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In our first two installments we talked about the offensive line and how different skill sets should be considered when choosing a scheme to fit your personnel. The same approach holds true with offensive tackles.

Read Offense R&D Interior Line part 1 & part 2

The primary difference between OTs and Centers and Guards is the length and athleticism required of the OT position to block lighter, faster athletes. In looking at building an offensive line and placing available personnel, it’s valid to think strength and size inside and length and athleticism outside.

Of course, as we have pointed out, all of your athletes will not fit into a perfect profile. That’s where decision making on scheme and development comes into play.

While athletes will fit across a continuum of skills from big and strong to long and athletic, it’s easiest to look at the two extremes to begin to determine what schemes they best fit into.

As we pointed out before, stronger and bigger linemen are better suited for a “downhill run game” that relies on vertical displacement of defenders that “dent the defense.’ Schemes like inside zone work best for these types of linemen.  

The more athletic linemen, who may be undersized may be better in plays that focus on horizontal displacement like outside zone.

Clearly, it would be presumptive to assume that anyone offense will have only one particular kind of linemen.  Let’s look at a scenario where there are athletic interior linemen with a stronger and bigger tackle. It may be advantageous to keep that bigger, longer player outside, but maybe he doesn’t have the feet to capture a reach block at a high rate.  

In this scenario, having him to double team or down block becomes a more viable option. That’s where a decision to run pin and pull may be more advantageous.  That can be coupled with a downhill run game.  

Of course, that less mobile tackle would cause some concern for pass protection. Looking at a scheme that helps him with a back or tight end either chipping or assisting would be useful.

In the equation is certainly development. So while a body type may not fit a profile, as a coach you still have the ability to develop a skill set that is effective in your offense.

OT’s should have a high football IQ in order to read pressures and make adjustments. One thing that can help an OT in identification is playing from a two point stance. Bryant Offensive line coach Steve Ciocci coaches up the 2 point Stance in his free course.  

Protecting the edges in pass protection is one of the tougher skills to develop. In addition to quickness and flexibility, timing and handwork become very important. The concept of independent hands has made its way into coaching at every level.  

Why independent hands?

• Helps prevent overcommitment (causing head to follow hands)
• Allows same power as 2 hands OL has ability to choose when to use
• Allows OL ability to use different punch techniques that bes attack pass rush move
• Helps OL keep hips square and play longer

Ohio University OL Coach Allen Rudolph explains In this video:

Having different types of sets is very useful. Some match up to your schemes or even body types better. Loren Endsley does an outstanding job of breaking these down in his course “Fundamentals of Pass Protection.” Understanding what works best for your particular personnel is helpful. Endsley explains the different sets in this video:

Retired FBS OL Coach John Strollo still studies the game and develops new techniques. He notes,

In close quarters where momentum is limited, It’s harder to move "big guys". 

Long Arms and legs give you top speed and reach, but cost quickness (acceleration) and mechanical advantage. You can’t move as much weight. By bending your arms and legs you gain quickness and enjoy mechanical advantage, so that you can move more weight. We call this playing “condensed”. 

This advantage comes at the cost of reach, so you must develop some specific skills, similar to boxing, to prevent a long armed defender from “locking you out”. You must always maintain firm contact with the ground. You can’t move yourself or your opponent if your feet are slipping.

Strollo explains this in detail in his course “Fundamentals of Acceleration in Football”

Ciocci, shares an approach to development of offensive linemen and being sure that drills apply to what happens on game day.  This approach is effective in developing all linemen, and he covers development of several skills in the run game. Here is his drill philosophy:

Jim Mcnally is a master coach. He shares a technique that can be utilized to pull the tackle on the wide zone play if he has an attached TE next to him. The video is form McNally’s course “Rules and Techniques for blocking inside-outside and wide zone.”

What this shows is that you can get creative with who down blocks and who pulls in your offense. In this scheme the remainder of the offensive line can still reach. An offensive tackle having trouble with a reach could still help you create the wide zone running lane in this manner. Again, it’s about matching skill sets to scheme.

Developing tackles can’t come without a focus on footwork. Brian Callahan, Offensive Line Coach teaches footwork by utilizing foot targets. This video from his course illustrates how they use cones to accomplish the work they need for their different types of blocks.

We’ve talked about hands and feet, but the coaching point probably verbalized the most on the field by an offensive line coach is “USE YOUR HIPS!” Former NFL OL Mike Pollak works with Cleveland Browns Assistant Offensive Line Coach Scott Peters to develop techniques and players from the youth level through the NFL (The Browns graded out as the #1 run and pass blocking team on PFF). 

 A key component that they may have figured out better than anyone is getting players to effectively use their hips. In this video from their course “Force Deflection Bas Blocks on the LOS” explains how they do it:

What’s it all supposed to look like? Brian Baldinger and Bob Wylie illustrate the coaching points in the “Offensive Line Seminar.” Wylie points out a key point in this video about developing offensive linemen using future Hall of Fame OT Joe Thomas. “The key is the production of the player. That’s what matters.”

If you are building your O-Line from scratch or coaching O-Line for the first time, St. Thomas University Offensive Line Coach Tony Neymeyier gives tremendous insight into the process. He has been the offensive line coach for the year one start-up of two different college football programs. He shares it all in this clinic “Building an Offensive Line from Scratch.”  

In this video he shares his background. His situation may resonate with you, and the ideas he shares may be very useful in determining the direction you need to develop your offensive line in 2021.

After identifying the different skill sets amongst your offensive linemen and placing them in positions, the schemes should follow.  Personnel always needs to be the first determinant in what you will run. Scheme comes next.  

The first three installments cover both the skill sets and the schemes that may fit. Remember, there's the development component that will make a big difference over the course of the next year, but having a sound starting point that best matches your players will help them build confidence as they continue to learn and grow in other areas of offensive line play.

Up next: Tight Ends

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski