FanHouse Offensive Line

You might recall that during the preseason, I concocted a relatively thorough analysis of the offensive line of all 32 teams. The crux of the project -- and what I thought would crack the secret to fantasy success wide open -- was that by determining where the talented offensive lines resided, the picks for skill positions would be made much more intelligently. Well, today we finally get to test that thesis and put the rubber to the road. If you recall, the the offensive lines for each of the league's 32 teams were broken down into five tiers with regard to quality: the creme de la creme, the highly competent, the serviceable, the grim, and the bunk.

The Creme de la Creme

Teams: the Dallas Cowboys, the Cleveland Browns, the Minnesota Vikings, the New England Patriots, and the New York Giants

The Skinny: The glaring error here was calling the Browns offensive line the best in the game and hyping Jamal Lewis for a big season. Still, our creme de la creme group performed quite well averaging 34 sacks on the season and 4.4 yards per carry. The Giants also led the league in yards per carry. The creme de la creme group was definitely solid, but this clearly did not make anyone's season by focusing their drafts here.

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.

The "serviceable" group is akin to a pack of trusty white Hanes beefy tees. They don't necessarily add a whole lot, but they work well for most situations and won't let you down very often. Just be careful not too rely too heavily upon them, because they'll stain your armpits and turn into something that resembles yellow bulletproof glass. Maybe we better just get started.

The Jacksonville Jaguars: Any team that can rack up 2,391 rushing yards and average 4.6 yards per carry with Fred "It's Pronounced Frahgeelay" Taylor leading the way must have a decent offensive line. Despite being a group of pretty obscure names with zero Pro Bowlers, this is a reliable unit. Brad Meester is a solid center and Tony Pashos, a free agent signing after the Jags waived Chris Naole due to injury (nice right?), should do well at right tackle.

2007 Sacks Allowed: 31

2007 Yards Per Carry: 4.6

Continue reading for the rest of the "Serviceable" offensive lines.

This week's early Arrowhead Awards, as a Thanksgiving treat to me, were easy. The Chiefs' offensive and defensive lines dominated the game and gave the Chiefs just enough effort to beat a lackadaisical Broncos team.

Larry Johnson, once again, was a candidate, as were Patrick Surtain and Ty Law. Johnson simply wore the Broncos down to submission, while Surtain and Law prevented Denver from completing any intermediate or deep passes.

However, there is no doubt that the offensive and defensive lines were the difference. On offense, the return of Brian Waters sparked life into the rest of the line, because they not only opened holes for Johnson, they completely annihilated the Broncos' tackles and ends. Even in the passing game, Trent Green looked more confident in the pocket than at any time he ever dropped back behind a Willie Roaf-less line. Meanwhile, the defensive line attacked the Denver gaps more effectively and more often than at any time in recent memory. Ron Edwards was in Jake Plummer's face consistently, and Jared Allen and Tamba Hali put on juke moves even Allen Iverson would be jealous of.

The Thanksgiving night victory was as satisfying as Chiefs' fans have seen in some time, thanks in most part to dominant performances by both the offensive and defensive lines. It has been a long time since they have been able to say that; one can only hope it becomes so common as to become trivial.

Amid all the Trent Green news was a somewhat related story that got pushed into the background: Willie Roaf has officially retired.

Many did not want to believe it, and in some sense, Roaf probably didn't either. After all, this was a man who maintained he was coming back up until training camp and worked out in Kansas City throughout the offseason. And then he disappeared. Nobody knew where he was. Nobody knew how to reach him.

Roaf stayed away for a reason: he didn't want people to dissuade him from what his body was telling him. Even at his retirement press conference, he didn't want any opportunity to change his mind, simply reading his prepared statement, then leaving. Just up and walked away. No fanfare. No prolonged tears. No coaches and teammates to sing his praises as if he was the subject of a roast.

Roaf, however, should get that fanfare, and that roast, when he is up for election to the Hall of Fame. Fans of particular teams sometimes overestimate a player's Hall of Fame chances, but it will be difficult to pass up Roaf. Playing perhaps the most important position on the offensive line, Roaf was named to eleven Pro Bowls, all deserved. By all accounts, he was a good teammate and a great man, always giving back to the community. He commanded respect not because he demanded it, but because he earned it.

Some have implicitly blamed Roaf for Green's injury, and he was understandably upset when asked about it. But that blame was unfair and didn't make Roaf's final decision any easier to announce. The Chiefs couldn't go into the season expecting that Roaf, at 36, would be there for all 16 games anyway, and perhaps not even as the same player he was. This was not like Barry Sanders' situation, who retired at the last minute while still at the top of his game. Although Roaf's offseason may have misled them, his age and recent injury history should have been a wake-up call for the Chiefs. Roaf didn't leave the Chiefs hanging, he simply confirmed their worst fears.

Roaf has given too much to Kansas City, as a player and as a man, to deserve anything but the best send-off. But that should be on his terms. When he's good and ready. That time obviously isn't now, but it will be soon, and I, for one, will be happy to give a standing ovation to a future Hall of Famer.