Grant Newsome (image via Detroit News)
Hi Thunder,
Could you address the offensive line situation and how likely you think it is to take a step forward next year? I find it hard to be confident unless one of the redshirts turns out to be a special player or Grant Newsome comes back 100%.
Thanks to Julian for the mailbag question.
My response is after the jump.
(image via GBMWolverine)
SITE NEWS: I have installed CloudFlare to help offload some of the demands on the site, which hopefully will help with some of the downtime TTB has experienced recently. Depending on how much this helps, I may not need to employ a new hosting service just yet. I appreciate everyone’s suggestions and help, which I will keep filed away for when I need to grow the site. A special thanks to Dan for the suggestion and info about CloudFlare.
The Orange Bowl was yet another example of a Michigan offensive line that has been underperforming for years. The 2011 offensive line wasn’t a completely dominant one, but it did have some NFL players and guys who worked cohesively as a unit. Since that time, there have been some good individual players (Taylor Lewan, Michael Schofield, Mason Cole, etc.), but not much development as a unit. Michigan expected some improvement from last season to this season, even with the loss of Detroit Lions draft pick Graham Glasgow (who started several games at center and guard for the Lions this past season). A unit that included three fifth year seniors would reasonably be expected to perform well. However, the Wolverines did not do well this year, gashed some weak opponents, and got handled by the tough defenses.
Hit the jump for a journey through the travails of Michigan’s offensive line.
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| Kyle Kalis could play several positions in college |
What do you look for in a tackle vs. a guard vs. a center? Is it just height?
Well, that’s pretty straight forward. It’s more than height, but that’s a good place to start.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
Tackles are generally the tallest players on the field. The only Michigan tackle under 6’6″ for the past several years has been the 6’5″ Stephen Schilling, who started at right tackle in 2007 and 2008 before moving to left guard. If a recruit is legitimately 6’7″ or taller, I almost automatically slot him in as a right or left tackle. Tackles need to be tall to deal with edge rushers, many of whom are long and lanky themselves. The best way to combat long and athletic guys is to get your hands on them before they can get their hands on you. If you look at tackles, they’re generally the guys you would want on your basketball team who are a little too slow to play tight end. They tend to have relatively skinny legs. They also have to have the lateral quickness to stay in front of edge rushers without overextending themselves, getting off balance, and getting their feet crossed up. I look for a little more agility in a left tackle and a little more bulk in a right tackle.
OFFENSIVE GUARD
Offensive guards are the guys who look like bowling balls. They’re generally shorter and stockier than offensive tackles, with thick legs and a low base. They’re also the guys with bellies spilling over their belts. They’re generally 6’4″ to 6’6″. They rarely deal with those long and lanky defensive ends on their own (unless there’s a loop or stunt), but they do have to deal with massive defensive tackles (like William Campbell), some of whom are 6’5″ or 6’6″ as well. Guards have to stay low enough, though, to root out the shorter defensive tackles like Mike Martin and Warren Sapp (both of whom are 6’2″). If a kid can’t bend effectively and play with a low pad level, then he’s essentially relegated to the tackle position . . . or the bench. Guards don’t have to move laterally in a power offense as much as in a zone blocking system, but they do have to get out and run on plays in which they have to pull. You want a guy who can run fairly well in a straight line and who also can find a hole, cut up in the hole, and pick up a scraping linebacker.
CENTER
Centers are generally the shortest offensive linemen. They can be anywhere below 6’5″, but once a kid hits 6’5″ or 6’6″, you have to consider moving him to guard or tackle. Because a center has to snap the ball and immediately block a nose tackle or 1-tech defensive tackle, he needs to be quick and maintain leverage. They also need to be good with their hands, which makes wrestling or a wrestler’s mentality very helpful when it comes to playing center. It’s very difficult for a 6’3″, 295 lb. center to blow a 6’5″, 330 lb. nose tackle off the ball, so the most important thing is the ability to move laterally and use quickness and agility to wall off defensive linemen. Obviously, another significant part of a center’s job is to snap the ball, but most players can be taught to snap if they devote enough time to it. The most difficult part of gauging a center’s future at the position is the mental aspect. Centers are responsible for calling out blocks and protection schemes, and as we’ve seen in the past few seasons with David Molk’s “head bob,” they’re integral to keeping the defense off balance with snap counts.
