Jake Long
-
Long proves once again that it's a big mistake to take an offensive lineman high in the draft. After all, 6'7", 313 pound guys with good feet are a dime a dozen.
LT Jake Long was added to the Pro Bowl after Buffalo LT Jason Peters pulled out because of a knee injury. Long is the fourth Dolphins rookie to make the Pro Bowl, following QB Dan Marino (1983), LB John Offerdahl (1986) and LT Richmond Webb (1990). Long, who was part of a unit that allowed just 25 sacks, 10th fewest in the league, is the first overall No. 1 draft pick to play in the Pro Bowl his rookie season since Saints running back George Rogers in 1981. Since the 1970 merger, Long is just the fourth overall No. 1 pick to make a Pro Bowl his rookie season, joining Houston Oilers running back Earl Campbell (1978), Detroit running back Billy Sims (1980) and Rogers.
Long only gave up 2.5 sacks this year. To be honest, he's fared much better at LT than I thought he would (I had him pegged as an All-Pro, but at right tackle).
But the real story of the rookie LT's may be Ryan Clady, who only gave up half a sack protecting Jay Cutler's blind side. He must be putting those freakishly long 37" arms to good use in the passing game. And Denver's zone-blocking scheme may be concealing some of the strength issues he reportedly showed during his pro workouts.
One of the amazing things is that Clady was considered the rawest of the LT prospects. He was prone to mental lapses at Boise State, which were expected to pop up here & there during his rookie season.
OL coach Rick Dennison must have done a great job coaching up Clady (as well as teammate Ryan Harris, who played well at RT). Josh McDaniels was very smart to keep Dennison on staff.
-
Another thing I like about Dennison: he's scary as hell.
He's got a "drill sergeant meets serial killer" kind of look to him.
-
@shepwrite said:
I'm getting really sold on the elite, highly-drafted left tackle as some kind of magic panacea for anything that ails a team. Draft one, get good.For a while, with teams like Green Bay, Denver (before Clady), and New England getting away with lower next-notch guys there, I was leaning toward that approach... that it was all about continuity and scheme.
But Jason Peters and the kid in San Diego were drafted lower, too, right? Like Matt Light and whatsisname in Green Bay?
But you have to have a serious player at that position for sure. It's one of the handful of cornerstones, along with QB, #1 WR, pass rusher, and cover corner. In the 3-4, I would add nose tackle.
Peters was one of the worst left tackles this season, how he made the pro bowl ill never know...
-
Interestingly enough, Peters had a pretty bad season. But that could've been because he held out of camp looking for a new deal.
And I don't think Marcus McNeil has ever replicated the success he had his rookie year. Part of the reason he slid to the second round, btw, is that he has spinal stenosis. That's something that could seriously shorten his career.
-
@shepwrite said:
I'm getting really sold on the elite, highly-drafted left tackle as some kind of magic panacea for anything that ails a team. Draft one, get good.For a while, with teams like Green Bay, Denver (before Clady), and New England getting away with lower next-notch guys there, I was leaning toward that approach... that it was all about continuity and scheme.
But Jason Peters and the kid in San Diego were drafted lower, too, right? Like Matt Light and whatsisname in Green Bay?
But you have to have a serious player at that position for sure. It's one of the handful of cornerstones, along with QB, #1 WR, pass rusher, and cover corner. In the 3-4, I would add nose tackle.
Peters was one of the worst left tackles this season, how he made the pro bowl ill never know...
Peters was one of the worst left tackles this season, how he made the pro bowl ill never know...
Well, Jon Ogden was 1st team last year, and he spent most of the season hobbled by a toe injury.
The LT spot seems to go more by what a player did the previous year. I think that may be because OL play is too difficult to break down mid-season; people just pick the guys they know were good last year.
-
Peters was one of the worst left tackles this season, how he made the pro bowl ill never know...
Well, Jon Ogden was 1st team last year, and he spent most of the season hobbled by a toe injury.
The LT spot seems to go more by what a player did the previous year. I think that may be because OL play is too difficult to break down mid-season; people just pick the guys they know were good last year.
Aloysius said:
Well, Jon Ogden was 1st team last year, and he spent most of the season hobbled by a toe injury.The LT spot seems to go more by what a player did the previous year. I think that may be because OL play is too difficult to break down mid-season; people just pick the guys they knew were good last year.
Yeah, theres definately a lot of truth in that. How many sacks an o-lineman isn't nearly as glamourous or easy to follow as who gets a sack, that must be it.
-
@shepwrite said:
I'm getting really sold on the elite, highly-drafted left tackle as some kind of magic panacea for anything that ails a team. Draft one, get good.For a while, with teams like Green Bay, Denver (before Clady), and New England getting away with lower next-notch guys there, I was leaning toward that approach... that it was all about continuity and scheme.
But Jason Peters and the kid in San Diego were drafted lower, too, right? Like Matt Light and whatsisname in Green Bay?
But you have to have a serious player at that position for sure. It's one of the handful of cornerstones, along with QB, #1 WR, pass rusher, and cover corner. In the 3-4, I would add nose tackle.
Peters was one of the worst left tackles this season, how he made the pro bowl ill never know...
-
@shepwrite said:
I'm getting really sold on the elite, highly-drafted left tackle as some kind of magic panacea for anything that ails a team. Draft one, get good.What's interesting is that Atlanta tried to follow that example with Sam Baker, then he got hurt & Todd Weiner played well enough at LT that they didn't feel the need to rush Baker back into the lineup.
Atlanta's offensive line coach, Paul Boudreau, probably deserves a lot of credit for keeping Ryan upright and opening the holes for Michael Turner's 1,700 yard season (man...imagine if we signed Turner instead of Corey Williams).
One of the things I like about Mangini is that he's looking to bring in Bill Callahan in to be his OL coach. We want a solid guy there, not someone whose last job was coaching the notoriously inept Texans line.
-
I read [Peters] gave up 11.5 sacks.
Yeah, that's why I saw too. For everyone else, here's the list of LT sack totals:
1. Ryan Clady, Denver, 0.5 sack
2. Michael Roos, Tennessee, 1 sack
3-T. Tony Ugoh, Indianapolis, 2 sacks* (Started 11)
3-T. Tra Thomas, Philadelphia, 2 sacks
3-T. Jared Gaither, Baltimore, 2 sacks* (He missed first quarter of Philadelphia game because of a shoulder injury)
7. Jake Long, Miami, 2.5 sacks
8-T. Marcus McNeill, San Diego, 3 sacks* (13 games)
8-T. Chris Samuels, Washington, 3 sacks* (Only appeared in 12 games)
8-T. Jordan Gross, Carolina, 3 sacks* (Missed 1 game)
8-T. Jammal Brown, New Orleans, 3 sacks* (Missed 1 game)
8-T. Todd Weiner, Atlanta, 3 sacks* (Started 10 games and appeared in 15)
13-T. Joe Thomas, Cleveland, 3.5 sacks
13-T. Walter Jones, Seattle, 3.5 sacks* (12 games)
15-T. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, NY Jets, 4 sacks
15-T. Bryant McKinnie, Minnesota, 4 sacks* (11 games)
15-T. Max Starks, Pittsburgh, 4 sacks* (10 starts)
18. Brandon Albert, Kansas City, 4.5 sacks* (Missed 1 game)
19. Levi Jones, Cincinnati, 5.5 sacks* (10 games)
20. Mike Gandy, Arizona, 6.25 sacks
21-T. Chad Clifton, Green Bay, 6.5 sacks* (missed 1 game)
21-T. David Diehl, NY Giants, 6.5 sacks
23. Flozell Adams, Dallas, 7.25
24-T. Khalif Barnes, Jacksonville, 7.5 sacks
24-T. Matt Light, New England, 7.5 sacks
24-T. Kwame Harris, 7.5 sacks* (Started 11, appeared in 13)
27. Donald Penn, Tampa Bay, 8 sacks
28. Joe Staley, San Francisco, 8.5 sacks
29. Jeff Backus, Detroit, 9.25 sacks
30. John St. Clair, Chicago, 9.75 sacks
T-31. Duane Brown, Houston, 11.5 sacks
T-31. Jason Peters, Buffalo, 11.5 sacks* (13 games)
-
If we had Ravens trolls, I'd ask them about how Jared Gaither looks (2 sacks). He's someone I wanted for us to bid on in the supplemental draft. Most draft geeks thought he was a NFL RT, but he seems to be doing okay at left tackle.
I think we could have gotten him for a 5th. Ultimately, that pick was used to trade up for Beau Bell.
-
Also, you can't envy the Lions' situation with Jeff Backus. He gives up 9.25 sacks, but you can't slide him inside because he's not strong enough to face DT's. And you can't make him a backup because he's signed to a 6 year, $38M deal.
So you're stuck with a mediocre left tackle. Jim Schwartz better hire a good offensive line coach.
-
In the last 2 seasons JT gave up a couple that were because of not checking off the stunt to ES fast enough. That's brain fart stuff not necessarily getting beat bad 1 on 1.
-
Another thing I like about Dennison: he's scary as hell.
He's got a "drill sergeant meets serial killer" kind of look to him.
-
Another thing I like about Dennison: he's scary as hell.
He's got a "drill sergeant meets serial killer" kind of look to him.
-
Holy crap, you're right.
-
29. Jeff Backus, Detroit, 9.25 sacks
With 2 Number 1 picks...I think Detroit surprises everyone and takes Alabama's LT smith. Maybe trade backus or move him to RT or G....they just took Gosder cherolis last year but he's at RT...and not very good from what I've heard. Who knows but I'm definetly not sold on Stafford and from looking at the success of Joe Thomas and Browns as a rook , and Jake Long at MIami....I'd keep an open mind if I'm them!
-
Also, you can't envy the Lions' situation with Jeff Backus. He gives up 9.25 sacks, but you can't slide him inside because he's not strong enough to face DT's. And you can't make him a backup because he's signed to a 6 year, $38M deal.
So you're stuck with a mediocre left tackle. Jim Schwartz better hire a good offensive line coach.
-
OL coach Bill Callahan is staying with the Jets.
Should be interesting to see what Mangini does now.
-
Clady & Dennison could be a large part of why Denver finished out at #12 in the league rushing when they were one injury away from writing a script for The Waterboy 2 at tailback.
So it would have been nice to get Callahan.
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login