Offensive lineman are football’s unsung heroes, down in the trenches battling it out on every play, but rarely ever get the shine and spotlight that their peers at other skill positions do. In a recent roundtable discussion with CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco, New York Giants center Weston Richburg, Titans guard Chance Warmack, Bears guards Kyle Long and Bobby Massie, all spoke on the state of offensive line play.
There were a few interesting tidbits that were shared as the men were unfiltered when airing out their grievances. For Warmack, he wasn’t feeling his former line coach Bob Bostad too much.
Chance Warmack:
“I had one dude (coach) who played D-III football at linebacker. And he’s teaching me how to play offensive line? If there’s nothing wrong with that, you tell me. I play offensive line. I don’t play linebacker. I definitely didn’t play D-III football. Not knocking D-III schools out there. We’re talking about the highest level of football in the world. And you have a guy who has never put his hand in the dirt teaching me how to block. You don’t think there’s anything wrong with that? I appreciate a coach who is open-minded to questions and comments. They don’t want to hear a question that questions their philosophy. When they are closed-minded, it stunts the growth of the offensive lineman.”
At one point in the conversation, the men spoke on the importance of having a close relationship with other members of the offensive line to ensure synergy, but Giants center Weston Richburg shared some thoughts that might have the opposite effect. When discussing voluntary offseason workouts, Richburg doesn’t take too kindly to the lack of participation.
Weston Richburg:
“The percentage of guys who are just OK to be there (in the league) is pretty high. This [extracurricular offseason work] is pretty rare. The majority of my offensive line is not doing anything right now.”
The Giants’ offensive line has been one of the weaker aspects of their roster, so perhaps he has a point.
Respect: For The Win
