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Lockout Analysis: Offensive Line


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Lockout analysis: Offensive line

June, 3, 2011

Jun 3

11:37

AM ET

By Rich Cimini

ESPNNewYork.com is providing a daily breakdown on how the lockout is affecting the individual position groups.

Position: Offensive line.

Depth chart: C -- Nick Mangold, Rob Turner, Robby Felix; G -- Brandon Moore, Matt Slauson, Marlon Davis, Dennis Landolt; T -- D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Vladimir Ducasse, Wayne Hunter.

Not under contract: Hunter.

Player hurt most by the lockout: Ducasse, Ferguson.

Player with most to gain: Ex-Jet Damien Woody.

Analysis: There may not be a player on the team more affected by the lockout than Ducasse, who needed this offseason in the worst way. The Jets released Woody at the start of the offseason, thinking Ducasse could step in at right tackle. A couple of potential problems: 1. Save for the meaningless regular-season finale, he didn't play as a rookie. 2. He's never played right tackle. These issues will be compounded by his small-school background. Ducasse has the size and physical tools, but his development will be hurt by not having minicamps and OTAs.

This bodes well for Woody, who is healing nicely from Achilles-tendon surgery. If there's an abbreviated training camp, meaning little time for Ducasse to get settled, the Jets may look to re-sign Woody (or perhaps Hunter) as a stop-gap. There's a feeling close to the team that Woody will be back.

Ferguson, too, could be hurt by the lockout, but his pain will be in his bank account -- a league-high $750,000 workout bonus that he'll probably never see. Ouch.

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Cimini is certainly back to his full-on douche ways, huh? Nothing but negative analysis on one of the Jets strongest units, which has been one of the very best OLs in the league for a few years running now. With a lockout ongoing, there's not even an acknowledgment of the fact that the Jets will return, at minimum, 4 starters including two young Pro Bowlers (Mangold / Ferguson), an extremely talented and underrated veteran (Moore) and a third year player / second year starter who has already shown great progression (Slauson). The ONLY question is RT, and even then the Jets have a guy on the roster who they had rated as a first-rounder last year, not to mention two veteran players who started last year that they could bring back to fill that spot. Considering the questions at some of the other offensive skill positions, it's the OL more than any other unit that's going to be counted on to have the offense survive this offseason.

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