Senior Bowl: Unpolished offensive linemen need time to develop

[DirtySkin21]

If this is true.. I begin to think about how lucky we became with HYER just being able to step in there and help us...

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MOBILE, Ala. -- Despite the fact that many top-rated offensive linemen often do not participate, the Senior Bowl has traditionally been a great place to scout linemen headed to the draft.

The general consensus from coaches and front office that I spoke with this week was that 2008 is a poor year for offensive line prospects. The first few days of practice backed up that position, but Wednesday there was a jump in the level of play.

Whether it was five linemen working together or players getting back to their natural positions, there were a number of athletes who looked like intriguing prospects. At least one NFL team's scouting report suggested that most of the best centers, half of the projected top tackles and three of the top five guards were in Mobile.

Up to nine of the 18 linemen here this week could be drafted in the first three rounds, while the rest could become bargains in Rounds 4-7.

There is always a lot of interest in the one-on-one drills, where the offensive line works against the defensive line. Usually the defensive linemen dominate, but it can be a dangerous situation to draw too many conclusions about the offensive linemen based on this drill.

For example, I liked Steve Justice from Wake Forest much better in the team drills, where he demonstrated an ability to work with the other offensive linemen than I did in his individual drill against a pass-rushing nose tackle.

Another drill that can be tricky to evaluate is the 9-on-7. It is great to watch, but the defense knows every play is a running play, and that can be an unfair advantage. Any offensive lineman who gets movement on a defensive linemen in this drill is very impressive.

I thought guards Mike McGlynn from Pittsburgh and USC's Drew Radovich stepped up against a front seven that was playing on the balls of their feet and coming off the ball looking for the runner.

I watched the drills with Randy Cross, the great former 49ers lineman, and Jim Sweeney, one of my former players who spent 16 years in the NFL as a lineman with the Jets, Steelers and Seahawks, and bounced ideas off of them. Watching the offensive line by yourself is next to impossible. Cross and Sweeney made me feel like the position was covered.

[Genghis Khan]

We could get some good depth players here and maybe some future starters.

[wildbill1952]

I have to look at the history of the Redskins.

We have a history of UFA's making the team and contributing. (Heyer, Bostic, Jacoby, etc.) We have a history of drafting in the top 3 rounds that become long time stellar performers (Samuels, Dockery, Jansen, May, Grimm), We have a history that the "depth" everyone talks about, drafted in the 4 through the 7th rounds, never make it past the practice squad and never contribute.. (Lefotu was the last one I remember, but feel free to look them up or take my word for it.)

We have had players in other positions drafted in round 4 through 12 [yes, 12], that made the team and contributed, but never an offensive linemen past the first 3 rounds

The best offensive teams the Redskins have ever had, the 82 and 83 Skins, made their first two picks in 1981 OL, May and Grimm (we had no second round pick that year). The first 8 games were rough in 1981, but the young offensive line turned it around and in 1982 and 1983 the Redksins were virtually unstoppable on offense.

I know the desire to get a tall WR in the first round or some other splash player like CB is rampant on this board. But history shows that players for "depth" have never worked on the offensive line. If you don't draft qulity (quality = rounds 1, 2 , or 3) then depth = nada.

Give Campbell some all-Pro OL and see the difference an extra 2 seconds of pass protection gives you.