Ultimate Fantasy Football Strategy - Offensive Line Analysis

New York Jets

2008 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: D’Brickashaw Ferguson
Left Guard: Alan Faneca
Center: Nick Mangold
Right Guard: Brandon Moore
Right Tackle: Damien Woody

2007 Injuries:
None

2007 Statistics:

LEFT END		LEFT TACKLE		MID/GUARD		RIGHT TACKLE		RIGHT END		Passing
ALY	Rank	ALY	Rank	ALY	Rank	ALY	Rank	ALY	Rank	Sacks	Rank
3.48	25	3.3	31	4.22	12	4.38	15	4.05	18	53	29

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:
Eric Mangini’s second season as the head coach of the New York Jets was very disappointing and he is now on the hot seat. The Jets offense ranked 25th in the league in points scored and the defense took a big step back after their impressive 2006 season. The poor play of the offensive line had a lot to do with it as they allowed 53 sacks compared to only 34 the previous year and the running game was still below average with only 3.8 yards per carry.

D’Brickashaw Ferguson will return as the starting left tackle for the third consecutive season. Ferguson has not missed a start since being drafted in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft but has been a little disappointing. After allowing 10 sacks in his rookie season, he did not show any improvement in his second season and is also well-below average in run blocking. He needs to gain a lot of strength to become effective as a run blocker and also gets pushed back by defensive ends very often for the same reason. The inconsistency at the left guard position certainly did not help Ferguson adjust to the NFL game. The 2008 season will definitely be important for him and he will have to show why he was a first round pick now that he has a Pro Bowl level guard to his right. Starting opposite to Ferguson at right tackle will be the 30 year old Damien Woody. Woody was acquired as a free agent from the Lions this off-season. He was named to the Pro Bowl team in 2002 as a Patriot but has not been able to match that performance since signing with the Lions in 2004. Woody struggled with injuries the past two seasons and did not get along with new head coach Rod Marinelli. There are still plenty of question marks surrounding the 6’3” and 325 lbs Woody including his intensity and lack of motivation at times. He should however be an upgrade over Anthony Clement who allowed nine sacks, a very high number for a right tackle. Woody remains better as a run blocker and his lack of mobility may be a problem at the tackle position. Nonetheless he should be a nice upgrade over Clement in pass protection but may be a slight downgrade in run blocking. The depth at the tackle position comes from 2007 sixth round pick Jacob Bender and Clint Oldenburg who was signed as a free agent after being drafted in the fifth round by the Patriots and being released. Bender only played in two games on special teams last season but has good size and is athletic for a lineman. He has a lot of work to do on his technique and is more of a long term project for the Jets. Oldenburg is very similar but saw action in two games at right tackle last season. He struggles when blocking in motion but has good strength and showed some promise in the little action he saw.

The left guard position had been troublesome for the Jets but the situation has now been addressed with the signing of Pro Bowler Alan Faneca. Faneca is a master of run blocking not only because of his strength but also his awareness and agility that make him great when pulling to the outside. He has been named to seven straight Pro Bowls and his last missed start was in 2001, his only one in the past eight years. He remains much better at run blocking but he is still above average in pass protection and a huge upgrade over Adrien Clarke. Clarke allowed seven sacks as a left guard last season and this upgrade will also allow Ferguson to focus on the left tackle position knowing that the man to his right will do his job. Faneca is getting up there in age at 31 years old but should still be one of the best at his position for two or three more years. On the right side will once again be Brandon Moore, an undrafted free agent who has been a starter for the Jets for the past four seasons. Moore has surpassed expectations and will never be a great guard but he does his job and should look better now that the line has improved overall. He is average in pass protection but is slightly below average in run blocking and seemed to struggle to push back defensive linemen. He is probably the new weak link on this line but he is not a bad starter. Adding depth at the guard position are Will Montgomery and Robert Turner. Montgomery was signed as an undrafted free agent last season and started the last two games of the season in replacement of Adrien Clarke. There was no significant drop in production in those final two games so he was an adequate replacement for Clarke. Montgomery should continue to improve and is probably the best backup the Jets have but he still has a lot to learn. Robert Turner is another player the Jets signed as an undrafted free agent last season who did not see much action in his rookie year. Turner has limited physical abilities but he is a hard worker and is very aggressive in his blocks. He should see a little more action than he did last year but is still a long term project for the Jets.

Starting at center will be Nick Mangold for the third consecutive season. He was selected late in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft and has not missed a start in two seasons. He is a very smart player and his ability to read defenses is an asset for this offense. Mangold is a very good run blocker and has improved his pass protecting skills in his last two seasons in the NFL. He plays with intensity and should continue to improve his game with a Pro Bowler guard to his left.

2008 Outlook:
The Jets made big moves this off-season by upgrading two positions on the line while the other three starters will return. The trio of Faneca, Mangold and Moore will be devastating in the running game this season. Ferguson remains weak in terms of run blocking but should be improved with Faneca while Woody is a small downgrade on Clement in terms of run blocking. The line will also be quite improved in pass protection with Woody and Faneca but the downside is that this line has little if any depth at all. The four backups have very little NFL experience and are big question marks. Woody is the only question mark however in terms of durability since none of the other four starters have missed a game in the past two seasons. Overall, as long as everyone remains healthy this line will be much improved both in run blocking and in pass protection and could deal with one injury but anymore than that and the offense will struggle.