Assembling Seattle's Offensive Line from Ten Interchangeable Parts
by John Morgan on Jun 2, 2009 1:43 PM PDT
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PrintGreg Knapp calls them interchangeable parts. I call them ten guys that somehow will make one offensive line. It's far too far to determine who will comprise the line, and even assuming traditional roles, there's dozens of possible combinations, but a little common sense can tell us Pittsburgh's closer to Philadelphia than Miami, so to speak. So here's a super-early look at the most likely potential combinations and their respective strengths and weaknesses.
The Starters (Left to right): Jones - Wahle - Spencer - Willis - Locklear
Strengths: Run blocking, edge rush
Weaknesses: Injuries, interior pass blocking
The No-Jones: Locklear - Wahle - Spencer - Sims - Willis
Strengths: Run blocking, right side power
Weaknesses: Pass blocking, experience
The Youth Brigade: Locklear - Unger - Spencer - Wrotto - Willis
Strengths: Athleticism, right side power
Weaknesses: Pass blocking, blitz awareness
The Max Protect: Jones - Unger - Spencer - Sims - Locklear
Strengths: Pass blocking, run blocking left side
Weaknesses: Run blocking right side, angry Willis
The Power Run: Jones - Wrotto - Spencer - Sims - Willis
Strengths: OMG Power
Weaknesses: Technique, power
The As Read on Dark Poetry: Williams - Wahle - Vallos - Wrotto - Unger
Strengths:
Weaknesses: Pass blocking, run blocking
The Still Pretty Bad: Locklear - Sims - Vallos - Wrotto - Willis
Strengths:
Weaknesses: Pass blocking, run blocking
The Future: Locklear - Wrotto - Unger - Sims - Willis
Strengths: Athleticism, potential
Weaknesses: Pass blocking, skill
Actually, there's more than are worth listing.
The major variables are Walter Jones' health, Ray Willis' role, whether Max Unger starts, whether Chris Spencer starts, and who plays guard. If Jones isn't healthy, then Locklear and Willis play the tackle spots. If Willis is at right tackle, then Sims is the favorite to play right guard. Left guard is probably between Wahle and Unger, with Wrotto a dark horse for either guard spot. Center is between Unger and Spencer, with Vallos a worst case scenario. Jones is still the best offensive lineman, so you want him in as long as he's healthy and near his potential. Locklear is the second best offensive lineman, and he's a virtual lock to play somewhere. Spencer and Willis are next in line, both because their ability and the resources invested into them. Spencer could be benched if Unger surpasses him. Willis could be used as a super-sub. Unger could be a super-sub, but Seattle would be best off short-term and long-term if he wins a role outright. Wahle has some incumbent inertia, but not a ton, and I think he's both the most likely to be injured before the season starts and the most likely to be cut/traded. Sims has a home at right guard and if he takes to zone blocking, has the best potential. It's going to be Sims or Willis unless Wrotto breaks out and forces himself into the starting lineup. I think Wrotto projects best at left guard if he does grow into a starter. Spencer is on the shortest leash now that Seattle has drafted his replacement and if he's benched, I don't think he's coming back this season or ever. That would be a loss, because Spencer is a great talent, and because with Unger playing center, the team becomes thin at left guard.
Most of the line is to be won, with only left tackle decided. Tim Ruskell, Greg Knapp and presumably Mike Solari seem to think you can make a good or even great line out of good players that are well coached and played to their strengths. There's enough talent on the roster for it to work, but there's also a ton of scenarios where a few injuries make 2009's offensive line resemble 2008's receiving corps. This will shakeout during the preseason, and as I often say: hope for health and hope for the best talent to play the best.
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Here's hoping for the "Max Protect" Jones-Unger-Spencer-Sims-Locklear line
with Willis as a Super-Sub.
What gets really interesting is how our line shapes up next year. A lot of different scenarios can play out next. This could be Chris Spencer’s last year in Seattle. Mike Wahle could get cut next offseason. This could be the last season we see Walter Jones wearing a Seahawk Jersey.
Sean Locklear’s contract jumps from 1 million this coming season to 4.85 million in 2010. Willis’s base salary gets bumped up to 2 million.
Some possible lineups next year:
Jones-Wrotto-Unger-Sims-Willis
Locklear-Wrotto-Unger-Sims-Willis
I still think Unger would be a great fit at LG. Fun fact: Unger is the same height and 4 lbs less than Hutch.
But not nearly as strong as Hutch.
"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."
by Fearless Frog on Jun 2, 2009 3:33 PM PDT up reply actions
Looks like FG readers have confidence
in Jones returning. And is split mostly by where they see Willis. I also voted for “max protect,” and also out of what I want to happen more than what I think will happen, but also think it’s quite likely. Tough to leave out a spot for Willis, but honestly for 2009, it’d be better for the team for him to be left out.
How about this?
Jones—Spence-Unger-Willis-Locklear. Lots of interior strength and athleticism across the whole front.
Sims is stronger and more athletic
and more suited to play guard. Just has had tremendous problems in run blocking (I’m surmising he’s naive and thinks strength wins the battle, and he’s got size, and his own leverage is being used against him).
Willis sounds good at guard mostly just because it seems like a waste not to have him in there. Unquestionably Jones & Locklear should come first, if available. He’s a tackle, the team experimented with him at guard and confirmed they like him better at tackle.
At guard, it’s not that he’d a bad or lesser option, but that it means at least two of Wahle, Unger, Sims & Spencer, if not three (Unger somehow winning Center, or four if Spencer remains healthy and then subsequently becomes a viable option at guard) just didn’t work out. Willis at guard is a good solution to a not so good problem.
Surprised that one of the options isn't the line of Week One last year
Conceivably and not improbably, we could start Jones-Wahle-Spencer-Sims-Locklear. Not saying I would necessarily prefer it (I really like Willis/Wrotto/Unger), but I would say there’s a pretty good shot at that line winning out.
"Hey, guess what? Nobody cares who would win in a crazy fantasy fist-fight between Anne Frank and Lizzie Borden." The Monarch
My choice was
Jones – Unger- Spencer – Willis – Locklear
I’d like to see Unger play and Willis’ potentially fearsome run-blocking taken advantage of. Hopefully, his interior pass-blocking would hold up well enough or improve to the point of being solid rather than below-average (if that’s precisely where he is at this point – I don’t know for sure). Jones in Unger’s ear for awhile could only boost the rookie in the mental game and probably other ways, too. Conversely, Willis could glean something from playing alongside Lock in a similar manner an prepare for that job while at RG this season.
Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevon Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200
Likely vs. Desirable
As crushedoptimist suggests, Jones-Wahle-Spencer-Sims-Locklear is probably the likeliest starting combination, really,
What hasn’t been discussed is the most desirable combination of our offensive line, something that is unlikely and a ‘dream scenario’, and it involves the notion that Spencer is a viable guard.
Jones-Wahle-Unger-Spencer-Locklear = For the win, if it would work. Five best physical talents starting, no offense to Willis, Sims, and Wrotto.
Our future is almost certainly:
Locklear-Sims-Unger-(Wrotto/Spencer)-Willis
News on Jones
According to Mike Sando
The Pro Bowl lineman said his rehabilitation from knee surgery has advanced to the point where he worked from a “football stance” Tuesday.
Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevon Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200
Expected link to his Twitter feed.
Was not disappointed. I saw that the other night.
"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."
by Fearless Frog on Jun 2, 2009 10:21 PM PDT up reply actions
I guess some of this could explain the non-drafting of an OT this year
and possibly the disinterest in guys like Levi Jones. I imagine the team must have felt pretty good about the OLine, and esp. Jones, heading into the draft. We had plenty of chances to add guys but didn’t. I just hope we’re not getting ahead of ourselves. There’s a long way to go.
Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevon Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200
I don't see why they'd feel 'pretty good'
Satisfied for the upcoming season perhaps, but Walt, Wahle, and Spencer could all be gone after the season. That’s some pretty dramatic overhaul.
"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."
by Fearless Frog on Jun 3, 2009 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions
Where Wahle and Spencer are concerned,
we drafted Unger. Where Walt is concerned we still have Locklear and Willis. They didn’t stand pat inside.
And
we will draft another tackle, next year, in the mid rounds, bank on it. Two 1sts, who knows what we might go get.
by jacobstevens on Jun 3, 2009 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions
Locklear - Wrotto - Unger - Sims - Willis?
Not inspiring but not bad. It’s the depth I’m concerned about.
Right now, I’m confident we have enough linemen to make a decent combo if someone gets injured.
"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."
by Fearless Frog on Jun 3, 2009 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Me too.
Then again, I hated MySpace and text messaging at one point too :3
"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."
by Fearless Frog on Jun 3, 2009 12:34 PM PDT up reply actions
Assembling Seattle's Offensive Line
Jones – Locklear – Unger – Spencer – Willis
John... I didn't see a mention of a possible Spencer shift from C to G.
I know the idea had been kicked around in various conversations, with the thought being that a ZBS could greatly increase Spencer’s value at a G position.
I assume that your not including this option either meant that you felt it was a non-issue, or a far less probable scenario. Do you still see potential value at G?
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