Ultimate Fantasy Football Strategy - Offensive Line Analysis

Oakland Raiders

2008 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Kwame Harris
Left Guard: Robert Gallery
Center: John Wade
Right Guard: Cooper Carlisle
Right Tackle: Paul McQuistan / Cornell Green

2007 Injuries:
C Jake Grove: Weeks 9 to 17
T Cornell Green: Weeks 12 to 17
C Jeremy Newberry: Weeks 2 and 3

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
3.71	23	4.53	11	4.02	20	4.44	13	4.18	14	41	22

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 2006 season was a disastrous one for the Oakland Raiders as they finished with only two wins. On top of that, they had the worst offense in terms of points scored and yards in part due to the offensive line that allowed 72 sacks. Lane Kiffin was brought in to replace Art Shell as Head Coach and there was a slight improvement but the Raiders still only won four games, five being their highest total since 2002. There were some good signs however as the offensive line only allowed 41 sacks, a large improvement over the previous year and the running backs averaged 4.1 yards per carry.

In the off-season, the Oakland Raiders signed tackle Kwame Harris as a free agent from the 49ers to be the starter on the left side. Harris is a former first round pick who started all games in both 2005 and 2006 for San Francisco but lost his starting right tackle job to rookie Joe Staley in 2007. Harris is big at 6’7” and 325 lbs but has never reached the first round pick potential he had in 2003. He is a pretty good run blocker because of his size and strength but makes too many mental mistakes and lacks lateral mobility. He struggles in pass protection but had his best games with the 49ers when he played on the left side so it may not be such a bad fit for him. He may not be the answer at left tackle but he will be an upgrade over Barry Sims who struggled all year long with speed rushers and was not a particularly good run blocker. On the right side will be an interesting battle between Paul McQuistan, Cornell Green and Mario Henderson. McQuistan was the Raiders third round pick in 2006 and started 12 games in the last two seasons. He became the starting right tackle in week 12 last season when Cornell Green went down with an injury. In those six games the Raiders allowed only ten sacks and averaged 4.1 yards per carry, a large improvement from the 22 sacks and 3.2 yards per carry average in the previous six games. McQuistan is a physical blocker in the running game but will make mental mistakes too often like the rest of this line. He remains a below average tackle by NFL standards but should improve as he continues to gain experience. Cornell Green is a veteran who will be 32 years old when the season begins. He was an undrafted free agent in 2000 and had only started eight games until last season with the Raiders. Green struggled all season in pass protection and was a liability for this line even if he was a pretty good run blocker. There is also a slight chance that 2007 third round pick Mario Henderson earns the starting job in camp but he will likely be used as a backup. He played mostly left tackle at Florida State because of his awareness and quick feet which make him a good pass protector. He is not a very good run blocker because of his lack of strength so would probably be a better fit on the left side of the line.

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 but remains average at best because of his poor technique. Nonetheless, he was 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 every game for the Broncos in 2005 and 2006. He is not very strong but has good technique and knows his assignments in the zone blocking system. The soon to be 31 years old Carlisle is by far the most disciplined lineman on this line and a good veteran presence on this line. He will struggle at times in pass protection but he is a key to the running game for the Raiders and is a reason why the Raiders were effective when running to the right side. If either guard were to go down with an injury, McQuistan or Green would likely make the switch to guard.

The Raiders signed John Wade as a free agent from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to replace Jeremy Newberry as the starting center. Wade is a veteran at 33 years old and was the starter with the Buccaneers for the past five seasons. He is a very smart center but did get beat in the middle much more often in recent years because of his lack of strength. However, the Raiders line has been known to be quite undisciplined and a veteran presence like Wade will definitely help. The zone blocking scheme in Oakland will allow Wade to extend his career for one or two more years and he should be a decent replacement for Newberry. Jake Grove will provide depth at center for the Raiders. He was the starter in 2006 before Newberry arrived but he is another Raiders pick who failed to live up to expectations in part due to injury troubles. Grove suffered a season-ending knee injury last season and should be a backup once again this season.

2008 Outlook:
The Raiders will have three starters returning from the end of the 2007 season with Gallery at left guard, Carlisle at right guard and McQuistan at right tackle. Add to that John Wade who should be a slight upgrade over Newberry and Kwame Harris who should also be a slight upgrade over Barry Sims and the Oakland line could be decent in 2008. The line will be in trouble however if anyone is hurt because Grove and Green are not very good backups while Henderson has extremely limited NFL experience. Overall the line is slightly improved in run blocking because of Harris on the left side but will still struggle in pass protection for the same reason and JaMarcus Russell is likely to have a lot of pressure coming from behind him.