| With apologies to the glamorous QB position, there is a
saying around the NFL that "it’s what’s up front that counts." Whereas
the QB spot can become a position of strength with one effective player, it takes much
more work to build up strength in the trenches. It takes a lot of quality players to build
strong offensive and defensive lines. Although being strong in the trenches does not
guarantee team success, it is one of the best ways to build a quality team.
What follows are the middle-of-the-road teams in the NFL in terms of combined OL-DL
play:
11. Indianapolis Colts — The Colts missed
making the top 10 by the narrowest of margins. Both of their lines are solid, although
neither is spectacular. The offensive line has some nice, young talent in OTs Tarik Glenn
and Adam Meadows and OG Steve McKinney. Look for those youngsters to grow around rising
star Peyton Manning. There would have been even more young talent on the offensive line
had rookie OG Brandon Burlsworth not died in an offseason automobile accident. Nobody on
the defensive line is a star, but there are a number of very good players. Ellis Johnson
is among the top 20 defensive tackles in the NFL, and it will not be a surprise if he
moves up in class this season. Tony McCoy is also a very solid defensive tackle. DE Chad
Bratzke had 11 sacks last season, but it will not be a shocker if that total decreases
this season now that he is no longer playing opposite Michael Strahan. Even if his sack
total does slide, look for Bratzke to give the Colts an all-out effort.
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12. Atlanta Falcons — The Falcons have a
terrific defensive line but an unspectacular offensive line. Although he is not a big
name, Travis Hall has become an outstanding defensive tackle. There may not be a more
underrated player in all of football. DEs Lester Archambeau and Chuck Smith combined for
an impressive 18.5 sacks last season. DT Shane Dronett was very productive last season.
First-round draft choice Patrick Kerney adds nice depth to the defensive line. On the
offensive line, only OT Bob Whitfield plays at a high level, although there are several
other decent performers. The ORT spot still concerns me.
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13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The defensive
line is very good, while the offensive line still has strides to make. I expect DT Warren
Sapp to have a spectacular season in 1999. He should combine with Brad Culpepper and
first-round pick Anthony McFarland to form an excellent interior to the Buccaneers’
defensive line. The defensive ends have something to prove this season. On the offensive
line, OLT Paul Gruber has long been one of the NFL’s more underrated players.
He’s not what he once was, but he’s still pretty good. Tony Mayberry is a
quality center, though not quite elite. The rest of the offensive line enters 1999 with
something to prove.
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14. Jacksonville Jaguars — The offensive
line has some real star power, while the defensive line is looking to try to stay healthy
and cash in on its potential. The offensive line is led by OLT Tony Boselli, the best
offensive lineman in all of football. ORT Leon Searcy is one of the top 10 offensive
tackles in the NFL. The middle of the offensive line is nowhere near as strong. The
defensive line has plenty of youthful potential in returnees Tony Brackens, Renaldo Wynn
and Seth Payne. Brackens in particular shows star potential, but he has not yet lived up
to the high expectations. Free-agent acquisition Gary Walker and second-round pick Larry
Smith provide fresh talent to the Jaguars’ defensive line. Ten-year veteran Joel
Smeenge is the old-timer on the defensive line and will probably start at one of the DE
spots. If the defensive line can stay healthy this year, the Jaguars’ defense as a
whole could step up in class.
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15. Detroit Lions — The defensive line is
excellent, while the offensive line, despite all the yards Barry Sanders piles up every
year, keeps the Lions from ranking higher on this list. DE Robert Porcher doesn’t get
nearly the publicity he deserves. He is on the short list of players lining up to take
Bruce Smith’s crown as the best defensive end in football once Smith retires or loses
just a little bit more to age. The Lions are well-stocked at defensive tackle, where
Luther Elliss, like Porcher, does not get enough publicity. Elliss grades out higher than
a number of big-name defensive tackles around the league. DT James Jones will team with
Elliss to give the Lions a very nice 1-2 punch in the center of their line. Jones is not
in Elliss’ league but should be a very effective player. On the offensive line, Jeff
Hartings gets high marks. First-round pick Aaron Gibson has the potential to be a
dominating run blocker for Sanders. The line will really benefit if Gibson pans out. A
couple of the other offensive linemen are decent cogs, but they don’t do anything to
excite. As of this moment, the offensive line and the QB position are trailing the RB and
WR positions by a wide margin in this offense.
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16. Arizona Cardinals — The defensive line
could go a long way toward making the Cardinals an elite team down the road, but the
offensive line threatens to keep Arizona from reaching that kind of glory. DEs Andre
Wadsworth and Simeon Rice and DTs Eric Swann and Mark Smith have the potential to form the
most dominating defensive line in football. If the offensive line doesn’t get better,
though, it might get franchise QB Jake Plummer killed. Young OTs L.J. Shelton and Anthony
Clement have the ability to get the job done, but they are unproven. Look for the
Cardinals to use some premium draft choices over the next few years to upgrade their
offensive line, especially on the inside.
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17. St. Louis Rams — The thing I like about
the Rams is that they have a quality anchor for both lines. The defensive line features DE
Kevin Carter, who has become a star. The offensive line has OT Orlando Pace, who
hasn’t yet become the superstar he was expected to become but still is very good. I
suspect that Pace will take a major step up in class over the next year or two. Of the two
lines, the defensive line is clearly the superior group. In addition to Carter, the Rams
have a player with major potential at defensive end in Grant Wistrom. The interior of the
defensive line lacks star power but has a couple of decent pieces to the puzzle. On the
offensive line, free-agent acquisition Adam Timmerman should help, but the Rams still need
to add more talent to this part of their roster.
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18. San Diego Chargers — The Chargers
really improved themselves on the offensive line last season by adding OT John Jackson, OG
Aaron Taylor and C Roman Fortin. The Chargers’ offensive line doesn’t have a
superstar, but it is a very solid unit. The Chargers’ defensive line is a tale of two
positions. Defensive tackle is a position of strength, while the defensive ends have the
potential to do certain things well but all have weaknesses or question marks. It would
really help if the light bulb goes on for DE Chris Mims.
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19. Oakland Raiders — I love the combination
of veteran leadership and young star power the Raiders’ defensive line has in Russell
Maryland and Darrell Russell, respectively. Maryland provides leadership and smarts. He is
getting up in years but still has a lot to offer. Russell came on like gangbusters last
season. He is already close to being the best defensive tackle in the game. With a little
more improvement, he very well could be the best defensive tackle in the NFL by
year’s end (unless the 49ers’ Bryant Young returns to his pre-injury form, in
which case the San Francisco defensive tackle will top the charts). DE Lance Johnstone can
really get after the quarterback. He had 11 sacks last season. The Raiders also used a
second-round draft pick this year on DE Tony Bryant. The offensive line isn’t as
strong as the defensive line, but it does have one of my longtime favorites, OG Steve
Wisniewski. Wisniewski isn’t what he once was, but he’s a tough guy who can
still be quite effective. The Raiders took Matt Stinchcomb in the first round of this
year’s draft to help at left tackle. I think Mo Collins and Lincoln Kennedy will be
more productive this season. The Raiders need their offensive line to show a lot of
improvement if they are to step up in class as a team.
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20. Green Bay Packers — Reggie White is
gone, so everyone else on the defensive line needs to step up. DE Vonnie Holliday is
coming off an outstanding rookie season and will be asked to build upon that success. DE
Keith McKenzie can get after the quarterback. DT Santana Dotson is a very capable player,
while DT Gilbert Brown has become too heavy and no longer is the dominating player he once
was. It will be interesting to see if new Packers head coach Ray Rhodes, an outstanding
motivator, can get Brown to turn back the clock and return to his high level of play. On
the offensive line, improved play is needed, but there are a number of solid players to
choose from. OT Earl Dotson is the best of the bunch.
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Monday: The bottom third (plus one) |
