Quiet giant: Browns LT Thomas' actions, not words, say it all

[Brown Warrior]

THAT... is a good video. That drive against the Jets gave me Congressman Weiner wood, like enormous. Man, let's finish this CBA bullshit and get to some football.

[BernietheKid]

Power Rankings: Top 10 left tackles

June, 14, 2011 Jun 14
12:40PM ET


By Pat Yasinskas

ESPN.com ranks the NFL’s top 10 at left tackle, one of the most important positions in the league. Next week: Top up-and-coming assistants.

Take a quarter out of your pocket and look at its width. That’s basically the difference between the top two left tackles in the ESPN.com Power Rankings.

Cleveland’s Joe Thomas received 76 points from our eight-person panel of voters. Miami’s Jake Long received 75. That put them way ahead of the rest of our top 10 list of the NFL's best blindside pass protectors.

Our panel of division bloggers gave Thomas five first-place votes, and Long received three.

“It was pretty much a coin flip for me,’’ said NFC East blogger Dan Graziano.

If Graziano’s quarter had landed on the other side, we might have had a different outcome. I think the same can be said for some of the other voters. I gave Thomas my top vote only after some strong consideration for Long.

But let’s cut to the chase and point out the man who ultimately decided this election. It’s AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky. Every other voter had Thomas and Long in the top two spots. Kuharsky threw things off a bit by putting Long at No. 1 and Tennessee’s Michael Roos at No. 2. He had Thomas at No. 3.

Let’s turn to Kuharsky for his rationale.

“I've seen Long more, which helped him,’’ Kuharsky said. “Also, frankly, I knew there could be close to a consensus for Thomas. He's very good. But we're not talking Orlando Pace or Jonathan Ogden. The groundswell for Thomas as top left tackle is, in my eyes, more a media creation than the view of players, scouts and coaches. I wanted to note and reflect that.’’

Point taken, and I agree that we’re not talking the same level as Pace and Ogden -- at least not yet. Thomas and Long are young and it’s too early to put them in the category of surefire Hall of Famers. But, aided largely by Kuharsky, Roos did finish No. 6 overall.

Ryan Clady, Jordan Gross and D'Brickashaw Ferguson rounded out our top five at Nos. 3, 4 and 5 respectively. After Roos, the rest of the top 10 was filled out by Jason Peters (No. 7), Marcus McNeill and Donald Penn, who tied for No. 8, and Matt Light at No. 10.


Ranking the Left Tackles: How They Voted

Rk	Player									Tot
		DG	TG	PK	MS	KS	JW	BW	PY
1	Joe Thomas	2	2	3	1	1	1	1	1	76
2	Jake Long	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	75
3	Ryan Clady	3	6	5	3	4	5	3	4	55
4	Jordan Gross	8	3	4	7	5	7	5	3	46
5	D'Brickashaw Ferguson	4	5	8	9	6	3	4	9	40
6	Michael Roos	5	4	2	5	--	--	7	8	35
7	Jason Peters	6	--	10	4	3	9	10	5	30
8t.	Marcus McNeill	9	--	6	6	--	6	9	10	20
8t.	Donald Penn	--	8	7	8	--	8	8	7	20
10	Matt Light	10	--	--	--	9	4	--	6	15
Others Receiving Votes
11	Andrew Whitworth	7	10	9	--	7	10	--	--	12
12	Chad Clifton	--	7	--	--	--	--	6	--	9
13	Doug Free	--	9	--	--	8	--	--	--	5
14t	Russell Okung	--	--	--	10	--	--	--	--	1
14t	Jeff Backus	--	--	--	--	10	--	--	--	1
Key: DG=Dan Graziano; MS=Mike Sando; KS=Kevin Seifert; PY=Pat Yasinskas; TG=Tim Graham; BW=Bill Williamson; JW=James Walker; PK=Paul Kuharsky Rank: 1=10 points, 2=9 points, 3=8 points, 4=7 points, 5=6 points, etc.

Let’s work our way back toward the top, with one more quick stop at Roos. I had him at No. 8 on my ballot, and James Walker and Kevin Seifert didn’t even vote for him. I’ve had a couple of scouts tell me Roos is a good left tackle, but seemed to take a step backward last season.

Kuharsky heard otherwise.

“I've had a coach and two scouts tell me Roos is as good or better than Thomas and Long,’’ Kuharsky said. “I obviously see Roos a lot and think he's quite good, certainly better than he wound up here.’’

Roos or ruse? Take your pick, but let’s head right back to the top of the voting and back to the argument between Thomas and Long. They were drafted one year apart with Thomas entering the league in 2007 and Long coming in for the 2008 season. Each has made it to the Pro Bowl in every season played.

Kuharsky mentioned the “media creation’’ about Thomas. In Cleveland? That’s not where you usually turn to find guys to top Power Rankings, so our vote has to say something pretty strong about Thomas. Let’s turn to the guy who covers Thomas.

"Thomas has always been focused on doing his job,’’ Walker said. “You can't tell whether the Browns are 16-0 or 0-16 with the way he plays, and that's why he's been to four straight Pro Bowls. The NFL has gone the way of speed pass-rushers, and Thomas is the prototype to combat that. He’s lean with very good feet and agility, but still strong enough to dominate in the running game. There’s really no weakness in his game.”

None of our panelists saw a weakness in Long’s game.

“I thought Long's run-blocking ability put him a little bit ahead of Thomas,’’ Grazianzo said. “I think he's shown improvement every year and is likely to pass Thomas soon if he hasn't already (and for me, these lists are about which guy I'd pick right now, so a guy I think is going to get better is going to get a long look from me). And he earned a bonus point or two from me for playing the last six games of 2010 in a shoulder harness and still being incredible.’’

The best news is, these guys are so young we can have this same argument every year for the next decade. Now, let’s move on to some other notes about the voting in the Power Rankings for left tackles.

Turn off the Light. As we mentioned, Light came in at No. 10. That surprised me a bit because he’s a big name with three Super Bowl championships and three Pro Bowl selections. I had Light at No. 6 and Walker had him at No. 4. But Light didn’t even appear on four ballots, including the one from AFC East representative Tim Graham.

“Matt Light is a quality player, but Stats Inc. blamed him for 10 sacks allowed and four penalties last season, more in each category than his previous two seasons combined,’’ Graham said. “I've always thought Light got more recognition simply from being Tom Brady's left tackle. Once you name the three or four elite tackles and you rack your brain for the next group, it's easy to understand people sorting through the great quarterbacks and asking, 'Who is so-and-so's left tackle?' Light made the Pro Bowl last year, but as an alternate. Light's reputation also is enhanced by his involvement in the union and being a truly rare species: the gregarious Patriot.’’

Also-rans. Andrew Whitworth, Chad Clifton, Doug Free, Russell Okung and Jeff Backus didn’t make the top 10, but each received votes.

“I don't think there are 10 elite or even complete left tackles in the NFL,’’ NFC West blogger Mike Sando said. “I list Okung on a very short list of players with the talent and makeup to be elite at that position. Okung hasn't played enough to this point, but I think he'll join that group this season. Listing someone with considerably less ability was the alternative.’’

The longest shot. Somewhere, former Tampa Bay general manager Bruce Allen and coach Jon Gruden are smiling at Penn’s name appearing on this list. It’s true, they headed the regime that signed Penn as a free agent in 2007 after he was cut by Minnesota in 2006. Then again, they were also the ones who signed Luke Petitgout, and Penn only got a chance to play because Petitgout turned out to be washed up. I used to subscribe to the theory that you needed to use a first-round pick to get a good left tackle. But Penn has shown that’s not necessary. In his case, he simply made the most of his shot at playing time and turned it into a $48 million contract as training camp started last year.

Power Rankings: Top 10 left tackles - NFC South Blog - ESPN

[BernietheKid]

Protect and serve: NFL's best O-linemen come in all forms

• By Pat Kirwan NFL.com
• Senior Analyst
• Published: June 14, 2011 at 04:30 p.m.
• Updated: June 14, 2011 at 05:34 p.m.

When talking about the best offensive linemen in the NFL, it's easy to mention left tackles because they play an elite position and are typically the best paid. But there's so much more to the success of an offensive line.

I got opinions from three NFL offensive line coaches to go along with my own opinion in creating this list of the 25 best offensive linemen, which includes 11 tackles, eight guards and seven centers. None of the coaches had the same player ranked No. 1, which I found interesting.


For the record, the three names for the top spot were Joe Thomas, Nick Mangold and Ryan Kalil.
As I have done with the other position rankings this spring, the players will be in groups of five and in alphabetical order inside each group. Each of the 25 O-linemen listed either has an (^) for guys on the rise, (>) for players maintaining their status or (v) for those on the decline.
Group A

Jahri Evans, G, Saints (>): Evans hasn't missed a game in five years. He is a powerful run blocker and has only given up eight sacks in his first 80 starts. He is the highest paid guard in the game.

Jordan Gross, T, Panthers (>): He didn't miss a game in 2010 but has missed eight in the past three years. He has only committed 14 penalties in three years and is very efficient. Gross, who never gets help in pass protection, has given up 39 sacks in his 120 starts.

Jake Long, T, Dolphins (^): Long hasn't missed a start in his three-year career. He only has 17 penalties in his 48 starts and has given up 13 sacks.

Nick Mangold, C, Jets (>): Mangold can dominate a nose tackle or get out on a linebacker in the run game. He hasn't missed a game in his five-year career and gives up a sack once every 10 games.

Joe Thomas, T, Browns (>): Thomas hasn't missed a start in his four-year career. As one line coach said, "He has pass protected for a number of quarterbacks that simply don't get rid of the ball quickly, and he is very efficient." Thomas committed two penalties in 2010 and has just given up 19 sacks in 64 starts.

Group B

D'Brickashaw Ferguson, T, Jets (>): Some have Ferguson up higher than Group B because he is an excellent pass blocker. In his 80 consecutive starts he has grown as a pass protector after early struggles against power rushers. In 2010, he gave up just two sacks.
Ryan Kalil, C, Panthers (^): As I said earlier, he was ranked No. 1 by one NFL line coach. That might surprise some fans but not coaches. Kalil has no holding calls against him in his career, and he has only given up seven sacks.
Carl Nicks, G, New Orleans (^): With the big money the Saints paid Evans, they will be challenged to keep Nicks, who would get big money on the open market. He is a very powerful run blocker and a fine athlete for such a big man. As a pass blocker, he protects the midline where Drew Brees loves to throw from. In Nicks' 45 career starts, he has given up five sacks. Two coaches had him ranked higher than Evans.
Michael Roos, T, Titans (>): Roos had a bit of an off-year in 2010 but is very much respected by the line coaches I interviewed. He has never missed a start in his six-year career. He has only been called for 14 penalties in the last three seasons. Though he gave up 10 sacks last year, he gave up just 10 in the previous three seasons combined. He is a very good run blocker for a left tackle.
Chris Snee, G, Giants (>): Like Roos, Snee hasn't missed a start in his six years. In the last four years he has given up just nine sacks protecting Eli Manning. Snee is a dominant run blocker and is the point of attack for an excellent Giants run game.
Group C

Ryan Clady, T, Broncos (>): Clady is one of the best athletes at the tackle position. He had an off-year in 2010 by his standards, giving up 7.5 sacks and being called for five penalties. Over his three-year career he has given up just 16 sacks. Some coaches love this player, while one ranked him as the ninth-best tackle.

Logan Mankins, G, Patriots (>): He held out last year and only played in 9 games but made the Pro Bowl anyway. He never missed a start in the five years prior to the holdout. He has given up just 16 sacks in 89 starts. He is a complete player, and it's obvious why the Patriots have franchise tagged him twice.

Maurkice Pouncey, C, Steelers (^): As one coach said, "Pouncey looked like a 10-year vet in his rookie season last year." As a rookie, he made the Pro Bowl because he finished the season with one penalty, three sacks, and dominated the line of scrimmage. He had no issues with line calls, and his absence in the Super Bowl hurt the Steelers.

Andrew Whitworth, T, Bengals (>): Coaches around the league have liked Whitworth since he became a starter 70 games ago. His leadership skills have emerged since the lockout as he organized team workouts.

Marcus McNeill, T, Chargers (>): McNeil has missed seven games in the last three years. McNeill had only one penalty last year, gave up just 2.5 sacks and returned to old form as an elite left tackle.

Group D

Andre Gurode, C, Cowboys (>): His highest ranking by the line coaches was No. 14, but all three coaches had him in the top 20. He has tremendous sustainability when he gets on a defender and finishes his blocks. In the last three years he has only given up six sacks in 48 starts.

Nick Hardwick, C, Chargers (>): Hardwick was out of sight in 2009 because of injury but came right back in 2010 to his All-Pro form with one penalty and two sacks.

Jeff Saturday, C, Colts (v): No center has a tougher job of adjusting protection calls with Peyton Manning changing plays so much and usually right before the snap. Saturday is like another quarterback on the field. In the last three years Saturday has given up just three sacks.

Josh Sitton, G, Packers (^): A fast-rising player that got some notoriety in the Packers' run to the Super Bowl. He was ranked the 10th-best lineman by one coach. He has 34 career starts and has given up just four sacks.

Brian Waters, G, Chiefs (v): Waters has missed one start in four years. He might be getting closer to the end of his career, but in the last three years he has given up just four sacks.

Group E

Tyson Clabo, T, Falcons (>): Clabo is a very physical player who brings a defensive lineman mentality to the game. He has given up 16 sacks in his last 48 games and is a fine run blocker. He might be a free agent this year when the lockout ends, and he will be looking at a big pay day.

Chad Clifton, T, Packers (v): He is getting close to the end of a very good career, but he still produces. He has missed a few games in the last three years, but his Super Bowl performance proved once again he still has gas in his tank. In 2010 he had zero holding calls but did give up 8 sacks. Aaron Rodgers will take a sack instead of throwing an interception, which could affect Clifton's number. In 154 starts, Clifton has given up 41 sacks.

Kris Dielman, G, Chargers (>): Dielman is right near the top of salaries for guards in the NFL. He has been called for just 10 penalties in three years and gave up 5.5 sacks in those 46 games.

Steve Hutchinson, G, Vikings (v): Hutchinson is a bit long in the tooth, but he still plays at a high level. He did miss five games in 2010 but didn't miss a game in the previous seven years. He only gave up two sacks in 2010.

Jason Peters, T, Eagles (>): Peters had a bad 2008 season for the Bills, giving up close to 12 sacks, and was shipped off to the Eagles. In two years as an Eagle in a heavy passing attack he has given up just eight sacks (two in 2010). The Eagles, under new offensive line coach Howard Mudd, can get even more out of Peters, and he will be pushed.

There are a number of young O-linemen close to the top 25, and by this time next year they should make the list. Keep an eye on Cleveland's Alex Mack, Cincinnati's Kyle Cook, Seattle's Russell Okung, New England's Sebastian Vollmer, St. Louis' Rodger Saffold, and Houston's Eric Winston.

NFL.com news: Protect and serve: NFL's best O-linemen come in all forms

[Alo]

I still think we should have drafted Quinn at #3.

[Riffer X]

Where the hell do they get the stats that Thomas has given up 19 sacks? That seems way high to me and not accurate.