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2008 Offensive Line Breakdowns: The Bunk

Ryan DembinskyPosted Aug 29th 2008 4:20PM by Ryan Dembinsky (author feed)
Filed under: Chiefs, Falcons, Lions, Rams, Ravens, Steelers

While the offensive line might not represent a direct draft day decision for your roster, few areas of knowledge can offer a competitive advantage in fantasy football like having a good grasp of the various units of trench soldiers around the league. Over the course of a couple weeks, I'll break down every NFL team's offensive lines into five tiers: the crème de la crème, the highly competent, the serviceable, the grim, and the bunk.

Well folks, this is the final edition of our 2008 Offensive Line rankings - the mini series. Now I know why hardly anybody writes about offensive lines, because it is a freaking ton of work, but as I've said before, nothing envisages success in fantasy better than an understanding of the offensive line. To close it out, we'll take a close look at the "bunk" group - the worst of them all. If you have a skill player on one of these teams, you can forget about any kind of consistency. Sure, you'll see a break out game here and there, but trust me, these units are terrible. And who better to kick it off with than...

The Detroit Lions: Logic points to an improved situation on the Detroit offensive line in 2008, but if you know anything about Detroit football, logic and the Lions go together like coffee and pickles. The Roar finally anted up for a tackle in the first round of the 2008 draft in Gosder Cherilus, but while he is generally solid, his lateral movement is awful, so he will make plenty of mistakes. Logic also forgot to factor in the fact that the Lions are installing a brand new offense yet again. Apparently nobody told Detroit about the benefits of practice. How they ever expect this group to function as a unit when they are perpetually implementing new systems escapes me entirely. The left side of the line is decent with Jeff Backus at left tackle and Pro Bowl alternate, Dominic Raiola, at center. The right side will remain a mess, especially if George Foster manages to get a starting job. Until further notice, expect Detroit in the top 5 for sacks allowed and bottom five in yards per carry. What else is new?

2007 Sacks Allowed: 54

2007 Yards Per Carry: 4.0


Continue Reading 2008 Offensive Line Breakdowns: The Bunk

2008 Offensive Line Breakdowns: The Bunk

Ryan DembinskyPosted Aug 29th 2008 3:29PM by Ryan Dembinsky (author feed)
Filed under: NFL Position Rankings, NFL Fantasy

While the offensive line might not represent a direct draft day decision for your roster, few areas of knowledge can offer a competitive advantage in fantasy football like having a good grasp of the various units of trench soldiers around the league. Over the course of a couple weeks, I'll break down every NFL team's offensive lines into five tiers: the crème de la crème, the highly competent, the serviceable, the grim, and the bunk.

Well folks, this is the final edition of our 2008 Offensive Line rankings - the mini series. Now I know why hardly anybody writes about offensive lines, because it is a freaking ton of work, but as I've said before, nothing envisages success in fantasy better than an understanding of the offensive line. To close it out, we'll take a close look at the "bunk" group - the worst of them all. If you have a skill player on one of these teams, you can forget about any kind of consistency. Sure, you'll see a break out game here and there, but trust me, these units are terrible. And who better to kick it off with than...

The Detroit Lions: Logic points to an improved situation on the Detroit offensive line in 2008, but if you know anything about Detroit football, logic and the Lions go together like coffee and pickles. The Roar finally anted up for a tackle in the first round of the 2008 draft in Gosder Cherilus, but while he is generally solid, his lateral movement is awful, so he will make plenty of mistakes. Logic also forgot to factor in the fact that the Lions are installing a brand new offense yet again. Apparently nobody told Detroit about the benefits of practice. How they ever expect this group to function as a unit when they are perpetually implementing new systems escapes me entirely. The left side of the line is decent with Jeff Backus at left tackle and Pro Bowl alternate, Dominic Raiola, at center. The right side will remain a mess, especially if George Foster manages to get a starting job. Until further notice, expect Detroit in the top 5 for sacks allowed and bottom five in yards per carry. What else is new?

2007 Sacks Allowed: 54

2007 Yards Per Carry: 4.0


Continue Reading 2008 Offensive Line Breakdowns: The Bunk

The People Have Spoken -- Matt Stover, the Kicker, Is Best Raven Ever

Shane BaconPosted Aug 21st 2008 11:50AM by Shane Bacon (author feed)
Filed under: Ravens

There is a reason the blockbuster hit "The Replacements" portrayed the field goal kicker, played by Rhys Ifans, as a guy that smoked cigarettes on the sideline in between appearances. It's humor we can relate to. Kickers aren't necessarily the hard nosed players we're accustomed to seeing on the gridiron.

That is why it was a rather interesting choice by ESPN's SportsNation to pick Matt Stover, member of one Pro Bowl team, as the greatest Baltimore Raven in team history. Granted, the history of the Ravens is only 12 years, but come on, the field goal kicker?

Stover received 54.1 percent of the vote, while linebacker Ray Lewis earned 37.3 percent and most deserving, in my brainless opinion, Jonathan Ogden, only garnished 4.2 percent. 4.2! Obviously, a few observers aren't too happy about this, including ESPN.com's James Walker.

Come on Baltimore Ravens fans. You're kidding, right?

Linebacker Ray Lewis or offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden are not the greatest players in Baltimore's franchise history?

And kicker Matt Stover is?

Usually, the AFC North version of the Blog Network applauds creativity. We try things outside of the box all the time in this space, and everyone is certainly entitled to their opinions. We're family here.

But this is just silly, Baltimore fans. Let's call a spade a spade.

Continue Reading The People Have Spoken -- Matt Stover, the Kicker, Is Best Raven Ever

FanHouse NFL Season Preview: Baltimore Ravens - How Long Until We See Flacco?

Ryan WilsonPosted Aug 5th 2008 2:10PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, NFL Fans

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is right around the corner, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterback: The position has been an issue in Baltimore since, well, the club moved from Cleveland. Brian Billick turned out not to be such a smart guy, after all, which explains Tony Banks, Elvis Grbac, Chris Redman, and Kyle Boller. Second-year player Troy Smith showed promise during a brief stints last season, but Joe Flacco is the team's newest franchise quarterback. Now it's just a matter of getting him up to speed on running the offense. Heat Index: 4

Running backs: Letting Jamal Lewis walk after the 2006 season was a no-brainer, even if he had a resurgence of sorts with the Browns. Willis McGahee is more than capable when healthy, and rookie second-rounder Ray Rice should see plenty of action. Heat Index: 7
Continue Reading FanHouse NFL Season Preview: Baltimore Ravens - How Long Until We See Flacco?

Kyle Boller's Good Looks Might Not Be Enough to Overcome Ravens' Preseason Injuries

Ryan WilsonPosted Jul 27th 2008 5:42PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, NFL Injuries

Good thing the season doesn't start tomorrow, because the Ravens might have to un-retire Steve McNair, have him drop a few pounds, and move to left tackle or defensive line. Jared Gaither, the guy in line to replace Jonathan Ogden, sprained his right ankle yesterday, and 2006 first-round pick, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, was carted off the field earlier today with an injured right leg.

Starting running back Willis McGahee is also recovering from a leg injury and safety Ed Reed, cornerback David Pittman, running backs Cory Ross and P.J. Daniels, and offensive tackle Davie Hale joined him on the sidelines today. In less depressing news, cornerback Chris McAlister was given the A-OK to return to practice after rehabbing from offseason knee surgery.

I'm not sure this will have much effect on how the Ravens start the season; presumably, everybody will be relatively healthy in short order and the preseason schedule will give the team an opportunity to prepare for the real thing.

That said, if Kyle Boller wins the starting quarterback gig, it won't much matter how all these injuries turn out; the Ravens will be playing for 2009, when Joe Flacco will hopefully be ready to assume the full-time job (if not sooner).

[FoxSports.com: Ngata hurts leg, adding to list of Ravens injuries]

If You Were Looking Forward to the NFL Supplemental Draft, I Have Some Bad News

Ryan WilsonPosted Jul 3rd 2008 4:59PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: NFL Draft, NFL Fans



For those of you looking forward to the supplemental draft to break up the drudgery between now and the start of training camp, I have some bad news: it's been canceled due to lack of interest. That's right, this year, you won't be able to sit in front of your computer and wait for random NFL.com updates alerting you to which team team took a fourth-round flier on a player you've never heard of.
"No one applied at the time of the deadline," 49ers general manager Scott McCloughan confirmed Thursday. The NFL sent out a memo to all 32 teams informing them of the announcement Wednesday.

The cancellation comes as a surprise because there had been rumblings that several players were considering applying, including high profile talents such as Southern California middle linebacker Rey Maualuga, Oklahoma State tight Brandon Pettigrew and Mississippi State offensive tackle Michael Brown.
Yes, surprising, indeed. Last year, the Chargers forfeited a 2008 fourth-rounder to take Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver, and a round later, the Ravens grabbed offensive tackle Jared Gaither, who could be in line to replace Jonathan Ogden.

Oliver only appeared in three games last season, but Gaither made two starts, and heads into training camp tentatively penciled in as Baltimore's left tackle.

According to NFLDraftScout.com, only 37 players have been selected via the supplemental draft since its inception in 1977, with Bernie Kosar, Cris Carter and Brian Bosworth among the most noteworthy. One of these names is not like the other.

Jared Gaither Is Burdened With Trying to Replace Jonathan Ogden

Ryan WilsonPosted Jun 14th 2008 3:58PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Ravens, AFC North

I don't know if Jared Gaither suddenly becomes an answer to a Trivial Pursuit: the Baltimore Ravens Edition question, but he'll get first crack at the left tackle job vacated by Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden when he announced his retirement earlier this week.

Gaither, a fifth-round supplemental pick last July, entered the NFL amid all sorts of questions, both good and bad. On the upside, he's 6-9, 320 pounds and has plenty of quickness for a big guy. But he also failed out of Maryland, and only managed 15 reps of 225 during his Pro Day workout (Brady Quinn, by comparison, does 15 as part of his pre-warmup routine).

Gaither started two games last season, and the Ravens front office is intrigued by his potential. Of course, it's not clear if Gaither is truly dedicated to football, which is kinda worth knowing before giving him the job of protecting the quarterback's blind side.

Baltimore featured one of the youngest offensive lines in the league last season, and the inexperience showed. That said, this unit could evolve into a very competent group, which should make Joe Flacco very happy. In the meantime, Kyle Boller will have to pay the price for progress, in the form of a crapload of sacks. Thanks, dude.

Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013 Could be the Greatest!

Sportz AssassinPosted Jun 13th 2008 6:23PM by Sportz Assassin (author feed)
Filed under: Buccaneers, Cowboys, NY Giants, Packers, Raiders, Ravens, NFL Hall of Fame

This week we saw Michael Strahan and Jonathan Ogden retire ... two men who will see their way into Canton, OH. One of the greatest offensive tackles and defensive ends in our time should both enter the Hall in 2013.

If'n that weren't the only guys on that list.

Add in a certain guy by the name of Brett Favre (who now owns most of the quarterback records), Larry Allen and Warren Sapp ... not to mention the possibility of Junior Seau ... and and we could have one of the best classes in HoF history.

There are even a few fringe guys like Steve McNair, Rod Smith, Bryant Young and Priest Holmes who will get some love, but probably won't make it in -- at least not in '13.

But what a class that could be? There is a cut-off of five inductees (not counting ones from the Senior Committee) that can go in a single year ... meaning a name or two won't make the cut. Favre, Strahan, Ogden, Sapp and Allen each have won a Super Bowl. They have all kinds of Pro-Bowls on their resumes and several have records to boot ... making them the five favorites to get in (Seau could push Sapp out of that loft).


Continue Reading Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013 Could be the Greatest!

Jonathan Ogden Will Retire Thursday

Josh AlperPosted Jun 11th 2008 5:20PM by Josh Alper (author feed)
Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, Baltimore

It's been coming for quite some time but Jonathan Ogden will finally make it official tomorrow: He's calling it a career after a stellar 12-year run at left tackle for the Ravens. He spoke with the Baltimore Sun today and let them know that after battling a toe injury for most of the past two seasons, the end of the road was nigh.
"It took a little while to decide. You just can't make a decision like this overnight. I tried to work out, I tried to practice on the toe. But it never came back to 100 percent."
There's no shortage of highlights to Ogden's career. He made the Pro Bowl in 11 of his 12 seasons, was proabably the best offensive tackle of the last decade and even caught two touchdown passes. He did it all in front of 13 different quarterbacks and helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV. Not too shabby for a guy that Art Modell wanted to pass up so he could draft Lawrence Phillips as the first ever Ravens draft pick in 1996.

It will be quite a class entering Canton in 2013. With Ogden, Michael Strahan and Brett Favre, you've got three of the all-time greats at their positions and they could be joined by Warren Sapp, Bryant Young and/or Junior Seau to make quite the set of busts.

Ravens Should Know Jonathan Ogden's Future Plans Soon

Josh AlperPosted Jun 3rd 2008 4:30PM by Josh Alper (author feed)
Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, Baltimore

They say that no news is good news. The silence from Jonathan Ogden, though, carries a more ominous message. He's said nothing about his plans for the 2008 season for quite some time and it's hard to read those tea leaves as a sign of his imminent return.

Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun agrees and writes that the Ravens should find out as early as this week that Ogden will be hanging up his XXXXXXL jersey.
Look for Pro Bowl left offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden to finally make it official and announce his retirement. Ogden has let a couple of people around him know that he is retiring, but still hasn't told head coach John Harbaugh.
Expected or not, Ogden's loss will be a big one for Baltimore. The last thing whoever quarterbacks them needs is the increased worry of assault from the blind side because the Hall of Famer has left town.

In Jared Gaither and Adam Terry, the Ravens have a couple of tackles who could play the left side in 2008 but, obviously, they don't have anyone who can have the impact that Ogden has had throughout his career. We reported last week that former Charger Shane Olivea said he's signed with someone effective this month but don't know which team yet. He played for Cam Cameron in San Diego and, if healthy, would be a decent fit as the right tackle if Baltimore moves Terry and deems Gaither unready in his second NFL season.

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