2009 Offensive Line Analysis - San Diego Chargers

2009 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Marcus McNeill
Left Guard: Kris Dielman
Center: Nick Hardwick
Right Guard: Kynan Forney / Louis Vasquez
Right Tackle: Jeromey Clary

2008 Injuries:
T Marcus McNeill: Weeks 1 and 2
G Kris Dielman: Week 13
C Nick Hardwick: Weeks 1 to 3

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 Chargers had a tough start to the year but it all seemed to come together near the end when they won their last four regular season and defeated the Colts in the playoffs before losing to the Steelers. The offensive line play was very similar to 2007 as they allowed 24 sacks, one fewer than in 2007 while the running game averaged 4.1 yards per carry, 0.1 fewer than the previous year.

The Chargers will once again have 2006 second round pick Marcus McNeill protecting the blind side of quarterback Philip Rivers. The 6’7” and 335 lbs McNeill was a four year starter at Auburn who adjusted very well to the NFL game and has missed only two starts in three seasons. He would have been drafted much earlier if it had not been for his back problems which bothered him throughout his senior year in college. McNeill had a very good rookie season but seemed to slow down in his second year. He somewhat bounced back in 2008 allowing only 3.0 sacks and ranking sixth amongst left tackles. He is known for his very good pass protecting skills but will occasionally struggle against more agile defensive ends. McNeill made the Pro Bowl in his first two NFL seasons, despite a difficult sophomore season, and there is no reason why he can’t make it back in 2009 now that he has had surgery on his neck and should be fully healthy. Starting on the right side will be Jeromey Clary; a sixth round pick in 2006 who started six games in 2007 in replacement of Shane Olivea and earned the starting job for the 2008 season. The 6’6” and 320 lbs tackle struggled at times in pass protection last season because of his lack of agility but he still did an adequate job ranking 22nd amongst right tackles in sacks allowed. Clary is a hard worker and would probably be a better fit at guard but he is still a decent starter and should improve this year. Veteran L.J. Shelton has started 127 games in his 10-year career and is still a pretty good backup at 33 years old. 2008 seventh round pick Corey Clark adds depth at tackle but he is more of a long-term project for the Chargers because he has to improve his mobility and strength to be effective in the NFL.

Starting at left guard for the fifth consecutive season for the Chargers will be Kris Dielman. Dielman was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chargers in 2003 and has been quite impressive since then. The 6’4” and 320 lbs guard has been selected to two straight Pro Bowls. He is known for his very physical play and will be intense on every single play. He is especially impressive as a run blocker in part because has the agility to pull to the outside to block. Most would agree that Dielman is the best player on this line and he should continue his solid play this season. The right guard position is unfortunately not looking as good with ninth-year veteran Kynan Forney. Forney started 89 games in his first seven NFL seasons with the Falcons but did not see any action last season with the Chargers. The 6’4” and 300 lbs guard struggled in both run blocking and pass protection in his final season with the Falcons and would be the weak link on this line. 2009 third round pick Louis Vasquez will provide some strong competition and will probably take over the starting job before the end of the season. Vasquez is big and strong at 6’5” and 335 lbs but needs to improve his technique and use his size to his advantage. He has all the physical abilities to be a very good guard in the NFL but he has quite a bit of work to do. 2009 fourth round pick Tyronne Green will add depth.

Starting at center for the Chargers will once again be Nick Hardwick. Hardwick has been the starter for the past five seasons since being drafted in the third round in 2004 but has only managed to stay injury free one time, in 2006. Hardwick is probably the most important player on the line and it has been obvious in the past four seasons as the running game was worse by more than one yard per carry in the ten games he missed. Scott Mruczkowski will be Hardwick’s backup but he has only started two games in his first four seasons in the NFL.

2009 Outlook:
The Chargers offensive line has been consistently good for a number of seasons and still has one of the strongest left sides in the NFL with McNeill, Dielman and Hardwick. These three players played twelve games together in 2008 and the running game averaged 4.2 yards per carry as opposed to 3.7 when at least one was absent. Despite the loss of Mike Goff at right guard, the right side of the line should be about the same as last year since Clary should be improved in his second season as a full-time starter. Depth is somewhat of a concern since Shelton is the only proven backup but at 33 years old he can’t be relied upon for an extended period of time. Overall this line should be about the same as last year in pass protection and could be slightly better in run blocking but McNeill, Dielman and Hardwick will need to stay healthy.

See all of our 2009 Offensive Line Analysis Articles