SwampD Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 We've read and heard a lot over the past month or so of the importance of the Left Tackle. Some have even said that it is the second most important position in football. That seems a little silly to me, but if I remember correctly, it wasn't even until a few years ago that people started talking of the [so called] importance of the left tackle. And now it seems as if it is all I hear about. Maybe it makes people feel like they know something about the game of football when they say things like,"you have to protect the quarterback's blind side." I don't know. I always thought that an Offensive line is best when it plays as a unit. I would think that it would only be important to have a great LT,as compared to the rest of the line, if that line as a whole kinda sucked. The reasoning being;if the QB's going to get hit anyway it would be best if it wasn't from the blind side. Every week we see highlights where QB's get hit straight on from the right side, and you say to yourself "how did he not see that guy." I'm just wondering if all this LT talk is more just a function of it being the current darling topic(possibly created by the agents of LT's) than of the actual importance of the position. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't think the LT isn't an important position, just not that much more than any other on the line. I don't know what the next most important position in football is, but if I had to choose only one, I'm pretty sure I would take an All-Pro center over an All-Pro LT any day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max997 Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 a few years ago, are you kiddin me....the importance of a LT isnt anything new, its been that way since passing became the norm and has been mentioned as the most important position on the line since I can remember and Ive been watching football for over 20 years...Anthony Munoz has been retired for how long now and Im pretty sure it was mentioned more then a few times when he played how important the LT position was and he played with a lefthanded QB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_red Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 There is a post on ESPN about this I'll look for the link. Something like the G-Men's LT gave up the most % of sacks on the O-Line. I'll be back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max997 Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 There is a post on ESPN about this I'll look for the link. Something like the G-Men's LT gave up the most % of sacks on the O-Line. I'll be back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampD Posted September 2, 2008 Author Share Posted September 2, 2008 the importance of a LT isnt anything new, its been that way since passing became the norm and has been mentioned as the most important position on the line since I can remember and Ive been watching football for over 20 years...Anthony Munoz has been retired for how long now and Im pretty sure it was mentioned more then a few times when he played how important the LT position was and he played with a lefthanded QB a few years ago, are you kiddin me There's no way it has been talked about for twenty years. At least not to the level it is these days. And why would the LT be important to a lefty QB? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max997 Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 There's no way it has been talked about for twenty years. At least not to the level it is these days. And why would the LT be important to a lefty QB? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_red Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 no one cares if you come back just because the Giants won the super bowl with a LT that wasnt a pro bowler doesnt make it any less important of a position....the Ravens won the super bowl with Trent Dilfer, does that make the QB position any less important? can't find it but it ranked all the teams also f you. LT is important but I'd take a avg. LT with the rest of the line soild then a pro blow LT and a below avg. line Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampD Posted September 2, 2008 Author Share Posted September 2, 2008 if you knew anything about football you would know that the LT position generally blocks the defenses best pass rusher if you disagree with the importance of it thats one thing but to say its only been talked about for a couple of years is pure ignorance Hey Max, why so angry? And the LT blocks the best pass rusher because the defense usually puts the best pass rusher on the QB's blind side, which in the case of a lefty QB is over the RT. But knowing so much about football, you already knew that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsVet Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 One of the greatest articles I've ever read about the evolution of the LT. It's lengthy, but an indication of how having someone who can be left alone in pass pro is so valuable to an entire offense. Left Tackle SI article from 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julian Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Its always been important to "protect the blindside", because thats were the best pass rushers are. Its really that simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max997 Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Its always been important to "protect the blindside", because thats were the best pass rushers are.Its really that simple. and yet somehow the original poster doesnt get that or think that the rest of the world has known about it for more then a couple years How important was Wil Wilford to the Bills line Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julian Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 One of the greatest articles I've ever read about the evolution of the LT. It's lengthy, but an indication of how having someone who can be left alone in pass pro is so valuable to an entire offense. Left Tackle SI article from 2006 Thanks for a fantastic read...i think everyone on this board should read it. I think Russ Brandon should aswell. I hope JP is back soon, and becomes a Bill for life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In-A-Gadda-Levitre Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 if you knew anything about football you would know that the LT position generally blocks the defenses best pass rusher if you disagree with the importance of it thats one thing but to say its only been talked about for a couple of years is pure ignorance dude, have a decaf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Thanks for a fantastic read...i think everyone on this board should read it. I think Russ Brandon should aswell.I hope JP is back soon, and becomes a Bill for life. I second that. Required reading for any archaic NFL front office types that think it's just about "5 fat guys." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampD Posted September 2, 2008 Author Share Posted September 2, 2008 Thanks for a fantastic read...i think everyone on this board should read it. I think Russ Brandon should aswell.I hope JP is back soon, and becomes a Bill for life. It was a really good read. I hope Max reads it. Then he would know that if NFL teams weren't even differentiating between the LT and other linemen until '93, then the general public wasn't talking about it until well after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibs Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 We've read and heard a lot over the past month or so of the importance of the Left Tackle. Some have even said that it is the second most important position in football. That seems a little silly to me, but if I remember correctly, it wasn't even until a few years ago that people started talking of the [so called] importance of the left tackle. And now it seems as if it is all I hear about. Maybe it makes people feel like they know something about the game of football when they say things like,"you have to protect the quarterback's blind side." I don't know. I always thought that an Offensive line is best when it plays as a unit. I would think that it would only be important to have a great LT,as compared to the rest of the line, if that line as a whole kinda sucked. The reasoning being;if the QB's going to get hit anyway it would be best if it wasn't from the blind side. Every week we see highlights where QB's get hit straight on from the right side, and you say to yourself "how did he not see that guy." I'm just wondering if all this LT talk is more just a function of it being the current darling topic(possibly created by the agents of LT's) than of the actual importance of the position. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't think the LT isn't an important position, just not that much more than any other on the line. I don't know what the next most important position in football is, but if I had to choose only one, I'm pretty sure I would take an All-Pro center over an All-Pro LT any day. I've been meaning to do a stats study for ages now......and I really don't have the spare time at the moment....but.... If you look at the 4 dominating LTs in recent times.... Jonathan Ogden Orlando Pace Walter Jones Willie Roaf .....2 have got SB rings.....1 helped get their team to a SB.....and 1 didn't get there. At a glance one would have to say that teams with star LTs seem to have a much greater chance of reaching(& winning) the SB than teams that don't have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2020 Our Year For Sure Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 It was a really good read. I hope Max reads it. Then he would know that if NFL teams weren't even differentiating between the LT and other linemen until '93, then the general public wasn't talking about it until well after that. So he was off by 5 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampD Posted September 2, 2008 Author Share Posted September 2, 2008 So he was off by 5 years. A little more than that. It wasn't until the Wolford deal in '97 that most folks were made aware of the importance of the LT. At least from a paycheck point of view. And even then it wasn't talked about all that much until more recently(sorry if ten years is recent to me, maybe I'm old). Whatever it was, it wasn't since time immemorial as Max thinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOR Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Thanks for a fantastic read...i think everyone on this board should read it. I think Russ Brandon should aswell.I hope JP is back soon, and becomes a Bill for life. The problem is that JP probably has that article memorized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 I hope JP is back soon, and becomes a Bill for life. Don't count on it - Peters has likely eaten his way out of a job. If I were you, I'd give up my hopes of ever seeing him in an NFL uniform again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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