Article: Offensive Tackles making the move to the interior.

Jville

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With Justin Britt scheduled to play this Friday at left guard, I thought the linked article timely. Last year I noted the lower body flexibility of Britt and his quick recovery others rolling up on his legs. Flexibility also allows longer players to bend those knees and keep their pad level down. Looking forward to Fridays game.

Once upon a time, a college tackle moving to guard or center in the NFL was considered a demotion. Now, a new crop of versatile, gifted, and punishing linemen are realizing that life can look a little better on the inside

Inside Men >>> [urltargetblank]http://grantland.com/features/guard-tackle-interior-offensive-linemen-nfl/[/urltargetblank]
 

onanygivensunday

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Jville":9bk14dr2 said:
With Justin Britt scheduled to play this Friday at left tackle,
I believe that you meant LG... unless I'm behind the times.
 

hawknation2015

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Thanks for posting this article. Some very good insights into why I feel guard has always been Britt's best position in the long term. He plays with great power, flexibility, and leverage. As a pass protector, I think he has a chance to develop into a much better player inside. He does have a very quick punch.

On the inside, where space is scarce, leverage comes at a premium. That’s why shorter players can be considered an ideal fit; playing lower to the ground means better movement off the ball. But it isn’t always that simple. “There are 6-foot-2, 6-foot-3 guys who play high as kites,” Bentley says. That thought works the other way, as well. Alex Boone, a client of Bentley’s who was long considered a classic left tackle, stands 6-8 but is flexible enough that he was able to settle in at guard for the 49ers. Bentley says the basic habits that make successful offensive linemen are transferrable across positions. The nuances are what separate guard from tackle, and many of those are learned skills.
 
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Jville

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onanygivensunday":noopnskf said:
Jville":noopnskf said:
With Justin Britt scheduled to play this Friday at left tackle,
I believe that you meant LG... unless I'm behind the times.

Duly corrected. Thanks for editing. :th2thumbs:
 

ivotuk

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Great Post.

This is something I would expect to hear from Justin Britt:

"Moving to guard also provided the opportunity for Osemele to embrace the aggression that defined his game. “That’s why you start playing football,” Osemele says. Even if he’d never played the position, he’d always been a guard.

Lang is wired the same way. “I didn’t really have that mind-set to be a tackle where I had to be patient,” Lang says. “I wanted to get on guys now, and sometimes that got me in trouble. Guard was definitely more comfortable.”":
 

TwistedHusky

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Still kind of bummed we did not at least TRY to draft La'El Collins.

I would feel better if we we had at least some people at these positions that had skill, and we were not just relying on raw talent to out-athlete the other team.

Wouldn't have solved the problem we are essentially trying to field an OL with one actually OT and the rest a hodgepodge of converted guys and borderline not quite starters. If we have to move our tackles around, it means we don't have guys were are OK with at OT and we we don't have compelling enough guard play since we wouldn't be moving people into those slots if we were good with the production there.

It feels like a very strong indicator we are tremendously weak at both positions. Which is unpleasant.
 

MontanaHawk05

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With defensive lines putting a premium on interior pressure to disrupt pocket QBs, guard has become a much more valuable position in the last few years. Britt projects well to guard, but the inexperience will still show tonight. It'll be a wait and see thing.
 

bigskydoc

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I never understood what Cable saw in Britt that made him think he would be better moved out to tackle. Everything about Britt screams guard and if he remains there I think he will be very successful.

Despite Cable's protestations to the opposite, I assume the plan last year was to have Britt start at left guard or potentially right with Scott filling the right tackle role.

-bsd
 
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Jville

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bigskydoc":3u4brv7k said:
I never understood what Cable saw in Britt that made him think he would be better moved out to tackle. Everything about Britt screams guard and if he remains there I think he will be very successful.

Despite Cable's protestations to the opposite, I assume the plan last year was to have Britt start at left guard or potentially right with Scott filling the right tackle role.

-bsd

As I recall, the plan was for Michael Bowie to start at right tackle. Justin Britt to push Bowie as his understudy. Scott to be Okung's understudy. With, Garry Gillian as a priority contingency signing ..... just in case.
 
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Jville

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I think edge rush specialists and a strong defensive emphasis on mismatches are forcing teams to make a choice between offensive tackles with the powerful aggressiveness to push in support of run blocking or those with the agility and patience to pass block.

I think that showed up in comparing Justin's right tackle play in the first game and Gary's play in the second game.
 
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