411's NFL Round Up 6.17.08: Top 10 Offensive Linemen

Posted by Emmett Wilks on 06.17.2008

A look at the 2013 Hall of Fame class, the major troubles brewing in New York, and the Top 10 offensive linemen in NFL history. All this and more in this week's edition of NFL Round Up!

How's everyone doing? I just finished watching one of the greatest golf finishes ever with the Sudden Death playoff between Tiger Woods and 45-year old Rocco Mediate. Though the missed putt finish from Mediate on the 17th hole was just a little anti-climatic (based upon what had happened the last two days), it was still among the great sports finishes I have ever seen. There were great performances by all and it was a pleasure to see Tiger get one step closer to the Golden Bear Jack Nicklaus. But, this is a football column, so, onto the Round Up!

QUICK NOTES

The New Orleans Saints signed the contract extension for DE Will Smith last week. Smith, a former Ohio State Buckeye, has played incredibly well for the Saints since being drafted in 2004 in the first round. The deal is reported to be six year, $70 million with about $26 million guaranteed. This makes him the third highest paid defensive end in the NFL. Smith, who made a Pro Bowl in 2006, has been the most consistently solid player for the typically inconsistent Saints defense. This was a perfect move for a team who has all the right pieces in place offensively, and has done a great deal this off-season to sure up it defense for a run this season.

Keeping with contract extensions, the Bengals resigned third year player Domata Peko to a five year, $23.5 million dollar contract. The former 4th round pick still had two years left on his rookie contract, but the Bengals felt so strongly about his play the last two seasons they signed his extension early. Putting all off the field drama aside, nothing has been more disappointing for the Bengals than their defensive play the last three years. Resigning Peko with two years left on his initial contract is a sign they are trying to build a defense around players that they feel are working well for them.

One of the NFL's all-time great tackles, Baltimore's Jonathan Ogden retired late last week after 12-years with the Ravens. The Ravens first ever draft pick, Ogden was among the best tackles ever to line up in football. We'll talk more on his Hall of Fame credentials later, but I did want to mention the great teammate he was as well. Ogden took time in his farewell press conference to wish good luck to his assumed successor at left tackle, second year pro Jared Gaither. Ogden would say "‘don't try to be me; be Jared'…and hopefully Jared will be as good, if not better, one day. And doing the best you can will generally be enough. You don't need that extra pressure." Ogden was a class act as well as an all-time great. Good luck to you in retirement.

It is very strange situation happening in Tampa Bay the last few weeks. Bucs QB Chris Simms has officially stopped talking to coach Jon Gruden, citing instances where there has been a complete lack of respect from Gruden, and even an accusation from Simms that Gruden was questioning the validity of his injury, a ruptured spleen that has effectively kept Simms out of action since the 2006 season. To top it all off though, two of Simms' teammates and competitors, QB's Brian Griese and Jeff Garcia have voiced their support for Simms in his situation. Gruden is now dangerously close to losing the respect of his locker room, and need to work quickly to repair it.








AN UNHAPPY LAND OF GIANTS

The New York Giants are looking at a whole heap of trouble this off-season. Already dealing with the situation of a vocally unhappy tight end in Jeremy Shockey and the retirement of locker room leader Michael Strahan, they can now add a new contract dispute with wide receiver Plaxico Burress. The Giants, who just four months ago were raising the Lombardi Trophy in a Super Bowl XLII upset of the Patriots, have now returned to the squabbling troupe that defined this team prior to the 2007 season.

Burress has refused to practice with the team until he receives a new deal. His current contract will pay him about $3 million a year for the next three years, well below his current market value, and vastly below the $9 million dollar a year deals just signed by Dallas' Terrell Owens and New England's Randy Moss. He will likely be a training camp hold out if he does not receive a new deal. And now most recently is the report that Shockey was involved in a very loud shouting match with Giants GM Jerry Reese over his role with the team, which included an accusations from Shockey that Giants management spread the rumor that Shockey was seeking a trade from New York.


Giants coach Tom Coughlin is dealing with far too many headaches this off-season.

This past Friday, Giants center Shaun O'Hara publicly criticized his teammates about how they are going about with their contract disputes. "Either you are with us or you are against us," O'Hara said following the first of the Giants two off-season practices. "And I think the players are doing a good job of focusing in on their daily tasks and their jobs, and as long as we all continue to do that, this team will succeed." O'Hara's criticism of both Shockey and Burress continued when he stated that "I guess my feeling is it is a disservice to all the other guys out there working hard, and doing their jobs to focus on the negative…sometimes we expect that, but there are a lot of guys out there doing good things every day. We have a lot of young guys getting a lot of good reps. That should be the focus." While it is tough to disagree with anything O'Hara said in his statement, there comes the question of whether or not such grievances are best aired through the media and not in the locker room.

The Giants have stated, like all Super Bowl teams, that their number one priority is to get back to the Super Bowl. But this new round of squabbles and criticisms simply feel like the maddeningly inconsistent and under-achieving Giants of 2002-2006.

For years the Giants have felt the need to very publicly state their displeasures. Former running back Tiki Barber famously criticized teammate Michael Strahan and head coach Tom Coughlin during his time with the team. Barber twice stated that the Giants had been "out coached" following loses in 2005 and 2006, and prior to his last game would say that Coughlin had a bad habit of "demeaning and talking down to [his players]."

The Giants, as we all remember, never got close to the Super Bowl during that 2002-2006 period. That in-fighting was a major reason, and its recession this last season was a major reason for their success, as O'Hara alluded to. I have already stated that there is a good possibility that the Giants could fail to make the playoffs next year without the locker room and management squabbles. The NFC East will be just that good. But if this locker room disintegration continues, there won't be a hope in hell of making 2008 a successful season. This one could be on the fast track towards disaster.



A CLASS TOO MANY?

With the aforementioned retirement of Ravens great Jonathan Ogden, there is now a rather elite group of NFL players who called it a career this off-season. Packers QB Brett Favre, Raiders defensive lineman Warren Sapp, and Giants defensive end Michael Strahan all announced their retirements in the past few months. That and the likely retirement of Larry Allen expected in the next month or two. This officially leaves us with four, but likely five, very highly accredited players up for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013. The big question now is, will all of these players get in on the first ballot? If you go through each one of these players, all definitely warrant first ballot consideration based upon their careers. But since 1970, the Hall of Fame has not elected more than three first year eligible players to be enshrined. Since Allen has yet to officially announced his retirement yet, he will not be included in this discussion. With Allen, it would not be stunning to see him have a change of heart and come back for his 16th season. If his retirement should occur, I have no doubt he must be a first ballot selection.

There have been seven occasions where three players have been selected, most recently in 2006, which included Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, and Reggie White. But never four (and with Allen, maybe FIVE), and I really am not sure if this group will be changing that. While all were great players; both in the win and stats column, it won't be argued that this is not a great class. But is this a legendary, transcendent class where all will be shoe-ins for first year induction? I just don't think it will be. First year induction is a very special thing. There have been only 60 first-ballot selections thus far in the Hall of Fame's history. So the question now begins. Who will be the odd man out for first-year induction? Well, let's take a look at each player.

Favre is the easiest one to get out of the way. He is one of the five or six most worthy first-ballot Hall of Fame players to ever put on pads. Right up there with Dan Marino, Lawrence Taylor, Joe Montana, Barry Sanders, and Reggie White, Favre is one of the easiest, no-brainer picks of the last 10, heck, even 20 years. He holds every major career passing record in NFL history (61,655 passing yards, 442 touchdowns, 5,377 completions, 8,758 attempts) and the other big ones; 160 career wins and 275 straight starts at the quarterback position. Put those stats in with 7 All-Pro selections and 3 straight MVP awards (also a record), and the book is pretty much closed on Favre. But what about the other three players on the list?

Maybe it's the offensive lineman in me, but I am going to put Ogden right here with Favre as another no-brainer. There is no easy statistic gauge to assess offensive lineman like there is for skill players or defenders. At times, they make the biggest impact when no one notices them. For his entire career, Ogden was almost universally regarded as one of the two or three best left tackles in the NFL, with Seattle's Walter Jones and a healthy Orlando Pace as his only real company in the tackle position. Ogden was a premier pass-blocker of this era. His possessed an athleticism rarely seen in wide receivers, let alone a man who stood 6'9" and weighed 350 lbs. With eleven Pro Bowl bids and elected to nine All-Pro teams, Ogden is among the most decorated players of his generation. He blocked for a myriad of sub-par quarterbacks for most of his career, and helped block for Jamal Lewis' 2066 yard rushing season in 2003, the 2nd most all-time. A Super Bowl XXXV win cemented his position as not just one of this generation's best, but one of the all-time greats. A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on potential Hall of Fame players currently on rosters, and Ogden was among the sure-fire first ballot players, and my thoughts have not changed on the matter.


So, where is that going to leave the remaining two players on the list, Sapp and Strahan?

Sapp was the first of this group to announce his retirement, back in January of this year. For the past four seasons, Sapp had played for the inept Oakland Raiders, much of the time lining up out of position as a 3-4 defensive end. He did play well enough to garner a Pro Bowl bid in 2005 however. But the Sapp we all remember fondly was the loud mouth, abrasive, and utterly dominate interior defensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sapp was widely (and rightly) regarded as the foremost three techniques of the last 15 years. Only Minnesota Vikings lineman John Randle was in the same class as Sapp during his peak. Few players this era have commanded more attention up the middle than Sapp, who on nearly every snap warranted double teams in order to stop him. Such a statement can be very underappreciated today. When a player is consistently double teamed, it opens up countless options for teammates to make plays, as Sapp teammates Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks did for years with Sapp's assistance. Sapp made six consecutive All-Pro teams in his career from 1997-2002, and was invited to play in 8 Pro Bowls. He would also collect an NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 1999.

On paper, he should an easy pick, but not so fast.

With Michael Strahan's retirement announcement, the class got just a little too crowded. Strahan's accomplishments have been rattled off numerous times in the last week or so. His resume certainly reads of first ballot Hall of Fame; 141.5 career sacks (5th all-time), two time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2001, 2003), six All-Pro selections, 7 Pro Bowls, and a Super Bowl XLII title to close out his career. He has been among the best players at his position for several seasons, and was a preeminent player of this generation.

So, with both Favre and Ogden as hands down first ballot players, and the unlikelihood that the Hall of Fame will allow four first-ballot players, who will be odd man out.

My money will be on Sapp, which would be the wrong choice.

Let's make it clear, all these guys need to be first ballot selections. They dominated their respective positions for multiple seasons, accumulated great stats, and won championships. Michael Strahan is a truly great player, but I believe Sapp to be more dominate and important at his position than Strahan was. So, why will Sapp be left out? It will more than likely happen because of position. Strahan played at a position that allowed him to have a more visible impact on the game. More people see a sack than a player clogging the middle, forcing a running back to bounce outside. And even though Sapp had a great career sack total (96.5) it still is not anywhere near Strahan's 5th all-time status.

Sapp's persona also may hurt him quite a bit. There were many a coach and writer who were vehemently turned off by Sapp during his career, finding that his attitude too much to deal with. The most notable was the famous confrontation with Green Bay coach Mike Sherman in 2002. Sapp and Sherman had to be separated following a comment from Sherman after a game in which he said Sapp delivered a cheap shot on Green Bay offensive tackle Chad Clifton, who was well away from the ball, following an interception. The ensuing shooting match received endless play on sports television, and hurt Sapp's reputation in some circles. Sapp's history of taunting and agitating rivals in pre-game and bumping into refs caused thousands of dollars in fines over his career, which may not sit well with Hall of Fame electors. And yes, while Strahan had his moments with media and other players, they never reached the level of Sapp's confrontations.

But the best thing that will be going for Strahan is his peak accomplishment, winning the Super Bowl, will be more recent than Sapp's. Our last memory of Strahan the player will be holding the Lombardi trophy in a Super Bowl victory. Few Hall of Fame players have that luxury, and Strahan knew that very well, which must have helped his decision to retire. Sapp's career meanwhile has been merely average the last few seasons. While his level of play never plummeted, his choose to finish his career in Oakland, a place of such disorganization the last few seasons that winning just didn't happen. Often times, our most lasting memory can simple be our most recent one.

The Verdict: Hall of Fame induction for 2013 will include- Brett Favre, Jonathan Ogden, and Michael Strahan as first ballot selections.


TOP DOGS

Previous Top 10's-

Linebackers

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Defensive Lineman

This week, we are venturing to the trenches and taking a look at the top 10 offensive linemen of all time. As I have alluded to before with the defensive linemen and linebackers, I did have a problem with giving proper recognition to each position. One reader commented last week that I should have separated outside and inside linebackers when doing the top 10 list. I only half agree there. Yes, the style of the position is quite different, but the players who man them are not. Players often times go from inside to outside, even on their own teams. So I was OK with making it an all encompassing linebacker list. This week, I just did not have that luxury.

Offensive line is very different. Indeed, players can and do switch positions, but when was the last time a guy went from center to left tackle in the NFL? While there have been players who line up in every position along the offensive line (most notably Oilers/Titans great Bruce Mathews) a good deal of the best players stay at one position. So, I have divided this week's top 10 into two top 5 rankings. The first will be for centers and guards and the second will be for the tackles. Perhaps the biggest reason for this would be the disproportionate amount of tackles on the list. Tackle is by nature the most difficult of the offensive line positions, so players who are among the greats there had a better advantage, one I did not want to be so blatant. So, the guards and centers will have their day too.

Honorable Mention: Gene Hickerson, Larry Little, Dwight Stephenson, Gene Upshaw, Bruce Mathews, Mel Hein, Alan Faneca, Steve Hutchinson.

5.) Mike Webster Pittsburgh Steelers (1974-1988) Kansas City Chiefs (1989-1990)

He was a squat, powerful man who helped propel the Steelers dynasty of the 70's. Webster is at times a forgotten star of those years. The leader of the Steelers offensive line, he manned the center position for two Super Bowls (he was a reserve for the first two) and cemented a place in history as one of the best centers and lineman to ever play the game. He was among the strongest players of his day, a strength that helped him achieve ten All Pro selections and nine Pro Bowls. He was straight forward, no nonsense, and all heart for Pittsburgh. His post football life was tragic, suffering from several head injuries that cost him his mind. He tragically died in 2002 at the age of 50.

4.) Jim Otto Oakland Raiders (1960-1974)

Double 0 would play in 223 games for the Oakland Raiders, and help lead the team from an AFL laughing stock to become one of the most storied franchisees in football history. Jim Otto was a mans man. Broken nose, ah, nothing. Otto played through 10 of those. During a career that saw thirteen All Pro seasons and twelve Pro Bowl invites, Otto was played center the way football gods envisioned it. He was violent player, tough as nails. But what is always forgotten with players that tough is that Otto was also incredibly smart and technically flawless. He arrived out of the University of Miami a scrawny 6'1", 205 lbs before he bulked into a 255 lbs machine.

3.) Jim Parker Baltimore Colts (1957-1967)

He could have made the tackle list as well. Position did not really matter for Jim Parker; he just lined up where he was told, and proceeded to decimate any hapless defender in from of him. What made him so great? For starters, he was huge. Standing 6'3" and weight 280 lbs of muscle, Parker was bigger than nearly every lineman of the day. But he was also faster, as evident from his brilliant pulling ability that left many a defender on their back side. For his first 5 seasons, he manned the left tackle spot for the Colts, where he was footballs best. But his move to right guard helped solidify him as the greatest all around lineman in NFL history. Parker was named to eight Pro Bowl and 10 All Pro teams, while helping the Colts become the one of the preeminent teams of the era, which included two NFL championships in 1958 and 1959. He was also named to the NFL's 75th anniversary team.

2.) John Hannah New England Patriots (1973-1985)

Along with Tom Brady, one of the two greatest players in New England Patriots history. It is with that level of regard I hold John Hannah. For 13 seasons, Hannah exhausted himself like no other player on the field, giving everything he could to win. Named to nine Pro Bowl and eleven All Pro teams, Hannah was toughness and grit personified. No other player in history caused more helmets to fly through the air than Hannah, who delivered a blow similar to that of a freight train traveling 70 mph. The leader of the Patriots, he was elected 1st team guard in the NFL's 75th anniversary team.


Allen is the most physically dominate player in NFL history.

1.) Larry Allen Dallas Cowboys (1994-2005) San Francisco 49er's (2006-present)

If you matched the power of a grizzly bear with the quickness of deer, you are getting close to Larry Allen. The most powerful man to ever play football (a recorded 700 lbs bench press and 900 lbs squat), Allen was a rare athletic force. NFL history is littered with body builders who could lift huge weight though. What separates Allen is his quickness and intellect. He has been the most physically feared offensive lineman in the last twenty years. Countless reports have surfaced about defensive lineman coming down with injuries the week they played the Cowboys, a disease known as Allenitis, the fear of playing against Larry Allen. He initially lined up at right guard, then moved to right tackle, then left tackle. But it was his move to left guard in 1999 that truly showed the dominance of Allen. There, he became the greatest guard in NFL history. Make no mistake, it would have taken the great Emmitt Smith several more seasons to break Walter Payton's all-time rushing total without Allen, if he could have broken the record at all. Certainly not a knock on Emmitt, but further validation of Allen's greatness. Named to eleven Pro Bowl teams and seven All Pro selections, Allen also took home a Super Bowl XXX trophy in 1996. News is continuing to circulate on his impending retirement, and if they are true, he is a first ballot Hall of Fame player.

For Future Consideration- Shawn Andrews, Nick Hartwick, Jeff Saturday.

TACKLES

Honorable Mentions- Larry Allen Ron Yary, Jackie Slater, Willie Roaf, Dan Dierdorf Gary Zimmerman, Walter Jones, Orlando Pace, Tony Boselli(misses inclusion because of his injury shortened career. If healthy, he would have been top 2)

5.) Forrest Gregg Green Bay Packers (1956-1970) Dallas Cowboys (1971)

"The finest player I have ever coached."
-Vince Lombardi on Forrest Gregg

It is simply not possible to have a more ringing endorsement than that. The team leader and captain of Vince Lombardi's Packers, Forrest Gregg possessed a masterful feel for offensive line play. Gregg was above all else an athlete. At 6-4, 250 lbs, he was never the biggest kid on the block, but he was the best. Few in the history of the game have had greater footwork and technique. While the term finesse can at times be a derogatory term for lineman, Gregg made it into a weapon. He would watch film not just of opponents, but also of positional rivals of his day, looking for anything to improve his game. Gregg would be named to nine consecutive All Pro and Pro Bowl teams from 1959-1967, and won 5 NFL titles and three Super Bowls in his career.

4.) Roosevelt Brown NY Giants (1953-1965)

A 27th round draft pick!, Roosevelt "Rosey" Brown exhibited a dedication and passion for the game that was nothing short of inspirational. Before the days of advanced scouting and viewing every snap of a player in college, GM's and coaches relied on sports reporters and collegiate coaches as a gauge for talent. Few saw much in Brown, a 6'3", 255 pounder with strong looking body, but once the Morgan State tackle lined up in Giants camp, they knew they found something special. As a rookie, he won the starting tackle job, a position he held for the next thirteen seasons, which included an NFL title in 1956. He would be named to the Pro Bowl nine times in his career, and the NFL named his a starter to it 75th anniversary team, one of only four tackle on the list.


3.) Art Shell Oakland Raiders (1968-1982)

Perhaps the greatest Oakland Raider of all time, Shell was a master of line play. Playing in three different decades, Shell walked onto the field with a mean streak that often times spelled bad news for opponents. Listed at 6'5" and 265 lbs (but closer to 290), Shell was biggest and baddest boy on the block. Not that he wasn't a nice guy off the field, but when you lined up against him, you were in deep, deep trouble. Eight Pro Bowl and 7 All Pro selections further cemented his Hall of Fame career. A member of one of the great offensive combos of all time with teammate Gene Upshaw, they would dominate for 14 seasons and won two Super Bowls.

2.) Jonathan Ogden Baltimore Ravens (1996-2007)

This guy is really having a good week in this week's column. I'll just reiterate what was said above. No one was better at left position during this period than Ogden. His possessed an athleticism rarely seen in wide receivers, let alone a man who stood 6'9" and weighed 350 lbs. With eleven Pro Bowl bids and elected to nine All-Pro teams, Ogden is among the most decorated players of his generation. He block for a myriad of sub-par quarterbacks for most of his career, and helped block for Jamal Lewis' 2066 yard rushing season in 2003, the 2nd most all-time. A Super Bowl XXXV win cemented his position as not just one of this generation's best, but one of the all-time greats.


Anthony Muñoz was perhaps the NFL's best offensive lineman ever.

1.) Anthony Muñoz Cincinnati Bengals (1980-1992) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1993- only in off-season, never played a regular season game)

The best offensive tackle of all time, Anthony Muñoz dominated offensive line play for 13 brilliant seasons with Cincinnati. Few players in the games history attacked each play with as much vicious intensity and violence. At 6'6" and 280 lbs, Muñoz was a perfectly molded tackle. With a powerful lower body and arms that could reach across the field, he possessed all of the physical tools necessary to excel. But that would sell Muñoz short. He was a dedicated, passionate football player, adept to both run and pass blocking. A pulverizing run blocker, perhaps no other tackle in history drove more defenders backwards and on the ground than Muñoz. His pass blocking was equally great. Raiders Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long once said in preparing for the Bengals, the defensive coach would simple erase whichever X was to be lined up on the O representing Muñoz, conceding a forgone defeat for anyone who was being blocked by Muñoz. He would finish his career with eleven Pro Bowl selections and 10 All-Pro selections and a first ballot Hall of Fame induction in 1998.

For Future Consideration- Joe Thomas, Willie Anderson, Jason Peters, Marcus McNeil.

That is going to do it for this week. And good luck to the Boston Celtics to close out the series. Have a good one.