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2009 Offensive Line Analysis - Oakland Raiders

2009 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Mario Henderson / Khalif Barnes
Left Guard: Robert Gallery
Center: Samson Satele
Right Guard: Cooper Carlisle
Right Tackle: Cornell Green / Mario Henderson / Khalif Barnes

2008 Injuries:
T Kwame Harris: Week 2, 3 and 15 to 17
G Cooper Carlisle: Week 4
C Jake Grove: Weeks 11 to 14

2008 Statistics:

ALY (Adjusted Line Yards): It is an alternate measure for yards per carry developed by Football Outsiders that takes into account various factors including down, distance, situation and opponent.
Source: www.footballoutsiders.com

Overview:
The Raiders had another disappointing season in 2008 finishing with only five wins; it was the sixth time in as many seasons that they won five games or less. In those six seasons, they have not finished in the top half of the league for yards of offense or points scored a single time. The good news for the Raiders is that the offensive line allowed their lowest number of sacks since 2004 and the running game averaged 4.3 yards per carry, their best performance since 2003.

The battle for the left tackle position is likely to be very interesting in training camp. The favorite for the job is 24-year old Mario Henderson who started a total of five games last season and did not allow a sack in the final three games of the year when playing at left tackle. The 2007 third round pick played mostly left tackle at Florida State because of his awareness and quick feet, two assets that make him a good pass protector. He is not a particularly good run blocker because of his lack of strength so would probably be a better fit on the left side of the line but he still has time to improve on that. Henderson was very impressive in the few games he played last year and will probably win the job because of that but Khalif Barnes will be ready to step in if Henderson disappoints. Barnes started 57 games with the Jaguars in his first four NFL seasons but has had numerous problems off the field and had a very disappointing season in 2008. He allowed 7.5 sacks in 16 starts last season which ranked him 23rd amongst left tackles and also struggled in run blocking which is supposed to be his strength. Nonetheless Barnes has the abilities to be a starting tackle in the NFL but he needs to get his head on straight and a change of scenery might be good for him. One has to think that the loser of the battle at left tackle would move to right tackle but for now Cornell Green is the starter at right tackle. Green is a veteran who will be 33 years old when the season begins. He was an undrafted free agent in 2000 and had only started 18 games until last season with the Raiders when he started all 16. Green struggled all season in pass protection and was a liability for this line even if he was a decent run blocker. The Raiders also added Erik Pears; the 6’8” and 305 lbs tackle started 26 games in his first three seasons with the Broncos and provides some good depth for the Raiders.

At left guard will be Robert Gallery; the Raiders second overall pick in 2004 never lived up to expectations at tackle but seems to be doing a much better job at guard. Gallery is big at 6’7” and 325 lbs but lacks athleticism and made too many mental mistakes to be an effective tackle in the NFL. He was much more effective at guard and was quite surprising last season with only 1.75 sacks allowed ranking him eighth amongst left guards. He was also one of the reasons why the Raiders were a decent running team last season and he should continue to improve as he gains experience at guard. Starting on the right side will be Cooper Carlisle, a 6’5” and 295 lbs guard who started all but one game in the last four seasons with the Broncos and the Raiders. He is not very strong but has good technique and knows his assignments in the zone blocking system. The soon to be 32 years old Carlisle is by far the most disciplined lineman on this line and provides a good veteran presence. He will struggle at times in pass protection but he is a key to the running game for the Raiders. Adding depth at guard is Paul McQuistan who started 12 games in his first two seasons but missed the entire 2008 season after suffering a knee injury in week one.

Newly acquired Samson Satele will probably be the starter at center. Satele started all 32 games in his first two NFL seasons with the Dolphins but was very disappointing last season. He was a second round pick in 2007 and the bright spot for the Dolphins line in his rookie season but in 2008 he ranked 29th amongst centers in sacks allowed and was a liability for the running game. He is not very big at only 6’3” and 300 lbs but he does have good awareness. His backup will be the 34-year old John Wade who started 110 games in the past 10 seasons but should be considered no more than a backup at this point in his career.

2009 Outlook:
The Raiders offensive line has always been a problem for this offense but they’ve made a few changes to try and address that. The tackle position should be better with Henderson or Barnes replacing Harris and the other potentially replacing Green at right tackle. In the final three games of the year with Henderson at tackle, the Raiders allowed only four sacks and averaged 4.7 yards per carry in the running game. It is a small sample however and could have been due to a number of factors but it is encouraging news nonetheless. Unfortunately the Raiders lost starting center Jake Grove in free agency and replaced him with Samson Satele. This will be a slight downgrade for this line, especially in run blocking where Satele struggled quite a bit last season. In terms of depth, this line is in much better shape than last year as they have four backups with NFL experience in Green (or Henderson or Barnes), Pears, McQuistan and Wade. Overall, we expect the running game to be similar to last year but pass protection will be slightly improved which should help this offense.

See all of our 2009 Offensive Line Analysis Articles