Ultimate Fantasy Football Strategy - Offensive Line Analysis

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2008 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Donald Penn
Left Guard: Arron Sears
Center: Jeff Faine
Right Guard: Davin Joseph
Right Tackle: Jeremy Trueblood

2007 Injuries:
LT Luke Petitgout: Weeks 5 to 17
G Anthony Davis: Weeks 1 to 6 and 8

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
4.07	16	4.41	12	4.63	4	4.65	8	4.05	17	36	18

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.
� [2007] Football Outsiders, Inc. All rights reserved.

Overview:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers started rebuilding their offensive line in 2006 by drafting current starting RG Davin Joseph in the first round and RT Jeremy Trueblood in the second. They continued the process last off-season by signing LT Luke Petitgout from the Giants and drafting LG Arron Sears in the second round. Unfortunately for the Bucs, Petitgout suffered a season-ending knee injury in week 4. Arron Sears on the other hand had a very solid season and allowed the Buccaneers to run for over 1,800 yards and a solid 4.2 yards per carry. The front office continued spending big money on their offensive line this off-season by making Jeff Faine, formerly of the Saints, the highest paid center in the NFL. There is no question that Faine was an overpayment but the center position was a big weakness for the team last year and this move had to be made.

One of the most interesting battles in camp is likely to be at left tackle between the injury-prone Luke Petitgout and former undrafted free agent Donald Penn. In only his second NFL season, Penn surprised many people and surpassed expectations. Penn is a decent pass blocker but he lacks strength and technique so often gets pushed into the backfield. However, Penn often needed help from the TE last season and the Bucs became reluctant to run to the left side after Petitgout went down. If Petitgout manages to stay healthy, he should be the starting left tackle but is a big question mark having only played 13 games in the past two seasons. Petitgout has the abilities to be one of the best run blocking tackles in the NFL and can hold his own in pass protection as well. However, last season the Buccaneers yards per carry average was about the same with Petitgout and Penn which is a sign that Petitgout’s back injuries have slowed him down and he is not the same he used to be. Petigout will likely win the job but the left tackle position will remain a question mark because Petitgout will be 32 years old when the season begins and Penn is definitely not a long term solution. The right side is in much better shape with the 24 year old Jeremy Trueblood. At 6’8” and 320lbs, Trueblood is a very powerful run blocker and uses his long wingspan to keep pass rushers in front of him. He is entering his third season in the NFL so still has plenty of time to improve his footwork. He struggles in pass protection against speedy rushers but should only improve over the next few years. The Buccaneers also selected Jeremy Zuttah in the third round of the NFL Draft, a player that many think will be the left tackle of the future for the team. Zuttah has the versatility to play any position on the line but will have to build-up his strength to be effective in the NFL. He is a very tough lineman and an excellent pass protector because of his quickness but will likely struggle to open holes in the running game until he becomes stronger.

At left guard, the Buccaneers are in very good shape with the young Arron Sears. Sears was the most consistent lineman for the team in 2007 and was rewarded by being named to the NFL All-Rookie team. Sears has good footwork and is a very smart blocker with versatility to play the tackle position as well. Sears still has things to learn as a pass blocker but his strength and mobility make him an excellent run blocker who will open up holes play after play for the running backs. On the right side, the Buccaneers have another very young guard in Davin Joseph. Joseph is also pretty athletic and strong but will make a lot of mental mistakes. The former first round pick Joseph has the physical attributes to become an excellent guard in the NFL but has to show the willingness to learn. The versatile Anthony Davis will provide depth at the guard position. Davis is also a very big and strong lineman at 6’4” and 320lbs. Davis was the starting left tackle in both 2005 and 2006 so is definitely very capable of providing depth at both the guard and tackle positions. Dan Buenning will provide depth at both guard and center and could compete for a starting job if he remains healthy which has not been the case in the past.

At center, the Buccaneers will be counting on the 27 year old Jeff Faine who was signed as a free agent from New Orleans. Faine is a smaller sized center at only 290lbs but his excellent footwork and technique make him a good pass blocker. However, Faine is a below average run blocker who is unlikely to create holes by himself in the running game.

2008 Outlook:
The Buccaneers offensive line is a very young and powerful line which will open up big holes in the running game. The return of Luke Petitgout can only help this line as it will create competition on the left side. Pass protection was a problem for this line last season and Jeff Faine will definitely help in that department. Faine is a big improvement over John Wade and will give Garcia a lot more time to find his receivers. The Buccaneers will open the season with at least four of its linemen at 27 years of age or under and possibly five depending on who wins the battle at left tackle. It will be important for this line to gel together quickly but Faine was a leader for the line in New Orleans and should help this young group play well as a unit. Overall, this line remains much better at run blocking than pass blocking but there is no reason why this young group shouldn’t improve in 2008.

Updates:
August 4, 2008 - Luke Petitgout is still recovering from last season’s knee injury and Donald Penn continues to improve at left tackle in Petitgout’s absence. The line gave up 30 sacks in 12 games with Penn as opposed to 6 in 4 games with Penn. Penn should be better this season if Petitgout is not ready to go and Jeff Faine is also an upgrade over John Wade in pass protection.

August 20, 2008 - Starting RG Davin Joseph is expected to miss about two months because of a broken foot so could be out until about week six. Third round pick Jeremy Zuttah will replace Joseph in the starting lineup. This is a downgrade for the Bucs interior run blocking but Joseph will be back before the end of the year and many teams will suffer injuries like these throughout the year. The Buccaneers also cut Luke Petitgout which means Donald Penn who replaced Petitgout last year will start.

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