What About Offensive Linemen in Free Agency?

SmootSmack · 03-03-2008, 06:47 PM

We've spent a lot of time talking about possible WRs on the Free Agent market, but what about the offensive line? Personally, I think since what we really need more than anything is depth that we groom for 2-3 years down the road that we can find that in the middle rounds of the draft. Plus, salaries for even interior linemen is becoming quite exorbitant. However, if we were to decide to go the free agency route to fill this need then here are some of the guys I'd take a look at. Hows 'bout y'all?

Jake Scott: Scott is a versatile young player who is developing into a quality starter in the NFL. He is a functional athlete with long arms, good size and competitive demeanor for the OG position. He is a smart, instinctive player with functional in-line strength and has a good understanding of proper angles and body position when creating inside run lanes. He is an upright player off the ball with above-average initial quickness. He is an above average knee bender that doesn't always maintain his pad level at the point of contact. He is not a real explosive blocker but can position and wall off defenders. He can come off and play under control off combination patterns on the second level and has the ability to execute both short and long pulls in open space. As a pass blocker, he shows good production and reactionary quickness. He can bend and move laterally off short sets and is an above-average technician who has enough anchor ability to maintain the depth of the pocket. He has a decent punch and can reset his hands on the targets. He has good awareness while reacting to inside games and zone blitz fires, though he will overextend at times versus quicker inside defenders. Overall, Scott is a solid starter in the Colts offensive system with good position versatility. However, he still needs to improve his total body strength as he continues to develop into a solid frontline starter.

Rex Hadnot: Hadnot is a three-year veteran with good athletic ability for his size and position. He is a short, thickly-built player that has above average functional strength. He has enough power to stalemate larger interior defenders at the line of scrimmage. He can bend well but is inconsistent to anchor effectively versus explosive bull rushers. He is a steady effort player that can punch and wall off defenders but is not physically imposing. He uses his hands well and works his feet and body to gain leverage inside. Hadnot can snap and step well to make effective combo blocks but is not a dominant player. He has a good feel for the game as he is aware and reacts well to stunts and twists. He can slam and chip up to linebackers effectively and can make blocks on the second level. He is effective to mirror in a confined area in pass protection. He can pull and get on track to make blocks on the perimeter. Hadnot is a solid football player who is valuable because he is intelligent and versatile. He can be a productive player at guard or center.

Maurice Williams: Williams is a six-year veteran out of Michigan that was drafted by the Jaguars in the second round of the 2001 draft. He has excellent size and is a very good athlete. He can play both tackle spots but fits better on the right side. He is a good knee bender and does a good job of playing under his pads and over his feet. He has balance and body control to stay square to blocks. He uses his hands well to punch and recover in pass pro and keep rushers off his body. He has long arms and uses them well to control opponents and steer them by the pocket. He has a good kick step to reach edge speed rushers, but can be beaten off the corner by a fast edge rusher. He is a good drive blocker and can explode into the block to knock opponents off the ball and will bring his feet with him to sustain blocks. He still needs to work on his consistency and improve on his mental tenacity. He has steadily improved and is becoming a quality starter.

Chris Romberg: Romberg is quick, strong and smart. He is extremely versatile and can play any position on the line. He has very good foot quickness and quality upper- and lower-body strength. He takes good angles to his blocks and delivers a good punch coming off the ball. He plays with good leverage and consistent effort. He is instinctive and fundamentally sound in pass protection. He can mirror and slide, and makes very few mental mistakes. He gets good position to help either guard on blitz pickups, twists and stunts. But Romberg is undersized. He can be overwhelmed by many bigger defenders.

SFREDSKIN · 03-03-2008, 06:53 PM

How about Shane Olivea T and Mike Flynn G/C? They are also pretty good.

GTripp0012 · 03-03-2008, 06:53 PM

Williams was supposed to get the big money, and for whatever reason it never happened. However, he would be a good fit for our needs.

DGreene28 · 03-03-2008, 07:08 PM

This is a very deep draft for O-linemen we could def find some gems there as well...
I like Andrew Crummey from Maryland at Guard. Should be able to get him in the 5th or 6th round

02/08/08 - PRO POTENTIAL: OG Andrew Crummey has had injury problems, and that will hurt his draft position. But when healthy, Crummey is one of the best guards in the country, and the Maryland line was much different after he broke his leg midseason.

01/20/08 - East-West Shrine Week in Review: (Round 5, Early 6): OG Andrew Crummey (Maryland): Technically sound and athletic right guard who is a nice fit for zone-blocking schemes

Jeremy Zuttah a T from Rutgers and Donald Thomas a G from UCONN also could be there for us in the mid rounds.

02/12/08 - All-Star Game Risers Team: OG Donald Thomas (Connecticut): Playing in both the Hula Bowl and East-West, Thomas proved he is strong and athletic. Anchored and moved well in Houston despite tweaking his knee a bit during the Hula game. Still a bit raw due to a lack of experience, he did not start until late in his junior year. One guy worth watching out for at the Combine, he could run sub 5.0 40 and put up an excellent bench rep number.
02/09/08 - PRO POTENTIAL: OL Donald Thomas' chance to be drafted will come at the combine, where he'll have to show NFL scouts he's strong enough to handle the interior line spot at the next level. He's a possible mid to late-round pick.
01/20/08 - East-West Shrine Week in Review: (Round Late 2, 3, or 4): OG Donald Thomas (Connecticut): Strong and athletic, he could run sub 5.0 40 and put up excellent strength numbers at the Combine, as well. Anchors well vs. bull rushers and can pull/trap. What's not to like?
02/10/08 - PRO POTENTIAL: OT Jeremy Zuttah was one of the anchors on the line, playing both guard and tackle during his time at Rutgers. He's small for the outside of the line in the NFL, and may find himself moving to guard, which will require bulking up. Despite some nagging injuries during his college career, he should get taken at the latter stages of the draft.
12/06/07 - 2007 All-BIG EAST Conference First Team (Coaches): OT Jeremy Zuttah, Rutgers' starting right tackle, has started on the offensive line since his freshman season and has not relinquished a sack since 2005. He helps anchor a line that posted four of the top 10 offensive performances in RU history, including four games with 500-plus yards of total offense. The team also set single-season records for first downs (269) and total offense (5,246), while recording the second-most points (374) and passing yards (2,964). This year, he showed his offensive skill, carrying the ball 13 yards on a lateral pass to set up a Rice touchdown at Louisville. - Rutgers Sports

Ruhskins · 03-04-2008, 12:36 AM

As it has been said before, this year's draft is too deep at the offensive line to go after a FA lineman. Besides we need youth in the line. I think it would be AWESOME if we get Crummey, Buges would shape him up just like he did Heyer. GO TERPS!

FRPLG · 03-04-2008, 12:52 AM

We essentially need to entirely retool out depth. Fabini could be gone. Wade may struggle to make the team. Pucillo may be done. And none of them are young. Now we'll def have some depth with Heyer but we still need a swing player inside who can play both guards and possibly center and a nice young tackle. I think to get a swing we need a vet. It'd be hard for a rookie of any talent to be counted on to effectively play 3 spots. The tackle depth SHOULD be handled via the draft and there are some options there. If we were to draft a Guard early I would be shocked if he didn't start straight away leaving Kendall as the depth. Can Kendall play center? IDK. But we need a backup center from somewhere and I don't think we even have one on roster if Pucillo is really done. Our line needs work and there is no one way to address it but several ways we could go. I suspect they'll be at least one modest FA signed.

SmootSmack · 03-06-2008, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Williams was supposed to get the big money, and for whatever reason it never happened. However, he would be a good fit for our needs.

Back with Jax

jaguars.com > News > Williams re-signs with Jags

That Guy · 03-06-2008, 03:17 PM

flynn is good, but he's 33 now. hadnot is deluded and wants 5mill/per... even at 3.5mill/per, that's way too much for a backup.

if flynn is still healthy/able to play, he'd be cheap and ideal depth, and he wouldn't even have to move his family.

scott i don't know much about.

SC Skins Fan · 03-06-2008, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FRPLG

If we were to draft a Guard early I would be shocked if he didn't start straight away leaving Kendall as the depth. Can Kendall play center? IDK.

Good point. I kind of like your thinking here. And yes, Kendall has played center in the past. Brandon Albert in the 1st baby! Screw the Terps, go Hoos

hooskins · 03-06-2008, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SC Skins Fan

Good point. I kind of like your thinking here. And yes, Kendall has played center in the past. Brandon Albert in the 1st baby! Screw the Terps, go Hoos

Best post so far, go hoos indeed. Albert is a beast but they project him to be gone by our pick

GMScud · 03-06-2008, 07:31 PM

Of the list SS provided, I'd take Jake Scott or Rex Hadnot.

Seems like anyone who plays on the Colts O-line is good. Scott is only 26 and has started all 16 games for 3 straight years.

Hadnot is also only 26, and has also started all 16 games for three straight years, plus he can play guard or center, something we've openly said we're looking for.

IMO either one of these guys would be an excellent signing. Both bring a combination of youth, experience, and durability.

SmootSmack · 03-10-2008, 11:02 AM

Titans reach 4-year deal with Colts guard Scott | www.tennessean.com | The Tennessean

Nice pickup for the Titans

GMScud · 03-10-2008, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Titans reach 4-year deal with Colts guard Scott | www.tennessean.com | The Tennessean

Nice pickup for the Titans

For sure. $5M/yr too. Wow. The money continues to flow...

That Guy · 03-10-2008, 05:12 PM

OL are getting massive paydays, and i don't think we can afford 5mill per for a backup.

mike flynn is still cheap and available though.

SmootSmack · 03-10-2008, 07:26 PM

Hadnot to the Browns

Browns finally give Hadnot a home; Green returns to Rams | Inside the Dolphins

Cleveland is doing some really good things with their O-line

03-03-2008, 06:47 PM	#1
SmootSmack Uncle Phil Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 45,256	What About Offensive Linemen in Free Agency? We've spent a lot of time talking about possible WRs on the Free Agent market, but what about the offensive line? Personally, I think since what we really need more than anything is depth that we groom for 2-3 years down the road that we can find that in the middle rounds of the draft. Plus, salaries for even interior linemen is becoming quite exorbitant. However, if we were to decide to go the free agency route to fill this need then here are some of the guys I'd take a look at. Hows 'bout y'all? Jake Scott: Scott is a versatile young player who is developing into a quality starter in the NFL. He is a functional athlete with long arms, good size and competitive demeanor for the OG position. He is a smart, instinctive player with functional in-line strength and has a good understanding of proper angles and body position when creating inside run lanes. He is an upright player off the ball with above-average initial quickness. He is an above average knee bender that doesn't always maintain his pad level at the point of contact. He is not a real explosive blocker but can position and wall off defenders. He can come off and play under control off combination patterns on the second level and has the ability to execute both short and long pulls in open space. As a pass blocker, he shows good production and reactionary quickness. He can bend and move laterally off short sets and is an above-average technician who has enough anchor ability to maintain the depth of the pocket. He has a decent punch and can reset his hands on the targets. He has good awareness while reacting to inside games and zone blitz fires, though he will overextend at times versus quicker inside defenders. Overall, Scott is a solid starter in the Colts offensive system with good position versatility. However, he still needs to improve his total body strength as he continues to develop into a solid frontline starter. Rex Hadnot: Hadnot is a three-year veteran with good athletic ability for his size and position. He is a short, thickly-built player that has above average functional strength. He has enough power to stalemate larger interior defenders at the line of scrimmage. He can bend well but is inconsistent to anchor effectively versus explosive bull rushers. He is a steady effort player that can punch and wall off defenders but is not physically imposing. He uses his hands well and works his feet and body to gain leverage inside. Hadnot can snap and step well to make effective combo blocks but is not a dominant player. He has a good feel for the game as he is aware and reacts well to stunts and twists. He can slam and chip up to linebackers effectively and can make blocks on the second level. He is effective to mirror in a confined area in pass protection. He can pull and get on track to make blocks on the perimeter. Hadnot is a solid football player who is valuable because he is intelligent and versatile. He can be a productive player at guard or center. Maurice Williams: Williams is a six-year veteran out of Michigan that was drafted by the Jaguars in the second round of the 2001 draft. He has excellent size and is a very good athlete. He can play both tackle spots but fits better on the right side. He is a good knee bender and does a good job of playing under his pads and over his feet. He has balance and body control to stay square to blocks. He uses his hands well to punch and recover in pass pro and keep rushers off his body. He has long arms and uses them well to control opponents and steer them by the pocket. He has a good kick step to reach edge speed rushers, but can be beaten off the corner by a fast edge rusher. He is a good drive blocker and can explode into the block to knock opponents off the ball and will bring his feet with him to sustain blocks. He still needs to work on his consistency and improve on his mental tenacity. He has steadily improved and is becoming a quality starter. Chris Romberg: Romberg is quick, strong and smart. He is extremely versatile and can play any position on the line. He has very good foot quickness and quality upper- and lower-body strength. He takes good angles to his blocks and delivers a good punch coming off the ball. He plays with good leverage and consistent effort. He is instinctive and fundamentally sound in pass protection. He can mirror and slide, and makes very few mental mistakes. He gets good position to help either guard on blitz pickups, twists and stunts. But Romberg is undersized. He can be overwhelmed by many bigger defenders. __________________ You're So Vain...You Probably Think This Sig Is About You

03-03-2008, 06:53 PM	#2
SFREDSKIN Living Legend Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pacifica, CA Posts: 15,164	Re: What About Offensive Linemen in Free Agency? How about Shane Olivea T and Mike Flynn G/C? They are also pretty good. __________________ Joe Gibbs- The best coach of all time, Lombardi trophy should be renamed Gibbs. Art Monk- Art was like an OL playing WR, doing the dirty work and not getting the glory. Darrell Green- Best DB ever. Purveyor of fine Filth

03-03-2008, 06:53 PM	#3
GTripp0012 Living Legend Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Evanston, IL Age: 36 Posts: 15,994	Re: What About Offensive Linemen in Free Agency? Williams was supposed to get the big money, and for whatever reason it never happened. However, he would be a good fit for our needs. __________________ according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

03-03-2008, 07:08 PM	#4
DGreene28 Special Teams Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 335	Re: What About Offensive Linemen in Free Agency? This is a very deep draft for O-linemen we could def find some gems there as well... I like Andrew Crummey from Maryland at Guard. Should be able to get him in the 5th or 6th round 02/08/08 - PRO POTENTIAL: OG Andrew Crummey has had injury problems, and that will hurt his draft position. But when healthy, Crummey is one of the best guards in the country, and the Maryland line was much different after he broke his leg midseason. 01/20/08 - East-West Shrine Week in Review: (Round 5, Early 6): OG Andrew Crummey (Maryland): Technically sound and athletic right guard who is a nice fit for zone-blocking schemes Jeremy Zuttah a T from Rutgers and Donald Thomas a G from UCONN also could be there for us in the mid rounds. 02/12/08 - All-Star Game Risers Team: OG Donald Thomas (Connecticut): Playing in both the Hula Bowl and East-West, Thomas proved he is strong and athletic. Anchored and moved well in Houston despite tweaking his knee a bit during the Hula game. Still a bit raw due to a lack of experience, he did not start until late in his junior year. One guy worth watching out for at the Combine, he could run sub 5.0 40 and put up an excellent bench rep number. 02/09/08 - PRO POTENTIAL: OL Donald Thomas' chance to be drafted will come at the combine, where he'll have to show NFL scouts he's strong enough to handle the interior line spot at the next level. He's a possible mid to late-round pick. 01/20/08 - East-West Shrine Week in Review: (Round Late 2, 3, or 4): OG Donald Thomas (Connecticut): Strong and athletic, he could run sub 5.0 40 and put up excellent strength numbers at the Combine, as well. Anchors well vs. bull rushers and can pull/trap. What's not to like? 02/10/08 - PRO POTENTIAL: OT Jeremy Zuttah was one of the anchors on the line, playing both guard and tackle during his time at Rutgers. He's small for the outside of the line in the NFL, and may find himself moving to guard, which will require bulking up. Despite some nagging injuries during his college career, he should get taken at the latter stages of the draft. 12/06/07 - 2007 All-BIG EAST Conference First Team (Coaches): OT Jeremy Zuttah, Rutgers' starting right tackle, has started on the offensive line since his freshman season and has not relinquished a sack since 2005. He helps anchor a line that posted four of the top 10 offensive performances in RU history, including four games with 500-plus yards of total offense. The team also set single-season records for first downs (269) and total offense (5,246), while recording the second-most points (374) and passing yards (2,964). This year, he showed his offensive skill, carrying the ball 13 yards on a lateral pass to set up a Rice touchdown at Louisville. - Rutgers Sports __________________ Optimism can make you look stupid, but cynicism always makes you look cynical. - Calum Fisher

03-04-2008, 12:36 AM	#5
Ruhskins Living Legend Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 22,340	Re: What About Offensive Linemen in Free Agency? As it has been said before, this year's draft is too deep at the offensive line to go after a FA lineman. Besides we need youth in the line. I think it would be AWESOME if we get Crummey, Buges would shape him up just like he did Heyer. GO TERPS! __________________ R.I.P. #21

03-04-2008, 12:52 AM	#6
FRPLG MVP Join Date: May 2004 Age: 46 Posts: 10,164	Re: What About Offensive Linemen in Free Agency? We essentially need to entirely retool out depth. Fabini could be gone. Wade may struggle to make the team. Pucillo may be done. And none of them are young. Now we'll def have some depth with Heyer but we still need a swing player inside who can play both guards and possibly center and a nice young tackle. I think to get a swing we need a vet. It'd be hard for a rookie of any talent to be counted on to effectively play 3 spots. The tackle depth SHOULD be handled via the draft and there are some options there. If we were to draft a Guard early I would be shocked if he didn't start straight away leaving Kendall as the depth. Can Kendall play center? IDK. But we need a backup center from somewhere and I don't think we even have one on roster if Pucillo is really done. Our line needs work and there is no one way to address it but several ways we could go. I suspect they'll be at least one modest FA signed.

03-06-2008, 03:17 PM	#8
That Guy Living Legend Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: VA Age: 42 Posts: 17,553	Re: What About Offensive Linemen in Free Agency? flynn is good, but he's 33 now. hadnot is deluded and wants 5mill/per... even at 3.5mill/per, that's way too much for a backup. if flynn is still healthy/able to play, he'd be cheap and ideal depth, and he wouldn't even have to move his family. scott i don't know much about.

03-06-2008, 07:31 PM	#11
GMScud Swearinger Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 12,626	Re: What About Offensive Linemen in Free Agency? Of the list SS provided, I'd take Jake Scott or Rex Hadnot. Seems like anyone who plays on the Colts O-line is good. Scott is only 26 and has started all 16 games for 3 straight years. Hadnot is also only 26, and has also started all 16 games for three straight years, plus he can play guard or center, something we've openly said we're looking for. IMO either one of these guys would be an excellent signing. Both bring a combination of youth, experience, and durability. __________________ Tardy

03-10-2008, 11:02 AM	#12
SmootSmack Uncle Phil Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 45,256	Re: What About Offensive Linemen in Free Agency? Titans reach 4-year deal with Colts guard Scott \| www.tennessean.com \| The Tennessean Nice pickup for the Titans __________________ You're So Vain...You Probably Think This Sig Is About You

03-10-2008, 05:12 PM	#14
That Guy Living Legend Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: VA Age: 42 Posts: 17,553	Re: What About Offensive Linemen in Free Agency? OL are getting massive paydays, and i don't think we can afford 5mill per for a backup. mike flynn is still cheap and available though.

03-10-2008, 07:26 PM	#15
SmootSmack Uncle Phil Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 45,256	Re: What About Offensive Linemen in Free Agency? Hadnot to the Browns Browns finally give Hadnot a home; Green returns to Rams \| Inside the Dolphins Cleveland is doing some really good things with their O-line __________________ You're So Vain...You Probably Think This Sig Is About You

What About Offensive Linemen in Free Agency?

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