Buccaneers: Ranking the offensive line among their NFC South opponents
The Centers
The Bucs have one of the best young guards in the NFL in one Ali Marpet. The small school standout has been about the best thing going for the Bucs upfront, and the news he will be moving to center for 2017 just confirms how important this position really is.
New Orleans made a splash when they traded Jimmy Graham for then Seahawks center Max Unger. Having one of the best receiving targets in the game was working wonders for Drew Brees and the Saints, but the team valued having a smart leader on the frontline more than a dynamic target working mismatches.
Everywhere you look, the center position is a big one. Calling out blocking assignments and identifying blitzers may not be all that eye-catching on Sundays, but man is it critical to a team’s success.
Just look at Seattle post-Unger. Russell Wilson has been running for his life, and the Seahawks running game has been running – well – nowhere.
Here’s the NFC South’s starting men at center, in a very particular order:
4. Max Unger, New Orleans Saints
Unger will forever get to say he’s been an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler. As impressive as this is though, his days of achieving those heights look to be over.
I’m not saying he can’t hold his own for the next year or two, but the Saints need to be formulating his exit strategy sooner rather than later.
I don’t know if the center of the future is on the roster currently, but Unger’s days are dwindling down, and his abilities will go with them as he nears the end of a pretty solid career.
3. Ali Marpet, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Like I said previously, Marpet was one of the best young guards in the game before the Buccaneers moved forward with their plan to make him their next starting center.
While nothing is ever written in stone with situations like this one, it’s an intriguing idea, and one Marpet is fully embracing.
"“I’m excited to try and play center. It’ll be new for me. It’s a new position. I mean, I’ve gotten some reps at it, but to play real snaps at center is different.” – Buccaneers Center, Ali Marpet"
I see this being a successful move for the team. Marpet certainly has the physical skills needed, and all signs point to him being smart enough to carry the load.
If it works, then Tampa could have their own Peyton Manning / Jeff Saturday “Bromance” brewing, and it’d be a beautiful thing.
Still, until it reaches execution phase, it’s hard to rank him much higher than this on potential alone.
2. Ryan Kalil, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have the oldest starting center in the division as it stands today, but man is he a good one.
Kalil has been named a First-Team All-Pro twice and a Pro Bowl center five times in his career to this point.
His most recent appearance on both lists was in 2015 when he helped the Panthers make it to the Super Bowl.
Granted, the line was a big reason they got throttled by the Denver Broncos, but I think we all know who specifically made the group look so porous.
With Mike Remmers out, and Kalil still around, Carolina should be able to rebound with the addition of some new offensive weapons for Cam Newton and company.
Having this veteran presence should keep things serviceable in front of Newton, and they’ll be glad they have the 32-year old back for at least one more ride.
1. Alex Mack, Atlanta Falcons
As a Pro Bowl selection and Second-Team All Pro in 2016, it’s easy to see why Mack was one of the more coveted players to move franchises last season.
After playing the Super Bowl with a fractured fibula, nobody is going to question Mack’s toughness.
If he doesn’t have any pre-season or early season setbacks then he should be able to come back healthy and get Matt Ryan the protection he needs to have another prolific statistical campaign.
Running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman will definitely be hoping the 9th year pro can come back to form as both enjoyed career years bringing the Falcons the NFL’s 5th ranked rushing attack one year ago.
Atlanta fans may not get to see just how much this man impacted their offense, but if they have to go without him for some reason, they’ll see just how much they’d miss him.
Must Read: Cooper Tryout Not About Ratings
So, the Falcons win round one, but it’s not over. We’ve still got the Guards, Tackles, and depth charts to look at.
Let’s work our way out, and go with the guards next.