In the Trenches: 2007 week seven

Games Reviewed
Arizona Cardinals (19) at Washington Redskins (21)
Baltimore Ravens (14) at Buffalo Bills (19)
Tennessee Titans (38) at Houston Texans (36)
Chicago Bears (19) at Philadelphia Eagles (16)
Pittsburgh Steelers (28) at Denver Broncos (31)

Blocker Ratings
Note: Players in green had above average Blocker Ratings; players in brown were below average.

Left Tackle

Though he made some rookie blunders, Baltimore's Jared Gaither was way more impressive than Arizona's more heralded rookie, Levi Brown, who was a definite step down from starter Mike Gandy. Jason Peters once again scored surprisingly low; he had a lopsided game, doing very well in pass protection (9.32 PBR) but not so much in the running game (7.12 RBR).

Left Guard

Alan Faneca looked much better against the Broncos than he had against the Cardinals, but it still wasn't a stellar game. Jason Brown continues to perform well and is now the highest rated left guard on the season. Chester Pitts's rating is artificially high: in the NFL Replay version of the Titans-Texans game, three or four Texans three-and-outs were cut out, leaving the Texans with only five running plays to review; pass blocker ratings are higher than run blocker ratings, and left guards (along with centers) have the biggest difference (seven tenths).

Center

Re: Mike Flanagan, see the comment on Chester Pitts above. Even with a good game against the Eagles, Olin Kreutz is still below average for the season. I've seen enough of Kevin Mawae now to say he's still one of the top centers in the league. Mike Pucillo rebounded from his awful week-six appearance, turning in a serviceable game. Melvin Fowler had a great game against the Broncos and a decent game against the Colts, but struggled noticeably against the Ravens.

Right Guard

The list of the top-rated guards (left or right) for the 2007 season now goes like this: Leonard Davis, Cowboys (9.39 BR, 147 plays), Shawn Andrews, Eagles (9.29 BR, 63 plays), Chris Snee, Giants (9.23 BR, 162 plays). Yes, they're all in the NFC East; and unsung Giant lineman Rich Seubert is fifth (behind Jason Brown) with a 9.04 BR.

Right Tackle

Marshal Yanda just keeps having good games, as does David Stewart. They're the second and sixth rated right tackles so far on the season.

2008 NFL Draft "Redo" (part 1)

Instead of engaging in the absurd (but nonetheless fun) process of grading the teams on their drafts a day later, I'm going to pit myself against the GMs and redo their drafts. In five years, I can look back and see what an idiot I am, er, I mean, which of us did better.
  I'm going to mostly stick with whatever trades the teams made. There will be a couple of exceptions, such as Atlanta trading two second round picks and a fourth to Washington for the 21st overall pick (I don't see the value at a position of need for Atlanta at that high of a pick, especially since I view Sam Baker as more of a guard or right tackle prospect).
  Also, since the teams have a lot more information on most of the guys that go in the last couple of rounds, I might tend to stick with the prospects they selected there unless I have a strong feeling about the pick.
  The other thing is that a lot of the same names will probably appear throughout, since I'm not redoing all of the GMs' work at the same time; obviously the prospects I most like and see as having the most value at various points in the draft are going to be “selected” more often.
  Names in bold are “matches” between my picks and a team's actual pick.

Arizona Cardinals
Quick hit: Love the DRC pick, in a close call over Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall.

Actual Draft
Round 1 (16): Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee St
Round 2 (50): Calais Campbell, DE, Miami
Round 3 (81): Early Doucet, WR, LSU
Round 4 (116): Kenny Iwebema, DE, Iowa
Round 5 (149): Timothy Hightower, RB, Richmond
Round 6 (185): Christopher Harrington, DE, Texas A&M
Round 7 (225): Brandon Keith, OT, Northern Iowa

Draft Redo
Round 1 (16): Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee St
Round 2 (50): Jason Jones, DE/DT, Eastern Michigan
Round 3 (81): Cliff Avril, OLB/DE, Purdue
Round 4 (116): Lavelle Hawkins, WR, California
Round 5 (149): Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State
Round 6 (185): Cory Boyd, RB, South Carolina
Round 7 (225): Brandon Keith, OT, Northern Iowa

Atlanta Falcons
Quick hit: Would have tried to find a way to trade down from the third pick to land Vanderbilt offensive tackle Chris Williams, rather than trade up to the twenty-first pick for Sam Baker. Also, I never would have signed Michael Turner (at least not for the kind of money he got), so a trade up into the late first round would have been to snatch Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall.

Actual Draft
Round 1 (3): Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
Round 1 (21): Sam Baker, OT, Southern California
Round 2 (37): Curtis Lofton, MLB, Oklahoma
Round 3 (68): Chevis Jackson, CB, LSU
Round 3 (84): Harry Douglas, WR, Louisville
Round 3 (98): Thomas DeCoud, S, California
Round 5 (138): Robert James, LB, Arizona State
Round 5 (154): Kroy Bierman, MLB, Montana
Round 6 (172): Thomas Brown, RB, Georgia
Round 7 (212): Wilrey Fontenot, CB, Arizona
Round 7 (232): Keith Zinger, TE, LSU

Draft Redo
Round 1 (3): Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Round 2 (34): Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech
Round 2 (37): Curtis Lofton, MLB, Oklahoma
Round 2 (48): Chad Henne, QB, Michigan
Round 3 (68): Earl Bennett, WR, Vanderbilt
Round 3 (98): Anthony Collins, OT, Kansas
Round 4 (103): Martin Rucker, TE, Missouri
Round 5 (138): Marcus Howard, DE, Georgia
Round 6 (172): Jaymar Johnson, WR, Jackson State
Round 7 (212): Josh Barrett, S, Arizona State
Round 7 (232): Cory Boyd, RB, South Carolina

Baltimore Ravens
Quick hit: In hindsight it certainly appears that the Ravens traded up higher than they needed to to land Joe Flacco. But you couldn't have known that at the time, and at the very least, I think they needed to get ahead of Miami at the top of round two. The earlier trade down with Jacksonville was a wonderful move.

Actual Draft
Round 1 (18): Joe Flacco, QB, Delaware
Round 2 (55): Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers
Round 3 (71): Tavares Gooden, LB, Miami
Round 3 (86): Tom Zbikowski, S, Notre Dame
Round 3 (99): Oniel Cousins, G, UTEP
Round 4 (106): Marcus Smith, WR, New Mexico
Round 4 (133): David Hale, OT, Weber State
Round 6 (206): Haruki Nakamura, S, Cincinnati
Round 7 (215): Justin Harper, WR, Virginia Tech
Round 7 (240): Allen Patrick, RB, Oklahoma

Draft Redo
Round 1 (18): Joe Flacco, QB, Delaware
Round 2 (55): Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers
Round 3 (71): Tavares Gooden, LB, Miami
Round 3 (86): Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida
Round 3 (99): Anthony Collins, OT, Kansas
Round 4 (106): Lavelle Hawkins, WR, California
Round 4 (133): Trae Williams, CB, South Florida
Round 6 (206): Haruki Nakamura, S, Cincinnati
Round 7 (215): Josh Barrett, S, Arizona State
Round 7 (240): Fernando Velasco, G/C, Georgia

Buffalo Bills
Quick hit: In terms of quality prospects filling needs, Buffalo's first two picks were as good as any team not selecting twice in the first round.

Actual Draft
Round 1 (11): Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
Round 2 (41): James Hardy, WR, Indiana
Round 3 (72): Chris Ellis, DE, Virginia Tech
Round 4 (114): Reggie Corner, CB, Akron
Round 4 (132): Derek Fine, TE, Kansas
Round 5 (147): Alvin Bowen, LB, Iowa State
Round 6 (179): Xavier Omon, RB, NW Missouri State
Round 7 (219): Demetrius Bell, OT, Northwestern State
Round 7 (224): Steve Johnson, WR, Kentucky
Round 7 (251): Kennard Cox, CB, Pittsburgh

Draft Redo
Round 1 (11): Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
Round 2 (41): James Hardy, WR, Indiana
Round 3 (72): Cliff Avril, DE, Purdue
Round 4 (114): Xavier Adibi, LB, Virginia Tech
Round 4 (132): Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State
Round 5 (147): Marcus Howard, DE, Georgia
Round 6 (179): Cory Boyd, RB, South Carolina
Round 7 (219): Brandon Keith, OT, Northern Iowa
Round 7 (224): Steve Johnson, WR, Kentucky
Round 7 (251): Erin Henderson, LB, Maryland

Carolina Panthers
Quick hit: Panthers received exceptional value with their third round picks, and trading up to land Otah with the nineteenth pick wasn't a bad move either. There's no way, though, that I would have taken Stewart over Mendenhall.

Actual Draft
Round 1 (13): Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
Round 1 (19): Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh
Round 3 (67): Charles Godfrey, CB/S, Iowa
Round 3 (74): Dan Connor, LB, Penn State
Round 5 (141): Gary Barnidge, TE, Louisville
Round 6 (181): Nick Hayden, DT, Wisconsin
Round 7 (221): Hilee Taylor, DE/OLB, UNC
Round 7 (241): Jeff Schwartz, G, Oregon
Round 7 (250): Mackenzy Bernadeau, G, Bentley

Draft Redo
Round 1 (13): Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
Round 1 (19): Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
Round 3 (67): Charles Godfrey, CB/S, Iowa
Round 3 (74): Dan Connor, LB, Penn State
Round 5 (141): Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State
Round 6 (181): John Sullivan, C, Notre Dame
Round 7 (221): Brandon Keith, OT, Northern Iowa
Round 7 (241): Marcus Monk, WR, Arkansas
Round 7 (250): Eric Foster, DE, Rutgers

Chicago Bears
Quick hit: If you're reading this through you can probably tell I love some of these picks: Williams, Bennett, and Davis are some of my favorite prospects. And the Bears added great value with Harrison, Bowman, and Monk. But a couple of big mistakes stand out: selecting Forte over Chad Henne and going with safety Craig Steltz in round 4.

Actual Draft
Round 1 (14): Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
Round 2 (44): Matt Forte, RB, Tulane
Round 3 (70): Earl Bennett, WR, Vanderbilt
Round 3 (90): Marcus Harrison, DT, Arkansas
Round 4 (120): Craig Steltz, S, LSU
Round 5 (142): Zack Bowman, CB, Nebraska
Round 5 (158): Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State
Round 7 (208): Ervin Baldwin, DE, Michigan State
Round 7 (222): Chester Adams, G, Georgia
Round 7 (243): Joey LaRocque, LB, Oregon State
Round 7 (247): Kirk Barton, OT, Ohio State
Round 7 (248): Marcus Monk, WR, Arkansas

Draft Redo
Round 1 (14): Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
Round 2 (44): Chad Henne, QB, Michigan
Round 3 (70): Earl Bennett, WR, Vanderbilt
Round 3 (90): Marcus Harrison, DT, Arkansas
Round 4 (120): Lavelle Hawkins, WR, California
Round 5 (142): Zack Bowman, CB, Nebraska
Round 5 (158): Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State
Round 7 (208): Cory Boyd, RB, South Carolina
Round 7 (222): Chester Adams, G, Georgia
Round 7 (243): David Roach, S, TCU
Round 7 (247): Eric Foster, DE, Rutgers
Round 7 (248): Marcus Monk, WR, Arkansas

Cincinnati Bengals
Quick hit: My mock draft was not a raging success, but there was at least one nail hit squarely on the head: “The Saints will find a way to leap frog the Bengals—whether it means trading with the Chiefs or the Patriots—and snatch Sedrick Ellis from them.” The Bengals should have traded up to prevent that from happening, but, as I also noted in my mock: “the stingy Bengals won't dare do anything as adventurous as that.” They blew it even further by not taking Trevor Laws in the second, but recovered with some fine picks on day two.

Actual Draft
Round 1 (9): Keith Rivers, LB, Southern Cal
Round 2 (46): Jerome Simpson, WR, Coastal Carolina
Round 3 (77): Pat Sims, DT, Auburn
Round 3 (97): Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida
Round 4 (112): Anthony Collins, OT, Kansas
Round 5 (145): Jason Shirley, DT, Fresno State
Round 6 (177): Corey Lynch, S, Appalachian State
Round 6 (207): Matt Sherry, TE, Villanova
Round 7 (244): Angelo Craig, OLB, Cincinnati
Round 7 (196): Mario Urrutia, WR, Louisville

Draft Redo
Round 1 (9): Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
Round 2 (46): Trevor Laws, DT, Notre Dame
Round 3 (77): Cliff Avril, DE/OLB, Purdue
Round 3 (97): Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida
Round 4 (112): Anthony Collins, OT, Kansas
Round 5 (145): Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State
Round 6 (177): Ahtyba Rubin, DT, Iowa State
Round 6 (207): Matt Sherry, TE, Villanova
Round 7 (244): Angelo Craig, OLB, Cincinnati
Round 7 (196): Danny Amendola, WR, Texas Tech

Cleveland Browns
Quick hit: Given the limited picks they had, the Browns did pretty well for themselves. I wouldn't have traded up for Beau Bell, but it's not a bad move; I view Jonathan Goff as the safer pick, but Bell can reasonably be said to have a higher ceiling.

Actual Draft
Round 4 (104): Beau Bell, ILB, UNLV
Round 4 (111): Martin Rucker, TE, Missouri
Round 6 (190): Ahtyba Rubin, DT, Iowa State
Round 6 (191): Paul Hubbard, WR, Wisconsin
Round 7 (231): Alex Hall, OLB, St. Augustine's

Draft Redo
Round 4 (104): Jonathan Goff, ILB, Vanderbilt
Round 4 (111): Martin Rucker, TE, Missouri
Round 6 (190): Ahtyba Rubin, DT, Iowa State
Round 6 (191): Cory Boyd, RB, South Carolina
Round 7 (231): Alex Hall, OLB, St. Augustine's

Dallas Cowboys
Quick hit: The toughest call in the entire draft might have been Dallas's regarding which running back to take with the twenty-second pick. Do you take the most complete running back available, Rashard Mendenhall? Or do you go with the more complementary piece to Marion Barber, Felix Jones, with the added benefit that it doesn't create a “carries controversy” with the media and in the locker room?

Actual Draft
Round 1 (22): Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
Round 1 (25): Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
Round 2 (61): Martellus Bennett, TE, Texas A&M
Round 4 (122): Tashard Choice, RB, Georgia Tech
Round 5 (143): Orlando Scandrick, CB, Boise State
Round 6 (167): Erik Walden, OLB, Middle Tennessee St

Draft Redo
Round 1 (22): Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
Round 1 (25): Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
Round 2 (61): Earl Bennett, WR, Vanderbilt
Round 4 (122): Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State
Round 5 (143): Marcus Howard, OLB, Georgia
Round 6 (167): Cory Boyd, RB, South Carolina

Denver Broncos
Quick hit: The Broncos did a good job of filling many of their roster holes via free agency. The offensive line was the one glaring area they needed to address.

Actual Draft
Round 1 (12): Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
Round 2 (42): Eddie Royal, WR, Virginia Tech
Round 4 (108): Kory Lichtensteiger, C, Bowling Green
Round 4 (119): Jack Williams, CB, Kent
Round 5 (139): Ryan Torain, RB, Arizona State
Round 5(148): Carlton Powell, DT, Virginia Tech
Round 6 (183): Spencer Larsen, LB, Arizona
Round 7 (220): Josh Barrett, S, Arizona State
Round 7 (227): Peyton Hills, FB, Arkansas

Draft Redo
Round 1 (12): Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
Round 2 (42): Mike Pollak, C, Arizona State
Round 4 (108): Lavelle Hawkins, WR, California
Round 4 (119): Jack Williams, CB, Kent
Round 5 (139): Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State
Round 5(148): Ahtyba Rubin, DT, Iowa State
Round 6 (183): Spencer Larsen, LB, Arizona
Round 7 (220): Josh Barrett, S, Arizona State
Round 7 (227): Peyton Hills, FB, Arkansas

Detroit Lions
Quick hit: I don't understand selecting Gosder Cherilus with Jeff Otah still on the board, but you have to like Millen's logic of taking the tackle first and then grabbing the running back later. I'm not crazy about the Dizon pick, but I can't fault him too much, because with Mayo off the board there wasn't a lot in the way of potential cover two middle linebackers.

Actual Draft
Round 1 (17): Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
Round 2 (45): Jordan Dizon, LB, Colorado
Round 3 (64): Kevin Smith, RB, Central Florida
Round 3 (87): Andre Fluellen, DT, Florida State
Round 3 (92): Cliff Avril, DE, Purdue
Round 5 (136): Kenneth Moore, WR, Wake Forest
Round 5 (146): Jerome Felton, FB, Furman
Round 7 (216): Landon Cohen, DE, Ohio
Round 7 (218): Caleb Campbell, S, Army

Draft Redo
Round 1 (17): Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh
Round 2 (45): Trevor Laws, DT, Notre Dame
Round 3 (64): Kevin Smith, RB, Central Florida
Round 3 (87): Phillip Wheeler, MLB, Georgia Tech
Round 3 (92): Cliff Avril, DE, Purdue
Round 5 (136): Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State
Round 5 (146): Roy Schuening, G, Oregon State
Round 7 (216): Erin Henderson, LB, Maryland
Round 7 (218): Caleb Campbell, S, Army

Green Bay Packers
Quick hit: The Packers don't generally make too many mistakes in the draft, but it's not like they're the Colts, right?

Actual Draft
Round 2 (36): Jordy Nelson, WR, Kansas State
Round 2 (56): Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
Round 2 (60): Patrick Lee, CB, Auburn
Round 3 (91): Jermichael Finley, TE, Texas
Round 4 (102): Jeremy Thompson, DE, Wake Forest
Round 4 (135): Josh Sitton, OT, Central Florida
Round 5 (150): Breno Giacomini, OT, Louisville
Round 7 (209): Matt Flynn, QB, LSU
Round 7 (217): Brett Swain, WR, San Diego State

Draft Redo
Round 2 (36): Tracy Porter, CB, Indiana
Round 2 (56): Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
Round 2 (60): Patrick Lee, CB, Auburn
Round 3 (91): Anthony Collins, OT, Kansas
Round 4 (102): Jeremy Thompson, DE, Wake Forest
Round 4 (135): Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State
Round 5 (150): Roy Schuening, G, Oregon State
Round 7 (209): Josh Barrett, S, Arizona State
Round 7 (217): Adrian Arrington, WR, Michigan

Houston Texans
Quick hit: Houston's selection of Duane Brown was considered a reach by some, but I had him as the fourth best tackle prospect in the draft, and given the run on tackles (including some I had rated much below him, i.e., Gosder Cherilus), it was a perfectly reasonable move.

Actual Draft
Round 1 (26): Duane Brown, OT, Virginia Tech
Round 3 (79): Antwaun Molden, CB, Eastern Kentucky
Round 3 (89): Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia
Round 4 (118): Xavier Adibi, LB, Virginia Tech
Round 5 (151): Frank Okam, DT, University of Texas
Round 6 (173): Dominque Barber, SS, Minnesota
Round 7 (223): Alex Brink, QB, Washington State

Draft Redo
Round 1 (26): Duane Brown, OT, Virginia Tech
Round 3 (79): Antwaun Molden, CB, Eastern Kentucky
Round 3 (89): Jeremy Thompson, DE, Wake Forest
Round 4 (118): Xavier Adibi, LB, Virginia Tech
Round 5 (151): Marcus Howard, DE, Georgia
Round 6 (173): Ahtyba Rubin, DT, Iowa State
Round 7 (223): Cory Boyd, RB, South Carolina

Indianapolis Colts
Quick hit: The Colts entire starting lineup last year consisted of players they drafted. Yeah, so I won't be challenging them on too many picks. Nevermind that getting Marcus Howard in the fifth round was one of the biggest steals of this draft.

Actual Draft
Round 2 (59): Mike Pollak, C, Arizona State
Round 3 (93): Phillip Wheeler, LB, Georgia Tech
Round 4 (127): Jacob Tamme, TE, Kentucky
Round 5 (161): Marcus Howard, DE, Georgia
Round 6 (196): Tom Santi, TE, Virginia
Round 6 (201): Steve Justice, C, Wake Forest
Round 6 (202): Mike Hart, RB, Michigan
Round 6 (205): Pierre Garcon, WR, Mount Union
Round 7 (236): Jamey Richard, C, Buffalo

Draft Redo
Round 2 (59): Mike Pollak, C, Arizona State
Round 3 (93): Phillip Wheeler, LB, Georgia Tech
Round 4 (127): Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State
Round 5 (161): Marcus Howard, DE, Georgia
Round 6 (196): Cory Boyd, RB, South Carolina
Round 6 (201): Steve Justice, C, Wake Forest
Round 6 (202): Matt Sherry, TE, Villanova
Round 6 (205): Pierre Garcon, WR, Mount Union
Round 7 (236): Rodney Van, CB, UCLA

Jacksonville Jaguars
Quick hit: The Jags put most of their effort into moving way up in round one in order to take defensive end Derrick Harvey. They took another end in round two, making it clear that improving their pass rush was their one and only priority in this draft. Given the overall talent level of this team, and the wide receivers they added during free agency, I can't argue too much with their reasoning.

Actual Draft
Round 1 (8): Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
Round 2 (52): Quentin Groves, DE, Auburn
Round 5 (155): Thomas Williams, OLB, USC
Round 5 (159): Trae Williams, CB, South Florida
Round 7 (213): Chauncey Washington, RB, USC

Draft Redo
Round 1 (8): Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
Round 2 (52): Patrick Lee, CB, Auburn
Round 5 (155): Marcus Howard, DE, Georgia
Round 5 (159): Trae Williams, CB, South Florida
Round 7 (213): Cory Boyd, RB, South Carolina

Kansas City Chiefs
Quick hit: Some teams are able to go best player available with each pick because they're so stocked with talent. The Chiefs were in the even more rare position of being able to go best player available because they needed starters at just about every position other than running back and tight end, and even those positions lacked quality reservers.

Actual Draft
Round 1 (5): Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Round 1 (15): Branden Albert, G, Virginia
Round 2 (35): Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech
Round 3 (73): Jamaal Charles, RB, Texas
Round 3 (76): Brad Cottam, TE, Tennessee
Round 3 (82): DaJuan Morgan, S, North Carolina State
Round 4 (105): Will Franklin, WR, Missouri
Round 6 (170): Barry Richardson, OT, Clemson
Round 6 (182): Kevin Robinson, WR, Utah State
Round 7 (210): Brian Johnston, DE, Gardner-Webb
Round 7 (239): Mike Merrit, TE, Central Florida

Draft Redo
Round 1 (5): Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Round 1 (15): Branden Albert, T/G, Virginia
Round 2 (35): Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech
Round 3 (73): Jeremy Zuttah, G/C, Rutgers
Round 3 (76): Brad Cottam, TE, Tennessee
Round 3 (82): Cliff Avril, DE, Purdue
Round 4 (105): Lavelle Hawkins, WR, California
Round 6 (170): Cory Boyd, RB, South Carolina
Round 6 (182): Spencer Larsen, LB, Arizona
Round 7 (210): Marcus Monk, WR, Arkansas
Round 7 (239): Eric Foster, DE, Rutgers

In the Trenches: 2007 week four

Games Reviewed
Pittsburgh Steelers (14) at Arizona Cardinals (21)
Chicago Bears (27) at Detroit Lions (37)
Green Bay Packers (23) at Minnesota Vikings (16)
Kansas City Chiefs (30) at San Diego Chargers (16)
Denver Broncos (20) at Indianapolis Colts (38)

Game Notes
The season Blocker Rating averages dip a bit after implementing BR 2.0 for week four. But the dip can't be attributed only to the changes I made to the rating system, as the five games from this week contained some atrocious blocking. The Chiefs were so bad that I'm pretty sure watching their game against the Chargers gave me the flu. I might have had a swifter recovery if I hadn't tried to stomach the Bears-Lions match up right away. Finally, it was more luck than good judgment that saved me from the Steeler game until I was clear headed.
  A couple of week ago, after he had a good game against the Seahawks, I wondered if Arizona guard Reggie Wells always played that well and if he might not be one of the most underrated linemen in the NFL. After seeing two more Arizona games I feel confident in saying he's not all that. He's an adequate starter, and he plays the game the right way, but it's his teammate, left tackle Mike Gandy, who has been looking like a guy who deserves more accolades. Unfortunately, sample size is still too small to make any definitive statement, but Gandy's 8.99 BR for the season is tops so far among left tackles with at least 50 charted snaps (which includes guys like Walter Jones, Matt Light, Chad Clifton, Chris Samuels, and Marcus McNeil) and fourth among LTs with at least 20 snaps (behind Flozell Adams, Joe Thomas, and D'Brickashaw Ferguson).
  Two right tackles, Kansas City's Kyle Turley and Detroit's Jonathan Scott, posted the first BRs below 6. Turley was replaced by Chris Terry, who played poorly himself but virtually shined in comparison to Turley (and most of the rest of the Chiefs' line). Meanwhile, Scott was a replacement for George Foster who had committed his seventh false start penalty of the year. Foster had not been playing well by any stretch of the imagination, but even with another false start he would have been better than Scott.

Blocker Ratings
Average BRs (through four weeks)


Left Tackle


Left Guard


Center


Right Guard


Right Tackle

In the Trenches: 2007 week two

Games Reviewed
Cincinnati Bengals (51) at Cleveland Browns (45)
Minnesota Vikings (17) at Detroit Lions (20)
Oakland Raiders (20) at Denver Broncos (23)
Indianapolis Colts (22) at Tennessee Titans (20)
Seattle Seahawks (20) at Arizona Cardinals (23)

Top Linemen (by position)


Left Tackle
In this high-scoring shootout with the Bengals, Joe Thomas played like the rookie of the year candidate that he was. I'm looking forward to watching the Browns again to see if he keeps up this level of play. The only other left tackle with a BR over 9 was Seattle's Walter Jones (9.18). Unlike Thomas, who was tenacious and typically giving his all right up to the whistle, Jones often seemed to be getting by on talent and experience alone, doing just enough to get his job done.
  Arizona's Mike Gandy (8.93) stood out, playing exceptionally well for much of his game against the Seahawks before faltering a bit on the final few drives.
  Detroit's Jeff Backus (8.43) became the third left tackle to post a Run Blocker Rating (RBR) over 9 (9.38 RBR), following Chris Samuels (9.68 RBR) and Flozell Adams (9.44 RBR) who did so in week one. Unfortunately there was relatively little opportunity for him to run block in Mike Martz's pass-happy offense, and his overall BR was heavily affected by his shaky pass blocking.
  Indianapolis rookie Tony Ugoh (6.73) struggled in all phases of the game against the mighty Titans defense. He was the only left tackle this week to score below 8 and the first in the ten games reviewed so far to score below a 7 (last week's low BR for the position was Denver's Matt Lepsis's 7.96).

Left Guard
The second overall pick of the 2004 draft, Robert Gallery was supposed to be Oakland's starting left tackle for a decade. Instead, he has been considered a bust as he has been moved all over the line by his various coaches. Getting a chance to settle in at left guard, Gallery looked comfortable against the Broncos, consistently blocking well.
  Arizona's Reggie Wells (8.93) stood out with some really great blocks. If he always plays the way he did in this Seattle game, then I'd say he's one of the most underrated linemen in the NFL. We'll see what happens.
  Detroit's Edwin Mulitalo (8.86) was surprisingly stout in pass protection (9.63 PBR) but pretty bad in the running game (6.25 RBR).
  The most well-known left guards—Indianapolis's Ryan Lilja (8.78), Cleveland's Eric Steinbach (8.54), and Minnesota's Steve Hutchinson (8.54)—all had pretty average games, though each stood out at times with a number of key blocks.
  For the second week in a row, Cincinnati's Stacy Andrews (7.14) was the lowest rated left guard. In fact, he played worse against the Browns than he had against the Ravens. His 4.67 RBR was the second-worst I've recorded so far, ahead of only Jets right tackle Anthony Clement (4.17 against the Patriots in week 1).

Center
Cleveland's Hank Fraley was clearly the best center in the games reviewed this week; however, his 9.27 BR would have been just fifth last week. Center is still a high-scoring position, but whereas last week's lowest rated center (minimum ten plays) was 8.6, this week saw four centers score below that. And last week's top center, Tom Nalen, was just above that with a 8.67.
  Two centers had a BR below 8. Arizona rookie Lyle Sendlein (7.86), who got off to a rough start but played better as the game wore on. And Detroit's Dominic Raiola (7.86): another Lion lineman who struggled terribly with run blocking (5 RBR) against the Vikings.

Right Guard
The recently retired Benji Olson of the Titans was second among guards this week with a 9.27 BR. His 9.58 RBR was the best of any lineman.
  Detroit's Damien Woody's (9) looked like he knew it was a contract year all along, while Seattle's Chris Gray (8.98) and Oakland's Cooper Carlisle (8.94) also had good weeks.
  Minnesota's Artis Hicks (7.5) was the only right guard to rate below an 8.

Right Tackle
Last week, six of ten right tackles scored 9 or higher. This week brought none. David Stewart's quietly efficient 8.91BR led the way, while Cleveland's Kevin Shaffer (8.54) was the only other right tackle to rate above 8.5.
  Detroit's George Foster (7.14) was the lowest rated right tackle, and two others also had BRs below 8: Indianapolis's Ryan Diem (7.35), who clearly benefits (in terms of sacks allowed numbers) from having Peyton Manning as his quarterback, and Denver's Erik Pears (7.83) who dropped off quite a bit from his 8.7 performance against the Bills in week one.

One More Thing
Having reviewed offensive line play in detail for ten games now, one thing already stands out: the amount of yards lost because of linemen not even attempting to stay on their blocks, or linemen who just stop on a play because they feel like the QB should have gotten rid of the ball by then or the running back should have made his cut and shot through the hole already. Well, yes, maybe those things should have happened in the first four seconds of the play, but they didn't, and now you're man in running by you and slamming your QB into the ground, or he's caught the running back and stopped him for a five-yard gain, but it could have been ten yards or more if you'd just stayed with that defensive end and kept him slowed down for another step or two.
  I haven't counted the times I've seen these sort of things, but it's surprisingly high. If I were a coach or GM who wanted to improve his team's offense I would make this a point of emphasis. And even though I'm hesitant to make sweeping pronouncements about players on this account (again, I'm not tallying such instances), I make that "suggestion" with great confidence because it's apparent that this is more of a problem with some teams than it is with others.
  For instance, from what I have seen so far of the Browns and the Cardinals (and going back to week one, I'd have to say the Cowboys and Redskins as well), their linemen stand out as staying at it till the whistle blows. They always seem to be hustling and the only time they let up is when their job really is done, when it's clear their man will not be a factor in the play.
  With such a small sample I'm not going to finger particular players or teams that have exhibited this problem consistently so far, but you can bet that many of the players given to letting up early (though not all) have lower Blocker Ratings, even though it's not a specific criterion in the scoring.

In the Trenches: 2007 week one

Games Charted
Denver Broncos (15) at Buffalo Bills (14)
New England Patriots (38) at New York Jets (14)
New York Giants (35) at Dallas Cowboys (45)
Miami Dolphins (13) at Washington Redskins (16)
Baltimore Ravens (20) at Cincinnati Bengals (27)

Top Linemen (by position)


Left Tackle
First, a reminder that these ratings are based on NFL Replay and therefore they do not include the entire game as there are a handful of plays not shown. That said, Flozell Adams's 9.74 would be the highest single-game rating so far for a player with at least 20 plays. Patriots guard Stephen Neal posted a perfect 10 in the Super Bowl, but he was only in on 19 plays before leaving injured. The high rating seems fitting when you remember that it was Osi Umenyiora's"pair of zeros against the Cowboys" that was the impetus for Dr. Z taking a closer look at Adams's 2007 season and placing him on his All-Pro team.
  I have to mention Washington's Chris Samuels (9.2 BR). He was one of the most impressive linemen I saw and certainly the most enjoyable to watch. His 8.42 PBR is largely due to facing Miami's Jason Taylor, while his 9.68 RBR was the best of any lineman with more than twelve plays. He was a monster, an eraser on wheels.
  Baltimore's Jonathan Ogden (9.41) was playing great until he left the game injured. And Adam Terry (9.09) played well in his absence.
  Buffalo's Jason Peters (9.2) looked a little like a young Chris Samuels. Not as consistently good, but possessing that kind of power and mobility.
  And one of the pleasant surprises of week one: D'Brickashaw Ferguson (9.0). When Ferguson failed, he failed spectacularly so everyone could notice. But he played consistently well, and his run blocking was better than expected.
  Denver's Matt Lepsis (7.96) was the only left tackle to score below 8, though the Giants' David Diehl (8.04) came close.

Left Guard
Rich Seubert benefits from getting a good deal of double-team help from Shaun O'Hara. He also probably benefitted just a bit by this being the first game I charted before making a handful of tweaks to the rating system (it's not reverse-adjustable: I'd have to go back and re-chart the whole game). Both the Giants and Cowboys offensive lines played extremely well, with the exceptions of Diehl, who struggled with DeMarcus Ware, and Marc Columbo (8.46), who struggled some with Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck. Like all of the week's top linemen, Seubert posted a perfect Pass Blocker Rating (PBR), and the Giants ended up with 40 charted passing plays—nine more than any other team charted—boosting his overall rating.
  The lowest rated left guard was Stacy Andrews (8.1). He did great in pass protection (9.57) but looked plain awful in run blocking (6.32). No player was more frustrating to watch the Andrews, who sometimes looked at a loss out there. In case you're wondering about bias: this is a guy whose ability I was bullish on as a potential free agent. Could his poor performance be attributed to the Ravens' league-best rush defense? I wanted to think so.

Center
Tom Nalen looked like the perennial All-Pro he is. He really stood out for his smarts and relentlessness. Centers are frequently involved with double teams and so they definitely score higher than the other positions. Six of the ten starting centers rated higher than a 9, and the lowest rating was an otherwise respectable 8.6 posted by Baltimore's Mike Flynn. Nalen was one of three centers to post a perfect 10 in pass blocking (Buffalo's Melvin Fowler and New England's Dan Koppen were the others), but his 9.2 was fourth best in run blocking behind Dallas's Andre Gurode (9.44), Fowler (9.38), and Cincinnati's Eric Ghiaciuc (9.33).
  No center looked worse than Cincinnati reserve Alex Stepanovich (who was for a short time the top choice at center on my 2008 All Free Agent team). The entire Bengals line looked out of sync when he was in the game. After a few series, an injured Ghiaciuc returned and played well. (Don't worry: Stepanovich will play better in week two against the Browns.)

Right Guard
I wasn't sure whether to break the guard positions into left and right, or if I should just list the top two regardless of which side they play on. Didn't matter this week because Leonard Davis posted the second best score among guards, finishing just ahead of Baltimore's Jason Brown and Miami's Chris Liwienski (both at 9.4). Davis was one of five guards to post a perfect PBR, and his 8.89 RBR was fourth behind the Jets' Brandon Moore (10, but on only twelve run plays, while his PBR of 7.86 was the lowest of any guard), New England's Stephen Neal (8.97), and Liwienski (8.95).
  Liwienski (a left guard actually) was by far the least impressive lineman with a BR over 9. I doubt there'll be another week where he'll be showing up near the top at his position (then again, how many Dolphins games is NFL Replay likely to show?).
  On the other hand, in the two games of his I've charted, Stephen Neal has looked like the best mauler in the league. He doesn't have the mobility of heralded teammate Logan Mankins, but he's been more consistent in carrying out his assignments.
  The Giants' Chris Snee (9.11) was the third best right guard, while Washington's Randy Thomas (8.2) was surprisingly ineffective in the run game (7.1).
  The worst right guard was another one of my 2008 All Free Agent guys, Miami's Rex Hadnot (7.2). The fine reporters who cover the Dolphins liked to write about Hadnot's pulling ability. But if the Washington game was any indication, as often as not when Hadnot pulls he hits first the air and then the ground.

Right Tackle
Rookie Stephon Heyer stepped in when Jon Jansen went out with an injury. Jansen was on pace for a great game (9.3 on 15 plays) and Heyer came in and played up to Jansen's level. The
one thing to consider is that the Dolphin defense might have had something to do with Heyer's high score: Jason Taylor was primarily on the other side going against Washington's best lineman Chris Samuels.
  Just as he did in the Super Bowl, Kareem McKenzie (9.29) had a quietly great game, as did New England's Nick Kaczur (9.2).
  Only two right tackles had a BR of lower than 8. Cincinnati's Willie Anderson (7.0), who was limited to ten plays due injuries, and the Jets' Anthony Clement (7.5), whose pass blocking was fine (8.93) but whose running blocking was the worst yet seen: he was the only linemen with RBR under 5 (4.17).

One More Thing
Although five abbreviated games is too small of a sample size to make sweeping judgments, it looks like my Blocker Rating will correspond quite a bit to conventional wisdom. That's good. I'm not sure what I would make of ratings that contradicted all of what's supposed to be (though I certainly expect that one or two consensus opinions would be proved wrong). Pro Bowl-caliber players show up all over the top of the week 1 Blocker Ratings: Adams (whose false starts aren't counted), Nalen, Davis, Gurode, Ogden, Brown, Jansen, Neal, Samuels, Snee (that's half of the top 20 right there). But there's one guy who I've charted in both Super Bowl 42 and now in 2007 week 1 who's just not living up to his billing: Logan Mankins. I don't want to make a definitive statement at this time—I've only charted two of his games—but he certainly hasn't looked like the NFL's best guard. He does look amazing at times. He has actually "wowed" me with a couple of his pull blocks. But I haven't seen the consistency: not on the most important stage, in the Super Bowl against the Giants, and not in the opening game against the Jets, who fielded the league's worst defensive front last season.

Team Needs: Denver Broncos

1. Wide Receiver
Brandon Marshall had a breakout season and Brandon Stokley was back to being one of the best slot receivers in the game (ranked 8th in DVOA among receivers with at least 50 passes thrown their way). Javon Walker, on the other hand, contributed little value, has been a malcontent, and is due some big bonuses this off-season—you think the Broncos might want to cut him loose? After a great career for the Broncos, Rod Smith appears ready to retire. That leaves returner Glenn Martinez as the only other option.

2. Middle Linebacker
D.J. Williams gave it a go on the inside last year, but he's clearly a better fit at outside linebacker. Backup Jordan Beck is good on special teams, but not likely to step into the starter's role. The Broncos would be best off filling this hole with their second or third round draft pick, since there's little to choose from in free agency. Although they could look at one of the recently released former standouts, Zach Thomas or Dan Morgan, even then they would need to bring in young blood.

3. Defensive Tackle
2007 fourth-rounder Marcus Thomas has tremendous upside and should continue to improve and be a force in the trenches. Alvin McKinley would provide adequate depth, but as a starter he leaves a bit to be desired. Denver could use a big run-stuffer to play the nose and should look to add one in the third or fourth round of the draft.

4. Safety
John Lynch will turn 37 in August and even if he returns for one more season, it should be in a limited role. Hamza Abdullah, receiving the most playing time so far in his three-year career, was inconsistent, but he showed some promise, can play either safety position, and is only 24. Nick Ferguson is 33, finished the season on IR, and is a free agent. Roderick Rogers and Steve Cargile are practice squad/bottom of the roster guys. The only reason this need isn't higher is because safety tends to be less of an impact position than DT or MLB.

5. Offensive Tackle
With the retirement of Matt Lepsis, who started 133 games over the last 9 seasons, the Broncos have a big hole to fill at left tackle. 2007 third-rounder Ryan Harris and right tackle Erik Pears, who started on the left side for part of 2006 when Lepsis was injured, could be given a shot at it. Even if Harris and Pears adequately man the two starting spots depth is needed.

6. Running Back
Travis Henry is due a $6 million bonus this off-season and if he doesn't renegotiate his contract there's a good chance Denver could decide he's more trouble than he's worth. Selvin Young had a surprisingly good rookie year, but his durability is a big question mark, and it was clear from Mike Shanahan's end-of-the-year presser than Young won't be getting more than 15-20 carries a game at the most. Denver has liked what they've seen out of undrafted rookie Andre Hall, but he, too, has durability questions. Even if Henry returns there's just too much fragility in this unit not to add at least one more back.

7. Quarterback
I know Patrick Ramsey came in and played well against the Lions, but anyone who watched him in Washington and, even more so, in New York, can't be too comfortable with the thought of him as the backup. I like Ramsey, and I'd love to see him put it all together and get another shot somewhere, but from a personnel standpoint, I'd be looking for an upgrade.

8. Defensive End
If they can resign workman-like base end John Engelberger, Denver should have a good rotation involving him, 2007 second-rounder Tim Crowder (who flashed some ability in his rookie campaign), 2007 first-rounder Jarvis Moss (who struggled with injuries but has hit the weight room hard), and young pass-rushing specialist Elvis Dumervil.

9. Punter
Sam Paulescu punted well in the one and only game of his career so far (week 17), but it remains to be seen if he's the long-term answer. At the very least, he's not going to be simply handed the job just yet.