Its safe to say that the biggest issues on the offensive side of the ball for the Lions was the run blocking, and many people attributed that to the poor play of Dominic Raiola and Stephen Peterman. While I don’t believe that their play was the sole reason that the Lions couldn’t run the ball, I do believe that there are upgrades to both of them out there. If you look the list below, you will see that it is easy to find proven replacements for both guys as there are plenty of perennial All Pro guards available for the taking, and a few good centers. However, the question is do you replace both of them, just one of them or neither of them?
The offensive line is a unique group in football. Often times, a group of nobodies can do a great job blocking just because they have played with each other for a long time and complement each other’s skill sets. The first line that comes to mind would be the New England Patriots offensive line before guys like Matt Light and Stephen Neal became Pro Bowlers. If you look at the Patriots offensive line, you will notice that there is seven Pro Bowl appearances between them, yet only one of them is a first round pick. The reason is because four out of five of them have played together for better part of the decade. The Lions have had four starters on the offensive line play together for three straight seasons now, and seem to be set at all positions on the line.
So, do you break up that continuation in hopes that a more talented free agent can come in and make the line better? I don’t think or believe so. The best way to build an offensive line is through the draft, not through high profile and expensive first round draft picks, but through fourth, fifth and seventh round picks who develop on the back ends of your roster for two or three years. The New Orleans Saints have had one of the best offensive lines in football in recent years, and that is exactly how they have done it. Only one player on the Saints offensive line was picked before the 3rd round, but they seem to do just fine protecting Drew Brees and finding running lanes for any number of backs the Saints throw the opponent’s way.
With that said, here are a few guys that could be an upgrade to Raiola or Peterman in the immediate future:
Ryan Kalil (RFA): The best thing to like about Ryan Kalil is that he is a young guy that can grow. At 25, he is basically 3 years older than your average draft pick, but he has already proven himself in the NFL. He would be one of the few free agents offensive lineman that I would like to see on the Lions roster. He had somewhat of a bad 2010 season, allowing 3 sacks, but has only allowed four in the 47 NFL games he has started. Kalil posses all the skills needed to be a top notch center in the NFL. He is powerful, efficient, and quite mobile. The only downside to him is that he isn’t the most physical or athletic guy. If he gets a low tender (which I highly doubt), look for teams to pry him out of Carolina.
Davin Joseph (UFA): In my mind, Davin Joseph is one of the most athletic guards in the NFL. If he was a couple of inches taller (he’s 6’3”) he could’ve easily played tackle. He matches up really well with pass rushers, and is a solid downhill blocker. At times, he will have issues with bigger defensive lineman, but the biggest concern about him is his consistency. If he can play consistently, he is a Pro Bowl caliber guard. Overall, he has started every game in his NFL career that he was eligible for save one, but the 11.50 sacks given up in five years is somewhat of an issue for a guard.
Nate Livings (RFA) Nate Livings is an absolute monster of a guard at 6’5, 332 lbs, but he is surprisingly light on his feet (for a guard), and has very good footwork and technique. As smart decision maker, he reads blitzes very well and does a good job blocking blitzing linebackers, and takes solid blocking angles. He isn’t the most polished run blocker, but this was only his first season starting full time in the NFL, so there is still time and room for improvement. To me, Nate Livings is a guy that’s not on many people radar because he player for a 4-12 Bengals team, and didn’t really do much until this season. He is by no means a complete package, but he should be a bargain. Also, it will be interesting to see what the Bengals do with their offensive line as they have three starters slotted for free agency.
Others to consider: Deuce Lutui (UFA), Justin Blalock (UFA), Samson Satele (UFA)
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