FanHouse RyanClady

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

It's a brave new world in Denver, where the Broncos will take the field without Mike Shanahan on the sideline for the first time since 1995. Josh McDaniels, their new coach, was 19 back then, and has one of the shortest resumes of any head coach in NFL history. That could be a good thing or a bad thing, but it was clear that Shanahan's system was no longer bearing fruit and the team may benefit just from the change of voice on the sideline.

When it was announced that Bills left tackle Jason Peters made the Pro Bowl despite a season that could only be described as incredibly disappointing, it was yet again a sign that Pro Bowl voting is still not what it needs to be.

So when Peters announced yesterday that he was skipping the game because of a knee injury, there was some justice in his announcement. But when the NFL got around to naming his replacement, it once again dropped the ball.

Every week we look at some aspect of line play. Click here to read past Between The Lines.

In a 2008 draft filled with offensive tackles, Ryan Clady was thought off as the risky upside pick who could end up being the class' best long-term value, but one that might take a little longer than Jake Long, Chris Williams or Branden Albert to reach his full potential.

But 10 games into his rookie season, Clady is making an argument to be the NFL rookie of the year. And if this is what Clady looks like raw, then the Broncos have a potential Walter Jones to count on for the next decade. According to Stats Inc., Clady has given up only 1/2 sack this season, one of only three starting tackles in the league who hasn't given up a full sack. He's a big reason the Broncos have given up only eight sacks all season, after giving up 32 sacks last year.

Some six months ago, former Boston College standout Gosder Cherilus was considered one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL draft. The Lions would eventually take him with the 17th overall pick, the fifth offensive lineman to go off the board after Jake Long (1st), Ryan Clady (12th), Chris Williams (14th) and Branden Albert (15th).

Detroit didn't waste anytime getting Cherilus on the field; he's played in all five games, starting three of them. I suppose there isn't much time to learn by watching when the quarterback gets sacked (not to be confused with sacked) every other time he drops back to pass. (Note to Jon Kitna: there are ways to avoid taking career-shortening hits: throw the ball way, handoffs, run out the back of the end zone unprovoked, etc.)

Given that the Lions are their usual awful selves, nobody is entitled to anything. This has usually been nothing more than lip service until William Clay Ford woke up long enough to can Matt Millen, the guy responsible for setting the organization back 40 years.

Now, Kitna has been IR-ed, and Cherilus, presumably a cornerstone of the offense going forward, has been benched. And, no, head coach Rod Marinelli really doesn't want to talk about it (before he inevitably does just that):

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.

It's important to note that the "grim" group is not the worst of the bunch, but rather just the 2 stars out of 5 where you give an extra star because you are friends with the production assistant. To paraphrase the words of a wise old sage, this group offensive lines is "like a slot machine, they pay off once in a while but then they'll rob you clean." If you really have faith in a skill player on one of these teams, go ahead and pull the trigger. This does not necessarily imply impending doom for all those involved, but tread gently down this path for these units are not very good.

The Chicago Bears: All you Matt Forte missionaries might want to rethink your calling. The Bears line is awful. The front office invested in first round manbeast, Chris Williams, to shore up the line with a strong left tackle, but he just went under the knife for a herniated disc in his back. If he can play, which will be half a season at best, the Bears cannot help but improve from last season. If not, things look pretty much the exact same: the worst run blocking in the NFL. Center Olin Kreutz, despite his age, remains a top player at his position. The rest of the spots would be equally well served with a roll of fiberglass insulation.

2007 Sacks Allowed: 43

2007 Yards Per Carry: 3.1

Denver Broncos 2008 Draft Picks:

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): Joshua Barrett, S, Arizona State
Round 7 (227): Peyton Hills, FB, Arkansas

The Good: Clady was a no-brainer when he slipped to them at 12. He'll be a starter from day one and, given the Broncos system, may be the most productive left tackle among the many selected in the first round. Clady, Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall should spend a lot of time together as the foundations of the Bronco offense. I also think the two Arizona State players, if they're healthy, could be big contributors. Injuries dropped their stock but both Torain and Barrett will get plenty of chances to help this team if they can go.

The Bad: I don't get the Royal choice at all. If you wanted to help Cutler and Marshall in the passing game, why pass on Limas Sweed? Or, if you wanted speed and return ability, why pass on DeSean Jackson? The rest of the draft doesn't do much for me either. Lichtensteiger has the last name of a mauler but the short arms and lack of athleticism of a career backup. Williams has great speed but, at 5'9", will struggle to cover in more than a nickel role.

Mike Shanahan's draft history is littered with gambles on players he thought would light up the scoreboard. Most of those gambles failed miserably, which is why the Broncos roster only has a handful of players they drafted and developed this decade and why they've consistently had to go to the free agent market to try and fill out their roster.

Give Shanahan credit for learning the folly of those ways. Ryan Clady at 12 is an incredible value for the Broncos. They can thank the Vikings for trading with the Chiefs for Jared Allen, probably, since that deal gave K.C. cover to pass on Clady at five and add an offensive lineman later in the first round. That left the second-best tackle in the draft for the Broncos.

Jay Cutler will be happy to have him protecting his blind side. Clady's got a ton of experience as a pass blocker in Boise State's wide-open offense. That offense, esoteric as it is, also gives Clady a good background for picking up the zone blocking scheme Denver employs for the running game. It was a safe pick, yes, but that's too often a euphemism for a bad pick. Clady was the smart pick.

That's the second good sign for Shanahan the GM in the last week. The Dewayne Robertson trade may not end up costing the team a thing and now he's added Clady. That's two starters and two upgrades for the Broncos.

Remember the great Statue of Liberty play that sealed Boise State's 2007 Fiesta Bowl upset of Oklahoma? Of course you do. But you may not realize that the key block was thrown by left tackle Ryan Clady, whom the Broncos chose with the 12th pick in today's draft.

Offensive tackles don't get a lot of attention, but Clady was by far the most talented player on that Boise State team. He's big -- 6-foot-6, 316 pounds -- but when I saw him at the scouting combine I was struck by how he looks like he could stand to gain some weight. He could play comfortably at 335 pounds or so, and if he bulks up that high he can become an overpowering drive blocker in addition to his natural talents as a pass blocker.

The question, of course, is whether Clady has played enough against top-notch competition to get him ready for the NFL. Although Clady isn't quite as NFL-ready as Jake Long, I absolutely believe he'll be a starter as a rookie, and one of the top offensive linemen in the league some day.

Previously on FanHouse:
Denver Post Argues Mike Shanahan Should Put Guts Before Brains On Draft Day
FanHouse Mock Draft: Denver Broncos Select OL Chris Williams No. 12
Should The Broncos Take a Running Back Early in the Draft?
Woody Paige Knows Exactly What the Broncos Should Do This Offseason

And so the gossip keeps flying. Adam Schefter reported last night that the Saints have inquired about what it would take to move from their spot at 10 to the Rams' at two.

Schefter believes the Saints are eyeing Glenn Dorsey or Vernon Gholston. A trade involving Dorsey would seem more likely -- they love him, and if it only takes their second-rounder or perhaps their third and right tackle Jon Stinchcomb, who Rams defensive coordinator Jim Haslett drafted, it'd be worth it. But Gholston makes no sense. That rumor is based on defensive end Will Smith's hold out, but the Saints would have to pay Gholston comparable money to what Smith is seeking, and those slight savings aren't worth risking a Pro Bowler for an unproven rookie.

As far as the Rams are concerned, the deal makes more sense. If they're hell-bent on getting a tackle and Jake Long is gone, the Rams could save money and get Jeff Otah, Branden Albert, or Ryan Clady (or Stinchcomb). They could also grab Leodis McKelvin or Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with rumors that Fakhir Brown will be suspended for the season, or even Devin Thomas to replenish their receiving corps.

All in all, I don't buy it. For one, if the Saints are positioning themselves to grab Dorsey ahead of division rival Atlanta, what would stop Atlanta from offering less and assuring the Rams a smaller drop? Secondly, Jim Haslett left New Orleans on very bad terms, and though he doesn't call the shots I'd be surprised if he'd hand the Saints a player he also covets, one that could help his own unit tremendously. File this as unlikely.

I can only imagine the outrage among Chiefs' fans if Roger Goodell steps to the podium on April 26 and announces Matt Ryan as the team's newest player. But that's who NFL Network's Mike Mayock has Kansas City taking with the fifth-overall pick.

This isn't to say Ryan's not a potential franchise quarterback -- depending on who you listen to, he's the only one in this year's draft -- but that Kansas City has myriad other needs, starting with the offensive line.

Earlier this year, Chiefs president Carl Peterson admitted that he let the o-line get old, and you'd have to think he'd like to remedy that problem as soon as possible.

Dan Benton has the Chiefs taking Ryan Clady in the FanHouse mock draft, but Mayock, on Friday's "Path to the Draft", suggested that it would be a stretch to take any lineman but Jake Long with such a high pick. (And Mayock has Long going second overall to the Rams).