Shanahan has favored smaller, quicker players
The stereotype might be off, though the numbers — as in height and weight — suggest otherwise. Under Mike Shanahan, Denver favored smaller, and quicker, offensive linemen. That’s not a pre-requisite; one analyst even calls it a myth. Or, perhaps, coincidental.
Recommended Stories
Whether that continues in Washington is a mystery. There’s no doubt the Redskins’ offensive line will undergo changes, starting with a new coach and perhaps as many as four new starters.
The new guys may or may not be small. They may or may not be maulers.
But they will zone block and, most likely, cut block. That’s a combination that helped Shanahan produce one 1,000-yard rusher after another in Denver.
The new Redskins coach has drafted big offensive linemen in the past, most notably 6-foot-6, 317-pound left tackle Ryan Clady in 2008. But Shanahan’s lines from his two Super Bowl champions in the late 1990s to his last season in Denver featured linemen who flirted with 300 pounds, rather than those who blew past that weight long ago.
“The size thing is overrated,” former Denver guard, and ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth, said. “You have to run and be athletic enough to get to the [linebackers] on the backside. Like any other position, if you have good hands and good feet and you can play, whether you’re 340 pounds or 285, that’s what you’re looking for.”
The problem is, Washington lacks the nucleus of the sort of line Shanahan would want. Left tackle Chris Samuels would fit, but he’s contemplating retirement. Center Casey Rabach is savvy enough, but he’s a free agent. Right guard Randy Thomas has missed most of the past three seasons with injuries. Right tackle Stephon Heyer struggled; 330-pound left guard Derrick Dockery was consistent, though unspectacular.
“Denver definitely didn’t have anyone like Dock,” Rabach said.
The Redskins could get help in free agency with players such as Tampa Bay left tackle Donald Penn and Denver guard Chris Kuper — if they don’t re-sign with their respective teams. In the draft, Oklahoma State left tackle Russell Okung is similar to Clady. One draft expert said Maryland left tackle Bruce Campbell also fits the description of what Shanahan likes. He drafted two tackles in the first round during his 14 seasons in Denver.
“One thing about zone blocking is you don’t need traditional offensive linemen,” one NFL general manager said. “You just need guys who have good mechanics and who work well together … He needs an athletic line built on quickness. They don’t take people head on. Everything is at an angle.”
The Redskins have run a zone-blocking scheme the past six years with retiring line coach Joe Bugel, whose replacement has yet to be named. Every team has some zone-blocking plays, though Denver probably used that tactic more under Shanahan. And while some teams cut block on occasion, the Broncos would do it on many of their run plays.
“[Shanahan] does have a power run, where he pulls the guard through the hole,” Rabach said. “We got away from that after Joe [Gibbs] left. But it seems real similar.”
The athleticism is important on the cutback runs; if the run is blocking to its left, then the right tackle must get to the linebackers to help create a cutback lane. That didn’t always happen this season.
Whatever happens, Shanahan has pegged the line as a key offseason need.
“That will always be an emphasis to me,” he said. “You have to have players up front.”
