NFL free agents 2023: Ranking top 10 offensive linemen

[Chopper0080]

This is an excellent draft for Centers. Schmitz is likely to be top guy on most boards. A few people have Van Pran on top. Two guys who are lower on most boards but I like are Tipperman from Wisconsin and Patterson from Norte Dame. I think Tipperman starts immediately and has a significant upside. Patterson will have to improve his pass blocking before it’s safe to start him, but he’ll have a long career. The Cards should be able to grab a good one with one of their third round picks.

I also like Tippman

 

[Chopper0080]

It all depends on the cost, but signing Pocic to a FA contract when he is the best C on the market could be awful.

 

[Shane]

Since Jones has come on and is the heir apparent at LT, i would start him at LG... he and Hump together should make the left side solid.

We’ve seen him at guard and he sucks. He’s a T only sadly. And he was much much better LT than RT.

 

[Chopper0080]

We’ve seen him at guard and he sucks. He’s a T only sadly. And he was much much better LT than RT.

I disagree with the "much better" comment. Jones was below league average in 2021 at RG and RT and looked below league average at LT in 2022. So, he has never been "good" and as I know people will post PFF grades, at best he is in the bottom third of LTs. The only spot for him is RT and that is where he is going to need to be successful. Not going to sweat it past that.

Heading into the season my line looks like this.

LT - Humphries
LG - Hayes
C - L Smith
RG - ?
RT - Jones

I see no reason to overpay for FA garbage just to get a marginal increase in production. Keim did that and our roster suffered for it. Let FA come to you. Field trade offers as they come available. Draft players to compete. See who on this roster can provide value as it will be needed with Kyler's contract moving forward.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

We have lots of holes and limited resources. That'll eliminate almost any premium FA.

 

[Krangodnzr]

I disagree with the "much better" comment. Jones was below league average in 2021 at RG and RT and looked below league average at LT in 2022. So, he has never been "good" and as I know people will post PFF grades, at best he is in the bottom third of LTs. The only spot for him is RT and that is where he is going to need to be successful. Not going to sweat it past that.

Heading into the season my line looks like this.

LT - Humphries
LG - Hayes
C - L Smith
RG - ?
RT - Jones

I see no reason to overpay for FA garbage just to get a marginal increase in production. Keim did that and our roster suffered for it. Let FA come to you. Field trade offers as they come available. Draft players to compete. See who on this roster can provide value as it will be needed with Kyler's contract moving forward.

Agreed. Resign Hernandez and draft a young IOL.

Free Agency as a whole is fool's gold.

 

[Chopper0080]

We have lots of holes and limited resources. That'll eliminate almost any premium FA.

Agreed. Monti has to be very careful where he allocates resources and that he gets equitable production from them.

 

[Chopper0080]

Agreed. Resign Hernandez and draft a young IOL.

Free Agency as a whole is fool's gold.

Monti just has to make sure he gets production per dollar. If you can add a really good RT, do it. But if it is marginally better and over 1 or 2 mil, there is little benefit.

 

[oaken1]

Monti just has to make sure he gets production per dollar. If you can add a really good RT, do it. But if it is marginally better and over 1 or 2 mil, there is little benefit.

dude is getting older but Beachum has played well. I was penciling in
Hump
Jones
Rookie
Hernandez/Hayes
Beachum

we need a center, there are about 5 good ones in this draft...3 who should be day 1 starters... we can probably get one with our first 3 but it wouldnt hurt my feelings to use 34 on a center

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Free Agency as a whole is fool's gold.

Players without warts rarely make it to FA. You're either taking on an injury/personality/growth risk, and often overpaying.

That's why it's so important to lock up the Zach Allens and Byron Murphy's at a team friendly rate before they hit the open market.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Players without warts rarely make it to FA. You're either taking on an injury/personality/growth risk, and often overpaying.

That's why it's so important to lock up the Zach Allens and Byron Murphy's at a team friendly rate before they hit the open market.

Yep. Another issue with free agents is that they might be successful in one system and terrible in another. It's really hard to project how a player will do in a new environment.

Allen and Murphy are part of the solution.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Allen and Murphy are part of the solution.

But once again (as with Kirk), we'll be forced to overpay for both of them to retain them because the FO didn't have the foresight to lock them in before UFA.

Keim!!!!!!

 

[Harry]

I also like Tipperman

Bruce Feldman put him on his famous “Freaks” list. Here’s what he said,
”The 6-6, 323-pounder made honorable mention All-Big Ten in his first season as a starter for the Badgers. Tippmann is a terrific combination of strength (635-pound back squat and 455-pound bench) and athleticism, clocking a 4.31 pro agility time and a 1.65 10-yard split, which would’ve been faster than any O-lineman at the NFL combine this year.”

 

[Chopper0080]

Bruce Feldman put him on his famous “Freaks” list. Here’s what he said,
”The 6-6, 323-pounder made honorable mention All-Big Ten in his first season as a starter for the Badgers. Tippmann is a terrific combination of strength (635-pound back squat and 455-pound bench) and athleticism, clocking a 4.31 pro agility time and a 1.65 10-yard split, which would’ve been faster than any O-lineman at the NFL combine this year.”

I have read that article and that is one of the reasons I started watching him this year. Wisconsin guys also come into the league ready to compete. Similar to Iowa linemen but to a little bit of a lesser degree.

 

[Harry]

I have read that article and that is one of the reasons I started watching him this year. Wisconsin guys also come into the league ready to compete. Similar to Iowa linemen but to a little bit of a lesser degree.

I often get asked how I manage to see so many players. One of the ways is I have some key people who I follow and make sue I get a look at their key players. During the season I watch 3-4 games on Saturday and tape others to watch during the week. When I was actually being paid to scout I often saw 2 live games a week, recorded and watched 7-10 others a week. I seldom used highlights except to clue me to players I needed to see. You can’t rate based on highlights as lots of mediocre players have them. You also converse with several other talent evaluators to see if they see what you see. It’s not as competitive as you might assume.

 

[Chopper0080]

I often get asked how I manage to see so many players. One of the ways is I have some key people who I follow and make sue I get a look at their key players. During the season I watch 3-4 games on Saturday and tape others to watch during the week. When I was actually being paid to scout I often saw 2 live games a week, recorded and watched 7-10 others a week. I seldom used highlights except to clue me to players I needed to see. You can’t rate based on highlights as lots of mediocre players have them. You also converse with several other talent evaluators to see if they see what you see. It’s not as competitive as you might assume.

Same. I tend to use pre-season ranks/articles of Feldman, Brugler, Pauline and Jeremiah/Brooks to get an idea of what players to keep my eyes out for on the upcoming season. Especially for underclassmen. After that I just keep my eyes out for players who flash throughout the season to add to the list.