FanHouse JustinBlalock

When Todd Weiner retired and Wayne Gandy got even older, the Falcons all of a sudden had a clear need for some depth at tackle. And if the Falcons are looking for a potentially reasonably priced tackle who could step in an start if needed, there is no better target than Titans' tackle Daniel Loper.

Loper has only started one game in his Titans' career, but it was a big one, as he played well against the Chargers during the 2007 playoffs. The only reason he's not been a starter is because the Titans have two equally young and even more talented tackles ahead of him.

Every week I take a look at the battle at the line of scrimmage in one NFL game. Check back every Thursday for a new edition of Between The Lines.

If you actually watched the Falcons last year, you got to witness a disaster. The team didn't have a quarterback to count on, and relied on an aging Warrick Dunn while a younger, more talented back (Jerious Norwood) spent the season as his backup. Oh yeah, the quarterback was in jail and the coach bailed on the team in the middle of the season, but hey, at least he left a note.

But as bad as all of that was, the worst part of the 2007 Falcons' team was its offensive line. The team went through four left tackles as Wayne Gandy's blown knee was the first of a series of injuries. Rookie guard Justin Blalock struggled and additional injuries forced shuffles at right tackle as well. The result was plenty of sacks, no holes for the running game and general disorganization.

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, 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.

Quarterbacks: If he develops as expected, and if he doesn't have a hidden dog-fighting hobby, the Falcons have their franchise quarterback for the next decade at least. Matt Ryan will be the team's starting quarterback by the start of 2009 for sure. The question is whether he'll be stepping in to replace Chris Redman early this season. Considering how bad Atlanta will be, the likelihood is he'll be under center by Week Eight, when the Falcons come off their bye. Heat Index: 4

Running Backs: If there is one position on the Falcons' roster where they compare favorably to the rest of the league, it may be running back. Jerious Norwood has been one of the most productive backup running backs in the league over the past two seasons (202 carries, 1,246 yards with a 6.2 yard per carry average), and was expected to step into the starting role whenever Warrick Dunn aged out of the position. Dunn finally left town to head back to Tampa Bay, but Norwood will still be the backup, as the Falcons signed LaDainian Tomlinson's understudy, Michael Turner, to a big-money deal. Turner's resume is very similar to Norwood's--he's been a productive backup for three seasons (228 carries, 1,257 yards with a 5.5 YPC average) who is looking to step into a larger role. The two should complement each other pretty well, as Turner is a bigger, one-cut home run hitter with good speed, while Norwood is a shiftier, smaller back with blazing speed. Together, they could be an outstanding combo if they didn't have to run behind such a brutal offensive line. Heat Index: 7

Well, this has the potential to be really good news for the Ravens, especially heading into the draft: all signs point to Jonathan Ogden coming back for at least one more season. From the Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston:

No word yet on whether Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden is going to retire, but it seems likely he'll play in 2007. In two separate conversations with Ogden within the past year, including one several weeks ago, he said he would definitely let the Ravens know by the draft in case they wanted to pick a tackle. The draft is only two weeks away... If he was going to retire, I think he would have told the team by now.

Okay, that's not definitive -- it's not even close, really -- but Preston does make a good point: you think Ogden would've given somebody in the front office a heads up if it looked like he was leaning towards calling it quits.

Ogden understands how this whole NFL things works, and that the club is knee deep in draft discussions. The offensive line is probably Baltimore's biggest team need, but their thought-to-be target is Texas' Justin Blalock. Blalock played tackle in college, but some scouts project him as a guard in the NFL because of his short arms and lack of height. If Ogden retires, you'd have to think GM Ozzie Newsome might target LT Joe Staley, who shot up draft boards following a stellar Pro Day workout.

With each pick of the FanHouse Mock Draft, we get into the head of an NFL general manager and let you know you will pick and why.

The Ravens have made no secret of their first-round intentions. And luckily -- at least in this little exercise -- Texas guard/tackle Justin Blalock is still available when Baltimore goes on the clock late in the first round.

Blalock played right tackle in college -- he was a unanimous All-American and All-Big 12 Conference selection as a senior -- but he could move to guard in the NFL. The Ravens have former second-rounder Adam Terry at right tackle (he played left tackle at Syracuse, but made the move because of, well, Jonathan Ogden) but could use Blalock at right guard. Keydrick Vincent currently holds down the position, but he's more of a backup than starter.

However, if Ogden retires -- which he's talked about this off-season -- Terry could move back to his natural position and Blalock could play right tackle. Even if Ogden comes back for 2007, the Ravens will be very young along the offensive line. Chris Chester, a 2006 second-rounder, could start at center, and Justin Brown, drafted in the 2005, will be the starting left guard. That could lead to some 2007 growing pains, but the o-line could be dominant in three or four seasons.

The Skinny:
Team Needs: OL, LB, CB, RB,QB
The Pick: Justin Blalock, G/T, Texas
Also Considered: Ben Grubbs, G, Auburn; Aaron Sears, G, Tennessee; Tony Ugoh, T, Arkansas; Joe Staley, T, Central Michigan

Previous Picks:
No. 1 Raiders: JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU
No. 2 Lions: Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
No. 3 Browns: Joe Thomas, T, Wisconsin
No. 4 Bucs: Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
No. 5 Cardinals: Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma

See all mock draft picks so far

Next Pick: No. 30, San Diego Chargers