Time to Build an Offensive Line

To help the quality of upcoming posts in this thread, here's a link to a list of FA O-lineman:

2010 NFL Free Agents: OL (http://www.footballsfuture.com/2010/fa/ol.html)

As far as starters go, I can honestly see Derrick Dockery being the only incumbent. Samuels should retire, I doubt Randy will be back, Rabach and Heyer are bums, and I'd be surprised if Edwin Williams or Chad Rinehart could earn a starting job.

I think we need to build the entire O-line around Armstrong. :)


I love how the internet fosters a pack mentality...somebody with internet gravitas says something and it becomes the prevailing opinion

Rabach is not a bum..he played on a crappy offense..the last two seasons were the only two he wasn't on a line that blocked for a top RB in the league..(Portis was conference leader over AP/Turner in '08 up until Halloween)

the deficiencies of those lines were both clearly defined..by injury, poor depth, and awful coaching that seemed to be over-matched at every turn..(sorry Buges)

draft a center and groom him for next season..with the new QB..in the short run F/A will provide them with some new blood..Center is not the immediate concern

personally I think Pouncey will be gone...(only thing.. he was exclusively a shot-gun center)..he is the highest rated I've seen since Jake Groves left Va Tech

This is a great thread.

Here's what I would do:

Try to build a team rather than a few stellar players.

I would try to pick up a veteran LT in FA. Trade down in the first round to try to pick up an extra second rounder. I would trade Portis since I think between his health and work ethic he won't be an asset to the team. Maybe we can get another second rounder for him. Then I would keep Dockery and fill the rest of the line with the best available guys using the now 4 picks in the second round. I would then look for CBs and developmental O-linemen in the rest of the draft.

I would hope this would build a solid O-line - though maybe not stellar. I think if Campell had 1 more second per play we would be a significantly improved team.

Next year I would take a LT with the first pick.



great Campbell and a couple rookies...for Portis and the
#4 overall where there is top-grade talent available at many positions

people will be trashing the Shananhans if that is what they bring to the table..I've heard experts say the talent on the Redskins is not too far off at all..the entire division was blown out bad by somebody at some time last season

if that is the case..good chance that left tackle in 2011 will be the first pick overall...not Mike's style at all

2nd round-Charles Brown or Bruce Campbell (one will be available)
3rd round-Kyle Calloway (after we trade into the 3rd round)
FA-Ben Hamilton

LT: Brown or Campbell
LG: Dockery
C: Hamilton (Shanny moves him to C and Rabach is gone)
RG: Rinehart/Mike Williams camp battle (loser goes home)
RT: Levi Jones (until week 10 when Calloway and Jevan Bradford join the starting lineup)

I love how the internet fosters a pack mentality...somebody with internet gravitas says something and it becomes the prevailing opinion

Rabach is not a bum.. he played on a crappy offense..the last two seasons were the only two he wasn't on a line that blocked for a top RB in the league..(Portis was conference leader over AP/Turner in '08 up until Halloween)

the deficiencies of those lines were both clearly defined..by injury, poor depth, and awful coaching that seemed to be over-matched at every turn..(sorry Buges)

draft a center and groom him for next season..with the new QB..in the short run F/A will provide them with some new blood..Center is not the immediate concern

personally I think Pouncey will be gone...(only thing.. he was exclusively a shot-gun center)..he is the highest rated I've seen since Jake Groves left Va Tech

Pack mentality? Nah. Maybe it's be the fact that he gets used like a rag doll against better competition, specifically 3-4 nose guards? Or the fact that he can't call out protections to save his life? Yeah, that's why I think he's a bum. Nothing to do with the internet.

Rabach isn't a bum but he's not much more than an average player on the decline. He's serviceable but it's probably time to look elsewhere at center.

Nice thread idea!

LT: I draft the very best prospect w/ our 1st pick...probably Okung

RT: I draft the very best prospect w/ our 2nd pick.

LG: Dockery stays

RG: I let Rinehart and the Williams fight it out to see who adjusts best the zone blocking scheme. The other two are kept for backups.

C: I do everything I can to replace Rabach in FA and the earlier the better. Rabach seems to get more mistake prone every year and w/o excellent guards sandwiching him, i.e. Dock and Thomas in their prime, Rabach almost guarantees a very porous interior. He sucks donkey balls in reality and I highly doubt he'd start anywhere else in the league. Shanny/Allen can find a better Center.

The hope w/ this strategy is to find bookend tackles for the next decade and enough talent in between to give our offense a chance to win immediately.


This is exactly my thoughts.
1st two picks in the draft get olineman. preferably two starting tackles. I think we are good at the guard position for the next year.

First, wait for the combine and check out the Olinemen who do well in the three-cone drill, then draft a few of them.
Sign Kevin Mawae.
Sign some old Denver Olinemen.
Cut Heyer, Rhinehart, and Will Montgomery. Let Rabach go.

It's so difficult at this time to predict or project because of the uncertainty surrounding FA's; Who will be available and at what cost. I do like the thread concept because without a doubt the O-line should be priority number one, but FA offers little help in this area because there's so little to chose from.

However, I am interested in seeing what leftover linemen we have that the new coaching staff will deem worthy of keeping, if any. So many uncertainties and possibilities is what continues to make this one of the most interesting off-seasons in a very long time.

LT: resign Levi Jones / draft Charles Brown in 2nd
LG: Dockery
C: Rabach, but use our 4th rounder on a C to groom
RG: Williams / Rinehart / Ben Hamilton
RT: sign Kaczur from NE

Notice that we can do this and still draft a QB at #4.

In the unlikely event that a trade-down happens, the choices become more numerous.

LT: resign Levi Jones / draft Charles Brown in 2nd
LG: Dockery
C: Rabach, but use our 4th rounder on a C to groom
RG: Williams / Rinehart / Ben Hamilton
RT: sign Kaczur from NE

Notice that we can do this and still draft a QB at #4.

In the unlikely event that a trade-down happens, the choices become more numerous.
As long as the FO puts an emphasis on the OL, then we ought to be able to bring a lot of pieces here, from the draft, through FA like Kaczur, and put together an OL that allows our offense to compete. I would love to see the first 2 picks go OL, but I can live with it as long as they demonstrate that emphasis.