5 BEST OFFENSIVE LINEMEN STILL AVAILABLE

BY ADAM GREENE

It’s becoming a recurring theme for me as I peruse the available free agents this close to training camp at the quality still walking the Earth untethered to employment. We are, as of this writing, about a week away from the first teams reporting and there are plenty of quality free agents out on the street looking for work.

With some of the other positions we’ve gone over, there are injury issues that could explain why a man might still be on his couch. Others are on rosters and looking for trades. Still others are journeymen and getting plucked off the late season free agent market is their lot in life.

This offensive line group has a different problem. Most of these guys have been successful for a while and that “while” is the issue. They’re good. They’re NFL starters. But most of them are a little long in the tooth.

Still, that doesn’t mean they can’t contribute to NFL teams this season. Some of them, considering their reputations and past performances, might be able to land on a real contender and be the guy that can get a team over the hump, or help train up younger players as a mentor. Just look at the value the Los Angeles Rams got out of Andrew Whitworth in that position over the last few seasons.

With all that in mind, here are my selections for the five best offensive linemen currently available.

5. BOBBY MASSIE, OT, FREE AGENT

Age: 32

PFF Grade: 70.0

Massie spent most of his career with the Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears, playing on both recent Bears playoff teams. In his one season with the Broncos, he played 796 offensive snaps, surrendered just five sacks and was called for one penalty. As a fourth round pick in 2015 out of Ole Miss, Massie started every game for the Cards as a rookie. He was suspended for part of 2013 and never got into the starting rotation, but took it back over in 2014 and has started every game in which he’s been healthy enough to play since, regardless of his team.

Perfect landing spot: Houston Texans

The Texans drafted Kenyon Green to play left guard in April’s draft, but at right guard they’re looking at AJ Cann, a guy that played just 198 snaps last season and graded out via Pro Football Focus at 47.7. This will be Cann’s seventh season and he’s just a year and a half younger than Massie, so there’s no advantage in keeping Cann in that position with Massie on the street looking for work.

4. ERECK FLOWERS, OG, FREE AGENT

Age: 28

PFF Grade: 72.0

Flowers has the distinction of being a decent enough player that was simply drafted too high. He was selected No. 9 overall to play offensive tackle by the New York Giants in 2015, the highest former Miami Hurricane tackle taken since 2002. The fact that he’s made his career (or saved it) by moving into guard should tell you everything you need to know about how that turned out. New York didn’t pick up his fifth year option and released him in October of his fourth season. He started at left tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars for the rest of that season before moving onto Washington, who smartly played him at guard. That’s where he’s remained, with one season in Miami in 2020 before returning to the Commanders last year in a trade.

Perfect landing spot: Seattle Seahawks

It’s been years since the Seahawks had a legitimate NFL starting level guard tandem and, unless they make a change heading into training camp, 2022 will be no different. As of this writing, they’re looking at Damien Lewis (PFF Grade 57.1) at left guard and Gabe Jackson (PFF Grade) 63.6 at right guard. Pete Carroll wants to the run the ball, so much that he ran his own future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback out of town. Flowers is still young enough that you can forgive his early career stumbles, but they can also be seen as a positive. Not only is he better than both guards already on Seattle’s roster, he does have the ability to move outside to tackle if injuries force it.

3. DUANE BROWN, OT, FREE AGENT

Age: 36

PFF Grade: 71.5

Brown was drafted in the first round by the Houston Texans in 2008 and has played like it ever since. The Texans traded Brown to the Seahawks in 2018 where he was instantly Seattle’s best offensive lineman. He was a first team All Pro in 2012, a second teamer in 2011 and 2018 and has made the Pro Bowl five times. Last season out of 969 snaps played, Brown was called for five penalties and gave up eight sacks.

Perfect landing spot: Pittsburgh Steelers

Brown has earned the right to suit up for a decent team with the chance to play deep into January. Pittsburgh will either be a run first team with Mitchell Trubisky as its quarterback or a run first team with rookie Kenny Pickett at quarterback. They need to seriously upgrade their tackles. They don’t have a lot invested in either side, with 2021 fourth round pick Dan Moore Jr. (PFF Grade: 57.8) on the left and 2018 third rounder Chukwuma Okorafor (PFF Grade: 63.8) on the right.  Playing in the toughest conference in football and its second toughest division, there’s no reason to just go ahead and surrender defeat at those positions. The Steelers need a guy like Brown, especially if they toss the keys to Pickett. Nothing can ruin a young QB’s development like getting pounded into the turf repeatedly.

2. JC TRETTER, CENTER, FREE AGENT

Age: 31

PFF Grade: 78.7

Tretter is not only one of the better centers in the league, he’s the president of the NFLPA. To me, that’s a guy that should probably get a job. Tretter was a fourth round pick from the Green Bay Packers out of Cornell in 2012. He played their four seasons before landing with the Cleveland Browns. With one more year on his contract, the team released him and he’s currently on his Barcalounger. Tretter played 1,039 snaps a season ago, was called for penalties five times and allowed just one sack.

Perfect landing spot: Houston Texans

Back to the team that needs everything. Houston is a mess and will stay that way until the McNair family is forced to sell the team. But I’m sure Lovie Smith would like to somehow put a competitive roster on the field this season and his current center, Justin Britt, ain’t the answer. Now, I’m sure Tretter would love to never set foot in the Texans’ facility as a player, but he’s still got some good years ahead of him and apparently plays a position that’s not in high enough demand to match his talents. So he should sign up with the Texans for a year and try to keep defensive tackles from destroying Davis Mills. Plus, as bad a situation as it is in Houston, Smith deserves the chance to field an NFL caliber team.

1. JASON PETERS, OT, FREE AGENT

Age: 40

PFF Grade: 77.5

Here’s something that most people would not believe. Jason Peters didn’t play offensive line in college. He was a tight end at Arkansas from 2001-2003. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2004 by the Buffalo Bills and was converted to an offensive lineman. He actually played in five games and made one start as a rookie.

By his second season, he had taken over the starting right tackle position for Buffalo and, by his third, was their starting left tackle. And that’s where he remained until he was nabbed by Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009. He started every game in which he was healthy, made multiple playoff runs and won a Super Bowl in 2017 with the Eagles. After the 2020 season, they let him walk and he suited up for the Chicago Bears a year ago, making 15 starts. He played 853 offensive snaps, was penalized three times and gave up six sacks.

Perfect landing spot: Green Bay Packers

Elgton Jenkins is as solid a right tackle as they come in the league, but he’s recovering from a torn ACL suffered last November and no one knows when he’ll be ready to take the starting load for the Packers. Peters could start for Jenkins as he continues his recovery and keep Green Bay from forcing him back onto the field too fast. A guy like Peters could always just retire after a pretty solid career, but a team like the Pack could offer the chance to chase one last ring and do it in a way where he’s not carrying the load all season long. He can play in reserve for pretty much every position across the line.

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

Connect with us our socials on Twitter and Instagram for the latest sports news, viral moments, betting odds and the occasional memes.