I agree. An O-Line is not formed by just taking a bunch of individually talented players and just putting them next to each other. It's one reason that, in my opinion, using the draft to assemble an O-Line is an inefficient use of draft picks. There's a huge element of luck and coaching involved in making a good O-Line.
Ended up ranked #18: https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-offensive-lines-this-season/ 18. Houston Texans (11) Top overall grade: LT Duane Brown, 85.7 (No. 17) Top pass-blocking grade: C Greg Mancz, 87.2 (tied for No. 3) Top run-blocking grade: LT Duane Brown, 84.8 (No. 7) We have reached the point in the list where every remaining O-line is, at best, severely flawed. The Houston Texans’ unit saw a mix of excellent performances and pretty terrible ones in the regular season. LT Duane Brown began to creep back towards his best play this season, allowing only one sack all year and run blocked well, with the league’s seventh-best grade in that area, at 84.6. Greg Mancz—a player that dominated PFF’s grades in college—looked like a solid find for the team at center in his second season after being an undrafted free agent in 2015. Mancz allowed one sack and 18 total QB pressures across 671 pass-blocking snaps in the regular season, and was perfect in his Wild Card outing against the Raiders last week. Chris Clark, however, was the league’s worst pass-protecting right tackle, surrendering a ridiculous 67 total QB pressures on the season; he was also flagged 13 times. The guard pairing either let themselves down run blocking (Jeff Allen) or pass blocking (Xavier Su’a-Filo) over the year. Others of note: 1. Tennessee Titans (Preseason rank: 25) (Ben Jones ranked #7 center) Top overall grade: RT Jack Conklin, 88.9 (No. 5 among OTs) Top pass-blocking grade: RT Jack Conklin, 88.5 (No. 7) Top run-blocking grade: LT Taylor Lewan, 88.4 (No. 2) It seems heretical to suggest that the Dallas Cowboys did not field the best offensive line in the game in 2016, but Tennessee’s unit really was without a weakness all season. All five starters earned impressive grades in both run blocking and pass protection, paving the way to 2,180 rushing yards as a team, 1,777 of which came from their first two running backs, DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. No member of the offensive line surrendered more than three sacks on the season, and while LT Taylor Lewan fell off a little as the year wore on, conceding more penalties than you would like, on the other side, rookie RT Jack Conklin earned PFF All-Pro honors. This unit may not be able to match the Dallas line in terms of its very peak performers, but there was no weak link along this chain all season long, and that’s why the Tennessee Titans finish the season as our No. 1 ranked line. 8. Philadelphia Eagles (7) Top overall grade: LT Jason Peters, 88.3 (No. 7) Top pass-blocking grade: LT Jason Peters, 89.1 (No. 6) Top run-blocking grade: RT Lane Johnson, 86.7 (No. 6) The Eagles line would have been far higher on this list if RT Lane Johnson could avoid getting himself suspended. Johnson is arguably the game’s best right tackle, but was suspended for 10 games, forcing the team to use fifth round rookie Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Allen Barbre and then Matt Tobin at right tackle as injuries prevented a settled unit. New import Brandon Brooks was excellent in his first season with the Eagles, allowing just one sack all season at guard and narrowly missing out on a spot on the PFF All-Pro team. Between injury and suspension, the Eagles were disrupted pretty significantly up front, and this unit has the potential to be better than they showed overall this year.
this is proof that our o-line is also not really an excuse for Brock being this terrible. There are 14 teams with worse o-lines than we do and many of them have better offenses and better performing QBs.
When people say it's a weak O line class, they are usually talking about left tackle prospects....but the Texans don't need a left tackle prospect, they need a right tackle. I think there are several guys who could come in day one and help with what is by far the weakest spot on the line. It's encouraging that the O line got better as the season went on despite still being pretty terrible. With a few upgrades in getting our center back and moving Mancz to one of the guard spots and picking up a right tackle that will at least get in the way and slow down pass rushers then we could have a line that is no longer a liability which would go a long way towards helping the QB position.
I don't know how much I can trust PFF after they just rated the Cowboys as the best secondary in the league https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-secondaries-this-season/
Yeah sometimes they come up with some pretty stupid things, but I think it's always worth conversation. Those who base their entire opinion on PFF scores are......well not worth talking to though.
I think XSF still holds on to the other guard spot, but he needs to improve his pass protection. If XSF is the weakest spot on the O line and the other 4 are solid, then it'll be a massive upgrade over what they have now.
Hypothetically, If the number 1 LT is available but no RT worth it, do you take a LT and put them at RT or could we move Brown to RT and let the new LT get a head start on replacing him?
I get that you said "hypothetically" here, but it doesn't make a lot of sense. When it comes to tackles, the top tier guys are LT prospects, those who aren't quite as good end up as RT prospects because it's an easier to play position. The top LT prospect will ALWAYS be better than any RT prospect because the way you become a RT prospect is by being a tackle that is deemed not good enough to play LT. I think that in this class, there isn't many, if any, that would come in and be the day one LT starter over Brown. That's why I'm suggesting looking at a tackle to come in and play RT instead while trying to get another season or so out of Brown before drafting his replacement in a better O line class.
I could see that happening too. Whichever one can do a better job of being well rounded will likely win out. XSF is the superior run blocker Aboushi is the superior pass blocker. Both generally suck at the other type of blocking. Both are in their mid 20's, so it's not out of the question for that kind of improvement to happen in an offseason. Either way, I feel MUCH better with our guard situation with Nick Martin back at center and Mancz taking over one of the guard spots than I do about the RT situation which is just disgusting right now.
I hope we will see the line get some love this draft. If Ramczyk and Robinson are both gone by our pick, I am looking at Garett Bolles from Utah as the guy. He could use a year in the strength and conditioning program to add a little weight but he is a guy I think should be getting some more love than he has. I would also look to pick up some depth in the mid rounds with a guy like David Sharpe from Florida. He is a guy who could pay dividends at G or T next year.
Brown at left. Mancz at Center. Martin at whatever guard position he wants. Let Aboushi, Sua Filo, and Allen fight for the other guard spot. Sign Volmer or Kalil at right. Replace the swing tackle position with a rookie grooming to be the future LT.
It's crazy, but you've said this more than once now so I guess you really do think that the Texans are going to move Martin to guard despite there being literally no chance of that happening. Like, at all. None. You might as well suggest that they are going to move Nick Johnson to WR.
Ramczyk in Rd 1 Tim Feeney Rd 2 or Forrest Lamp in Rd 4 at Guard Brown, Feeney/Lamp, Martin, XSF, Ramczyk would be quite an upgrade to the offensive line
Not necessarily. If Mancz = Martin at center but Martin > Mancz at guard wouldn't it make more sense to keep Mancz at center? And as well as Mancz played at center this year it's really not a stretch to say that he could be a top 5-7 center in the NFL.
