Guard in Jared Wheeler. By all accounts Wheeler is a big guy coming in a 6’4 or 6’5 (depending on what you read) and 318-319 pounds. Beyond that there’s nothing really impressive here.

Wheeler was an undrafted free agent pick-up after last years Draft and since then he’s been on 4 rosters (San Fran, Seattle, Buffalo and Carolina). Philly makes his 5th stop. Since he was coached for a couple years in college by Eagles Offensive Line coach Jeff Stoutland, maybe that will help him, but I doubt it. In college Wheeler was a back-up player and Special Teamer, playing in 38 games at Miami but only starting 6. All 6 of his starts came in 2013, with zero in his final year. That’s pretty significant considering that that is when teams try to push players that they feel could make some hay at the pro level. Again, Wheeler was allowed to sit.

So what we have here is a career college back-up, who’s bounced onto 5 rosters in just over a year, and been bounced off of 4 of them so far. I get the impression that we are dealing with a camp body here. If we’re gonna be diving for pearls, I’d keep my eye on Cole Manhart. I told you about him already (remember this) . I’m not claiming he’ll be a Hall-of-Famer, but he’s worth a long look at least.

EAGLES FANS: GUARD YOUR OPTIMISM

Posted by The BEAST on 2015/06/06
Posted in: Coaching, Offense, Players, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , . 4 Comments

player-matttobin.andrewgardner

ALL the talk about Sam Bradford, and DeMarco Murray has Eagles fans giddy for the 2015 season. Because RB Murray is an undoubtedly talented player and QB Sam Bradford is a former #1 overall Draft pick, many fans look at these additions and feel like were gonna make some noise this year. At first glance it does looks like we upgraded at QB, and got a decent replacement for LeSean McCoy, but if you look a little deeper the are some big questions. The biggest question is how good can we really expect the Offense to be if the Offensive Line is only so-so?

Yes, I said Offensive Line. You remember them. Five guys who stand about yey high, and have some input on the success or failure of every single play the Eagles run all year long. Yeah those guys. Fact is, only a couple of them are really all that good right now.

We released long-time starter Todd Herremans this offseason, because it was time to. You can hardly fault the Eagles for that. We’re also (for some reason) in the process of trying to give away Pro Bowl G Evan Mathis. Considering that C Jason Kelce isn’t the most (ahem) “physical” blocker, it makes me wonder where Murray’s success running the ball inside will come from, as well as the protection for a delicate Bradford.

I have no issue with the idea of the Birds moving on from players. Just make sure you get a DECENT replacement at least! We made no such move this offseason and now we’re stuck with a handful of Guards who run the gamut from career back-up to undrafted project.

Offensive Line coach Jeff Stoutland is under the impression (read here)  that career back-up/journeyman Allen Barbre is underrated, but will be the LG for the foreseeable future, and that Matt Tobin is the answer at RG.

That concerns me a bit, since Tobin played well enough last  year to be demoted for Andrew Gardner. Gardner was so impressive that it took him 5 years to start a game. He started 2 then was put back on the bench until Tobin was demoted. After that Gardner would start 6 consecutive games, while finishing out the year at RG. He was so impressive that now he’s behind the guy he was promoted over. Exciting stuff.

Either that or there is no depth chart depending on which paragraph from the latest report out of Eagles camp you choose to believe. On the one hand Stoutland has all the confidence in the world about certain guys working with the Ones, then later he says things like this: “I feel good about the guard situation. We’ve got a lot of good players around here,” Stoutland said. “Right now it’s to find the right person, the right people, to play those positions. There’s no depth chart right now. Right now we’re trying to find the right mix, so every day it’s a different person in there, getting a look at him on film and just evaluating the critical factors as they are in there.”

Here’s the truth: Question marks at ANY position make that position a weakness and not a strength.

Here’s more truth: DeMarco Murray had the year he had last year behind what many say is the best O-Line in football.

Little more truth: This unit was ranked by at least one publication as the #2 in the NFL in 2014; but if you’re an Eagles fan you SAW how those games actually went, and how this unit performed in big moments or against good teams. And I’m gonna leave that right there.

So yeah, we added a few shiny new weapons, but if we can’t keep our pocket QB’s upright, what are the odds that Tim Tebow can make much use of those weapons? If you’re banking on the Eagles having a dominant line with 2/5 of it being less than true starting quality, then you’re probably thinking that Sam Bradford will play all 16 games too. Just some friendly advice if you do: You may want to put away your valuable or breakable possessions before the season starts.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Posted by The BEAST on 2015/03/13
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Offense, Players, Roster. Tagged: , , . 7 Comments

changing of the guard

OFFENSIVE Line has to stop being an afterthought. It’s the engine of every offense, on any team, in any football league. Earlier this year we released RG Todd Herremans, and now we’re looking to trade LG Evan Mathis. This is literally a changing of the guard.  Change however, needn’t be a bad thing; but when you get rid of players of a high caliber, it’s important that you can replace them with someone of a similar caliber. If you fail to do that, then change IS a bad thing.

As of right now I can’t see the end game in terms of who we’d bring in. Names like Will Rackley, Jeffrey Linkenbach may be possible replacements at Guard. Former Packer and Dolphin Daryn Colledge has been linked to us in the past, and though he’s got some miles on him, he might be seen as a mentor for someone we draft. (Though it would make more sense to keep Mathis to do that since he’s played well in this system.)

As for the Draft, I’d be lying if I said anybody was on my Wishlist yet, but I know whoever we get should be a mauler in the run game. (Which I’ve said in the past  )That seemed less necessary when we had cutback runner LeSean McCoy, but now that we have north-south runner DeMarco Murray, nothing would fit the bill better. It would also help QB Sam Bradford, if the guys trying to get to him are tired from being rag-dolled on running plays.

It’s possible that the Eagles figure that players like Allen Barbre and Andrew Gardener will step up in 2015. Seeing as how neither player has much of a track record, it would seem like a hell of a risk to attempt this without a net. I think the smarter play would be to keep Mathis, let him play and let him teach. It certainly wouldn’t hurt morale.

This is the Offensive Line. It’s the engine of the Offense. While it’s true that over time you have to retool or replace parts in your engine, you certainly don’t gut it when it’s running smoothly.

LANE JOHNSON TO THE RESCUE

Posted by The BEAST on 2014/10/01
Posted in: Offense, Players, Roster. Tagged: , , , . 2 Comments

card-lanejohnson

 

RIGHT Tackle Lane Johnson is coming back today. Everywhere I look people are reaching for bananas and dildos in celebration of the return of the EAGLES 2013 run game.

Hold up! Steady on! Pump the brakes. Chillax big homie. Lane Johnson plays on the right. The EAGLES do most of their damage rushing, on the left.

Dig if you will, the picture:

clutch

Notice that “PWR” category. It’s the percentage of times a team picks up either the first down or a touchdown on 3rd or 4th down. Think of it as a clutch meter. Notice how it decreases going from left to right? Again Johnson plays on the right. That lower percentage was without Johnson missing time. Though he was a rookie, so you cut him some slack on that.

Instead of expecting 2013’s LeSean McCoy to emerge because Johnson is back, the biggest improvement might be that instead of having to play multiple second stringers by default, back-ups have to beat each other out for that LG spot. Competition returns.

Where we have really been atrocious has been running the ball inside. Aside from sealing off DE’s and LB’s crashing down the line, I’m doubting that Johnson’s return will aid us on much besides runs off the RG and further right.

Perhaps the EAGLES will need to give less TE help in pass pro and Foles can get the ball out of his hands sooner on a few short routes to say…Brent Celek with just a Safety in front of him. (You can already see the tire tracks on the Safety’s chest can’t you?)

Make no mistake, I think Lane Johnson’s return will help, but this is by no means a rescue mission. One man will not return this team to the circus act you’ve all come to expect (I told you it was going to be very different), from last season.

I think it’s very important (especially while he gets back up to game speed), to temper expectations for Johnson, and/or what his return is supposed to mean for the O-line.

FALLOUT FROM LANE JOHNSON’S SUSPENSION

Posted by The BEAST on 2014/07/06
Posted in: NFL, Offense, Players. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

card-lanejohnson

BOTH the NFL and the Eagles going stone silent for the last 4 days on Lane Johnson facing a 4 game suspension for use of PED’s is unsettling. It makes you wonder if the NFL isn’t looking a little harder at all of our players, and maybe stepping up the number of requested tests for this team.

You’d think for a first offender (like Johnson), with no reported history dating back to college, that a pat suspension would be a fairly easy call to make. But so far we’ve heard nothing, and that has me somewhat worried. How much fallout will there be from this? Doesn’t matter. We don’t need any distraction during Training Camp. Least of all the NFL rooting through our team, in what would be a second investigation in one off-season. Possible fallout is what worries me.

However, what I’m not worried about is the Offensive Line; specifically the RT position. The fact is, we have a pretty good back-up in Allen Barbre. During last year’s preseason he more than held his own as he switched off between LT and LG. During the actual season when he had to step in at LT for Jason Peters in the Green Bay game, he didn’t get Nick Foles killed (though Clay Matthews was sidelined for that game).

To be truthful with you, I don’t recall that GB game very well, so I can’t say whether or not a TE was rolled over to help him much. As a former LT, what I can say is that typically the LT does not receive TE help, hence the left is generally the weakside of the formation. If Barbre did play most of those snaps with no help (“uncovered”), then RT should be a breeze for him.

At RT Barbre will generally be on the strongside because he’ll have a TE to his right. On passing downs, that TE can help out with a chip block as he releases into his pattern. A chip block slows down passrushers and generally allows the RT a chance to get his hands on that passrusher. So again, if Barbre could manage that at LT with no help, then RT should be a day down the shore, for him. And if he looks really good out there, he could end up taking over for Todd Herremans when Johnson gets back. (We talked about that one earlier, remember?)

Like I said before, I’m not worried about the O-line, but until the NFL says clearly that it’s just a suspension, and that it goes no further than the individual player; I’m still going to be a bit nervous. After all, we have no idea what goes into those smoothies Chip Kelly recommends so highly. 

THIS WEEK’S MAGIC TRICK

Posted by The BEAST on 2014/06/05
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Front Office (F.O.). Tagged: , , , . 2 Comments
Image courtesy of utsandiego.com

Image courtesy of utsandiego.com

DID you hear that?  Your answer is probably “No”.

A warning shot was fired at Todd Herremans  the other day, and almost no one noticed it, even though it was announced. Tuesday morning, the Eagles signed back-up OL Allen Barbre to a 3-year extension; after just one year (and zero starts), with the team.

Is he versatile? Yes. Does he know the system? Yes. Does he provide quality depth? Yes.

All those ‘yeses’ makes this a good, solid signing. You’d have to be out of your rabid ass mind to argue with it. However what makes this signing worth my time to write about, is the handwriting on the wall. If you step back and take a look, it’s damned near graffiti.

According to Barbre “The Eagles reached out to my agent and we were able to work something out and get it done, and I couldn’t be happier.” STOP! Hold the phone. You have a 29 year-old, journeyman Offensive Lineman, with zero starts in 4 years (including being out of the NFL for all of 2012 before we came calling in 2013); and the Eagles reached out to his agent?

I already warned you about the impending cap crunch of 2015 right? And with ZERO comments refuting what I said in that article, I’ll assume we’re all on the same page. So let’s keep it moving.

With a cap crunch you need to either skimp on contracts or manufacture savings by cutting players. We all agree that this is Trent Cole’s last year here; and unless he makes the Pro Bowl, Cary Williams won’t wear an Eagles uniform and make 8 million in 2015. But you still need to manufacture some savings. Who else can you afford to cut?

Enter Todd Herremans. Herremans is due 5.2 million in 2015, but if he’s cut he only represents 2.4 million in dead money. That’s a savings of 2.8 million. If you can pay Barbre less than that 2.8 in 2015, you get a net savings. How much or how little you net, depends on what you pay Barbre for 2015.

It’s a smart play, and the way they did this signing during OTA’s was almost genius. During OTA’s because of guys in shorts, fans hardly took notice of the signing. I sat on this story for the last 2 days to track the chatter on it, and almost no one is talking about it. Like a good magician, the Front Office got you to turn to the right, when the trick was on the left.

This same move in (slow news) April would have led to guys like G Cobb, or Mike Missanelli openly questioning Herremans’ immediate future, which by the way is secure for 2014. He’s owed 4.2 but his dead money figure is 3.6. That cut would save us nothing and hurt our depth. So he stays and if he’s healthy, he starts. At least to open the season.

Last preseason Barbre played in place of Jason Peters and even kicked inside for Evan Mathis on later series in those same games. To my recollection he played exclusively on the left side. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets any reps at RG in camp and in the preseason.

CONCERN ABOUT THE OFFENSIVE LINE

Posted by The BEAST on 2014/05/19
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Offense. Tagged: , . Leave a comment
Image courtesy Philly.com

Image courtesy Philly.com

DESPITE outward appearances, the Eagles are extremely concerned with the lack of depth along the Offensive Line.

There are of course bodies behind the starters; but aside from (maybe) 29 year-old journeyman Allen Barbre, there isn’t a single player of note to take over when Jason Peters, Evan Mathis, and Todd Herremans either steps down or their skills erode to the point where they have to be replaced for Nick Foles’s safety.

Prior to the March edition of Free Agency, the Eagles added C David Molk, and OT Andrew Gardner. Despite a combined 5 years of NFL experience, there isn’t a single start between them. During FA we didn’t add or even seriously court an Offensive Lineman. We also didn’t spend a Draft pick on one.

Some fans have told me that they are expecting OT Michael Bamiro to take a big leap forward from the Practice Squad to the active roster. If this is the plan, the Eagles are pretty mum on it. Bamiro is mentioned in a Bo Wulf article currently on their website, but it’s only a passing mention. Wulf goes into far more detail with virtually every other O-lineman on the payroll. We used to call that a “diss” when I was younger.

After the Draft they added 3 guys who are supposed to battle it out at G, and even had 32 year-old Daryn Colledge in for a visit. He’s also a G by the way. Also to quote Wulf: “Whether Colledge joins the team or not, there is still a large group of veteran offensive linemen available on the street, if the team chooses to go down that road.”

That’s a lot of sudden consideration for a position that has been ignored as a priority for the last two years. I’m guessing with the June edition of FA, the Eagles will be checking the cutting room floor of every team in the NFL for help inside.