Line Rankings O/D

[TheReverend]

Denver Broncos
Best player: LG Ben Hamilton. Weak link: The right tackle spot.
The skinny: The Broncos line, which has been a strong point in recent years, wasn't so good last season. That's why Denver picked Ryan Clady in the first round. He will start at left tackle. The rest of the line will see a lot of competition for jobs. At right tackle, Erik Pears should battle Chris Kuper for the starting job. Getting left guard Ben Hamilton back from injury is huge. Center will be a battle between Tom Nalen and Casey Wiegmann.

Rating: 19

http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10851305

Denver Broncos
Best player: RE Elvis Dumervil. Weak link: Left end, whomever it is.

The skinny: This has been a trouble area for the Broncos for the past five years. They have brought in a wave of veterans who have flopped and used high draft picks to help make their front better. Those picks need to produce this year. Dumervil is a speed rusher who can get handled in the run game. But he's the best of the group. Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder need to do more off the edge. Moss will push John Engleberger and Ebenezer Ekuban for the left end spot. Marcus Thomas has tons of potential at tackle, while Alvin McKinley is average. The addition of Dewayne Robertson will help if he can stay healthy.

Rating: 25

http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10853318

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

Not terrible articles or points on the whole. I think our lines get underrated because of so many unknown qualities, but then again they SHOULD be from an unbiased (not a word I usually associate with Pete Prisco) 3rd party writer. At least they got the Ben Hamilton part right!

[TheReverend]

Added note
OL / DL
SD: #2 OL/ #1 DL
KC: #31 OL/ #30 DL (BUT OUR OL IS SOOO MUCH BETTER THIS YEAR! AND GLENNNNNN DORRSSSSSSSSEYY!!!!!!111)
OAK: #23 OL/ #26 DL

[Borks147]

There is not going to be any kind of "battle" at center. Maybe he should have written "if Nalen comes back from injury blah blah blah...." but there will be no "battle"

[Inkana7]

Ranking SD's D-Line over the Viking's is kinda dumb, unless you count Steroid Boy and Phillips as Ends. The addition of Jared Allen to Pat and Kevin Williams makes the Vikings D-Line the best in the leauge.

[Paladin]

Maybe Hillis will level the Steroid Pimp like Jones-Drew did.

There are a number of areas where I think the sparkies are somewhat over-rated. There will be much more competition this year than in the past, and the sparkies may find themselves under the gun more than the past two years. This is the third year of the cycle for them....

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by aborquez147

There is not going to be any kind of "battle" at center. Maybe he should have written "if Nalen comes back from injury blah blah blah...." but there will be no "battle"

For a guy in his mid-late thirties playing such a combative position, I'd call tearing your bicep and causing deteriorating ability a strong posibility. I'd rather he's healthy and starting, but if he's not at >90%, then I'm glad we have a guy like Weigman that can take it.

I expect a battle. Tom will have to prove his health, strength and range of motion. He's one of the guys that deserves a roster spot forever, but not a starting one at the expense of the franchise (Jay)

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by Inkana7

Ranking SD's D-Line over the Viking's is kinda dumb, unless you count Steroid Boy and Phillips as Ends. The addition of Jared Allen to Pat and Kevin Williams makes the Vikings D-Line the best in the leauge.

I agree... but I don't consider it much of a controversy when they're ranked 1 and 2 respectively. Had SD been 1 and Minnesota been 10, then there's something wrong there.

[Drek]

Pears is the LT backup, Harris and Kuper are competing at RT. And there is no center battle by any stretch, in fact the comment about Hamilton being our best OL, not Nalen, is pretty weak as well.

[Mediator12]

Originally Posted by Drek

Pears is the LT backup, Harris and Kuper are competing at RT. And there is no center battle by any stretch, in fact the comment about Hamilton being our best OL, not Nalen, is pretty weak as well.

What'sup y'all. Nice to see that the OM has survived!

Despite the growing sentiment of the board, Hamilton was the top graded OL 3 years in a row before he went down to injury. People can see what they want to see, but the staff grades of the lines still stand. They are the only ones who know the pass rush protections and any running game adjustments.

As for the 25th DL ranking, damn we are moving up out of the bottom 5

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by Mediator12

What'sup y'all. Nice to see that the OM has survived!

Despite the growing sentiment of the board, Hamilton was the top graded OL 3 years in a row before he went down to injury. People can see what they want to see, but the staff grades of the lines still stand. They are the only ones who know the pass rush protections and any running game adjustments.

As for the 25th DL ranking, damn we are moving up out of the bottom 5

...but, but, but... a couple DL have gotten under his pads in a bull-rush! He must be awful!

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by Mediator12

What'sup y'all. Nice to see that the OM has survived!

Despite the growing sentiment of the board, Hamilton was the top graded OL 3 years in a row before he went down to injury. People can see what they want to see, but the staff grades of the lines still stand. They are the only ones who know the pass rush protections and any running game adjustments.

As for the 25th DL ranking, damn we are moving up out of the bottom 5

PS. I truly believe a one-gap system, and playing up to merely expectations could shove this DL into the top half even without any of the unknowns "breaking out"

[Mediator12]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

PS. I truly believe a one-gap system, and playing up to merely expectations could shove this DL into the top half even without any of the unknowns "breaking out"

We shall see, they have played a modified one gap system since Greg. The only time they played some read was after the disastrous lack of pass rush in 2005 that led to the cover zero blitzing to get pressure.

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by Mediator12

We shall see, they have played a modified one gap system since Greg. The only time they played some read was after the disastrous lack of pass rush in 2005 that led to the cover zero blitzing to get pressure.

That's so wrong and you know it. 2006 saw a HEALTHY dose of read fronts.

[eddie mac]

SD: #2 OL/ #1 DL

Media=Serious mancrush on a San Diego team who will flatter to deceive until the Broncos overtake them again in a Season or 2.

[no-pseudo-fan]

It doesn't matter what the media thinks. I think we are have more talent than we showed last year. On the O-line, with Nalen and Hamelton back and Clady at LT, I think we are going to be tough. Holland and Kuper on the right side with Graham are going to open monster holes.

[boltaneer]

I would rank the Giants and Vikings d-line above the Chargers, #1 and #2 respectively.

San Diego's o-line played way too inconsistent last year though it did finally get it's act together at the end of the season and in the playoffs. I'd put them around 3 or 4 because of that.

[Kaylore]

Originally Posted by boltaneer

I would rank the Giants and Vikings d-line above the Chargers, #1 and #2 respectively.

San Diego's o-line played way too inconsistent last year though it did finally get it's act together at the end of the season and in the playoffs. I'd put them around 3 or 4 because of that.

Out of curiosity, why do you think it took them so long after such a good showing in '06?

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

Out of curiosity, why do you think it took them so long after such a good showing in '06?

The McNeil slump, and the dude who's a FA right now, I'd say

[Kaylore]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

The McNeil slump, and the dude who's a FA right now, I'd say

How did McNeil go from great to suck so fast? And that guy they cut, did he just stop juicing? His play was decent two years ago and he just got worse and worse. WTF?

[BusMan]

So Pears has gone from starting at RT to #2 LT? I didn't realize that.

So it goes:

Base: Clady - Hamilton - Nalen - Holland - Harris/Kuper
Reserves: Pears - ? - Weigmann - ? - Kuper/Harris

[BusMan]

Also based on the Post's article this morning the DL is currently running:

Base: Engelberger - McKinley - Robertson - Dumervil
Reserves: Moss - Thomas - Harris - Crowder

Although Moss comes in for Engelberger in the base nickel package.

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

How did McNeil go from great to suck so fast? And that guy they cut, did he just stop juicing? His play was decent two years ago and he just got worse and worse. WTF?

?

I don't really follow the Chargers. Did they have a LG problem?

Maybe it was opposition having tape of him to study and find weakness. Maybe it was opposing coordinators tweaking plans around him.

Maybe it was nothing more than Schottenheimer morale, and the false sense of entitlement, that had the whole team by the balls for the first half of the season.

[Kaylore]

I'm really curious what the Charger fans think as I don't know much more than you. Unfortunately they are like in-laws around here where they're only around when it's really annoying.

[boltaneer]

Norv changed up some things with the blocking schemes and it took the o-line a while to pick things up. Plus Olivea just stunk it up last year and while Clary stepped in as an improvement, as a rookie he struggled a bit to no surprise. Goff was playing through injuries all year.

And yes, McNeill did have a sophomore slump. He said he's gonna work harder this season to not have that happen again.

[400HZ]

Originally Posted by boltaneer

Norv changed up some things with the blocking schemes and it took the o-line a while to pick things up. Plus Olivea just stunk it up last year and while Clary stepped in as an improvement, as a rookie he struggled a bit to no surprise. Goff was playing through injuries all year.

And yes, McNeill did have a sophomore slump. He said he's gonna work harder this season to not have that happen again.

Originally Posted by Kaylore

How did McNeil go from great to suck so fast? And that guy they cut, did he just stop juicing? His play was decent two years ago and he just got worse and worse. WTF?

I think McNeil just had the classic sophmore slump, and he wouldn't be the first rookie pro bowler get lulled into a false sense of security regarding his ability. He got worked over for the early part of the year, but he was balls over the last few regular season games and into the playoffs. The first game against Tennessee last year was a huge turnaround for him, as well as a lot of players. That was the pivot of the Charger's season, imo. In an interview at the pro bowl this year, he talked about how dissatisfied he was with his showing during the first part of the season, so hopefully he won't take 12 games to get into top form this year.

Olivea was pretty much downhill since his surprise rookie season in '04. Even in '06, his pass protection was crappy. In '07, he was just abysmal all the way around. He did suffer a pretty nasty looking back injury in week 2, but even so motivation has always been an issue for him.