Ultimate Fantasy Football Strategy - Offensive Line Analysis

See our complete 2008 Offensive Line Rankings

Discuss the rankings in our forums

New England Patriots

2008 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Matt Light
Left Guard: Logan Mankins
Center: Dan Koppen
Right Guard: Stephen Neal
Right Tackle: Nick Kaczur

2007 Injuries:
RG Stephen Neal: Weeks 2 to 4, 11 and 14 to 17
C Dan Koppen: Week 5

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
4.48	11	4.99	5	4.75	2	4.65	7	4.39	10	21	5

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 New England Patriots had one of the most prolific offenses ever last season led by quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss. There is no doubt that those two were excellent but the offensive line should also receive a big portion of the credit for the team’s success as it only allowed 21 sacks. Three of the linemen were rewarded with a well-deserved trip to the Pro Bowl. Continuity for this offensive line has definitely helped as well as the excellent blocking schemes. Most of the linemen have grown in the Patriots organization and most importantly, the five starters have been with the team since 2005.

At left tackle, the Patriots can count on the 29 year old Pro Bowler Matt Light. He is a strong tackle at 6’4” and 305 lbs who does very well against physical defensive linemen but doesn’t have the footwork to keep up with speedy defensive ends such as Dwight Freeney. Light is a pretty good run blocker but not exceptional and his strength allows him to open some holes but most of his success is due to the Patriots system. Overall, Light is an above average tackle who would probably not be selected for the Pro Bowl if he weren’t playing for the Patriots. The right side is a little weaker with former third round pick Nick Kaczur who will be playing in his fourth NFL season in 2008. Kaczur has good quickness but his technique and strength still need some work. He has shown good improvement after being drafted in the third round but he is considered the weak link on this line. Unfortunately for him, he has not played all 16 games in any of his first three seasons due to injuries and will definitely have to stay healthy or the coaching staff might lose patience with him. Ryan O’Callaghan is the backup tackle but was disappointing in 2007. Quite a few expected him to surpass Kaczur and become the starter on the right side but he failed to do so. He is a very tough lineman with great size but lacks the speed and technique to be effective in the NFL.

At left guard, the Patriots have another Pro Bowler in Logan Mankins. Mankins was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Patriots and has since started all 48 regular season games for them. Mankins is arguably the best guard in the AFC with his combination of footwork, technique, strength and awareness. He will struggle occasionally when pulling out or trying to get to the second level because of his lack of speed but he is still the best lineman on the Patriots. There was a lot of inconsistency at the right guard position in 2007 due to injuries. Stephen Neal was the starter for most of the year but various injuries kept him out for eight games. Neal is considered another weak link on this line and is an average starter at best. He is a former wrestler who uses his athleticism very well to pull out and is excellent when blocking on screen plays. He is a decent pass protector but lacks the pure strength to open up holes down the middle in the running game. In the eight games that Neal was the starting RG, the Patriots averaged only 3.7 YPC and gave up 13 sacks while they averaged 4.4 YPC and gave up only 8 sacks in his absence. 30 year old Russ Hochstein was his replacement during that time. Hochstein was acquired in 2002 after being released by the Buccaneers and has since been very useful for the Patriots. He is a very versatile lineman with the ability to play the center and both guard positions. It is unlikely that he will surpass Neal for the starting job but the statistics show that the Patriots could really use an upgrade at right guard. Bill Yates also provides depth at guard but he has spent more time on the practice squad and injured list than the active roster since being signed from Miami in 2005.

At center, the Patriots have one of the best in the NFL in Dan Koppen. Koppen was rewarded for his excellent season by being named as a reserve for the Pro Bowl for the first time in his five year career. Koppen is a leader for this line and is a master at recognizing defensive schemes in order to adjust the line. He is not strongest lineman but knows how to use his position well and he adjusts accordingly. He has excellent footwork and good quickness that allows him to pull to the outside if required to do so. He will not open up big holes in the running game but is still very useful for this line. Russ Hochstein is used as Koppen’s backup in case of injuries.

2008 Outlook:
The Patriots will continue to have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL with all five starters from 2007 returning in 2008. Tom Brady’s ability to get rid of the ball quickly and the excellent blocking schemes certainly make this line look better as a whole than each player would look individually. Depth is not a problem for this line with O’Callaghan and Hochstein who are very capable backups but it might struggle if Mankins were to be injured. The line is above average in both pass blocking and run blocking but could be improved by strengthening the right side where Neal and Kaczur are the two weak links. This line should perform as well as it did in 2007 and could be even better if everyone manages to stay healthy and the five starters can stay together for more than seven games like in 2007.