Bretsky
04-23-2007, 08:35 AM
Draft Preview: Offensive linemen
Thomas could be 'next big-time tackle'
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: April 22, 2007
On the Packers
Bob McGinn
E-MAIL
Green Bay - Late in Anthony Munoz' unmatched career as a tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals, an award citation issued by NFL Alumni read as follows:
"The NFL has three levels of offensive linemen. The bottom rung is for players aspiring to make the Pro Bowl. The next step is for those who have earned all-star status. Then there's Anthony Munoz."
During a five-year stretch in the mid-1990s, five tackles entered the league and would eventually prove worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Munoz: Willie Roaf, Tony Boselli, Jonathan Ogden, Orlando Pace and Walter Jones.
It has been a decade since the last of that vanguard came onto the NFL scene. Even now, in the latter stages of their careers, Jones, Ogden and Pace are as good if not better than anyone playing left tackle.
Many see Joe Thomas as the best prospect among tackles, but only time will tell if he's remembered among the best in the National Football League.
The torch, however, has not been passed. Is Wisconsin's Joe Thomas next in line?
The question is legitimate. Not only was Thomas gifted with ideal size and boundless athletic ability, he has played the game exceptionally well. His limitations appear nil.
Earlier this month, a cross-section of personnel men for NFL teams was asked if Thomas would become the next "aircraft carrier" at left tackle. Ten said that he wouldn't and two, including general manager A.J. Smith of the San Diego Chargers, said that he would.
"Barring injury, this should be the next big-time tackle," Smith said. "Just do in the pros what you did in college and go to the Pro Bowl nine times. Joe Thomas is a no-brainer."
Smith added this caveat: "We all thought (Robert) Gallery would be one, too."
In 2004, Gallery was regarded as the finest player in the draft by scouts including New England's Scott Pioli, who said at the time: "He is the absolute complete and total package as a player and makeup-wise. You want this guy on your football team."
Gallery, the second pick overall, continues to have major problems in Oakland. Three other tackles taken with top-10 picks this decade - Leonard Davis, Mike Williams and Bryant McKinnie - either have failed or been disappointments.
The stench associated with Tony Mandarich going off No. 2 in 1989 remains fresh, especially in Green Bay.
No player is "bust proof," but none of 20 scouts expressed any significant reservations regarding Thomas.
"Joe Thomas was much better coming out than Robert Gallery," an AFC personnel director said. "He's a physical guy and he's got good feet. He'll be a 10-to-12 year player and will go to Pro Bowls, barring injury."
The Journal Sentinel asked 18 personnel people to rank their favorite offensive linemen on a 1-to-5 basis, with a first-place vote worth five points, a second-place worth four points and so on. Thomas, with 17 firsts and one second, amassed 89 points.
Eight other plays received votes. Levi Brown was second with 65 points, followed by Ben Grubbs with 40, Arron Sears with 24, Joe Staley with 21, Ryan Kalil with 17, Tony Ugoh with eight, Justin Blalock with five and Samson Satele with one.
Again, trumping the 2007 draft class isn't the same as becoming an all-time great.
"He's going to be really good player," Philadelphia general manager Tom Heckert said. "He might be great. You just don't see a super, super guy."
The scouts holding back on Thomas cited a variety of reasons. In comparison to the franchise left tackles, they say Thomas isn't quite as powerful, isn't quite as nasty and isn't quite as quick-footed.
"He's not a finisher and he gets beat some," an AFC scout said. "He's good and will start from day one, but I just don't see a dominant player there."
Dominance defined Munoz, who came out in 1980 carrying 285 pounds on his 6-6 frame and ran 40 yards in 4.9 seconds. In turn, it defined Roaf (6-4 1/2, 307, 5.05), Boselli (6-7, 323, 5.12), Ogden (6-8, 318, 5.05), Jones (6-5, 303, 4.85) and Pace (6-7, 328, 4.97).
Two scouts posited that Thomas (6-6 1/2, 311, 4.92), still just 15 months removed from reconstructive knee surgery, figures to be markedly better in 2007 and beyond.
Several scouts who don't see a Hall of Fame future for Thomas brought up the ongoing careers of Chris Samuels (6-5, 320, 5.10) and Tra Thomas (6-7 1/2, 335, 5.30) as reasonable end games. They have combined for five Pro Bowls.
A more frequent comparison was Paul Gruber (6-4 1/2, 290, 4.91), another former UW left tackle. Partially due to playing on poor teams, Gruber was never voted to the Pro Bowl. He did average 15.3 starts from 1988-'99 and, for most of a decade, ranked among the top eight or so tackles in the league.
Jerry Angelo, the Chicago Bears general manager who helped draft Gruber for Tampa Bay with the No. 4 pick, says Thomas was better than Gruber and on a par with Samuels. Tampa Bay personnel consultant Jim Gruden, Smith and Heckert view Thomas and Gruber as nearly equal.
If Thomas were to become the No. 2 pick, he would join fullback Alan Ameche (1955) and halfback Pat Harder (1944) as the highest-drafted Badgers ever.
"Of the 60 guys that we had at the combine, Joe Thomas had to be among our top four interviews," an AFC personnel man said. "He has a good feel for what he wants to do in life and articulates well. Guys like that will be successful no matter what they do."
NEXT: Wide receivers and tight ends
Thomas could be 'next big-time tackle'
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: April 22, 2007
On the Packers
Bob McGinn
Green Bay - Late in Anthony Munoz' unmatched career as a tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals, an award citation issued by NFL Alumni read as follows:
"The NFL has three levels of offensive linemen. The bottom rung is for players aspiring to make the Pro Bowl. The next step is for those who have earned all-star status. Then there's Anthony Munoz."
During a five-year stretch in the mid-1990s, five tackles entered the league and would eventually prove worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Munoz: Willie Roaf, Tony Boselli, Jonathan Ogden, Orlando Pace and Walter Jones.
It has been a decade since the last of that vanguard came onto the NFL scene. Even now, in the latter stages of their careers, Jones, Ogden and Pace are as good if not better than anyone playing left tackle.
Many see Joe Thomas as the best prospect among tackles, but only time will tell if he's remembered among the best in the National Football League.
The torch, however, has not been passed. Is Wisconsin's Joe Thomas next in line?
The question is legitimate. Not only was Thomas gifted with ideal size and boundless athletic ability, he has played the game exceptionally well. His limitations appear nil.
Earlier this month, a cross-section of personnel men for NFL teams was asked if Thomas would become the next "aircraft carrier" at left tackle. Ten said that he wouldn't and two, including general manager A.J. Smith of the San Diego Chargers, said that he would.
"Barring injury, this should be the next big-time tackle," Smith said. "Just do in the pros what you did in college and go to the Pro Bowl nine times. Joe Thomas is a no-brainer."
Smith added this caveat: "We all thought (Robert) Gallery would be one, too."
In 2004, Gallery was regarded as the finest player in the draft by scouts including New England's Scott Pioli, who said at the time: "He is the absolute complete and total package as a player and makeup-wise. You want this guy on your football team."
Gallery, the second pick overall, continues to have major problems in Oakland. Three other tackles taken with top-10 picks this decade - Leonard Davis, Mike Williams and Bryant McKinnie - either have failed or been disappointments.
The stench associated with Tony Mandarich going off No. 2 in 1989 remains fresh, especially in Green Bay.
No player is "bust proof," but none of 20 scouts expressed any significant reservations regarding Thomas.
"Joe Thomas was much better coming out than Robert Gallery," an AFC personnel director said. "He's a physical guy and he's got good feet. He'll be a 10-to-12 year player and will go to Pro Bowls, barring injury."
The Journal Sentinel asked 18 personnel people to rank their favorite offensive linemen on a 1-to-5 basis, with a first-place vote worth five points, a second-place worth four points and so on. Thomas, with 17 firsts and one second, amassed 89 points.
Eight other plays received votes. Levi Brown was second with 65 points, followed by Ben Grubbs with 40, Arron Sears with 24, Joe Staley with 21, Ryan Kalil with 17, Tony Ugoh with eight, Justin Blalock with five and Samson Satele with one.
Again, trumping the 2007 draft class isn't the same as becoming an all-time great.
"He's going to be really good player," Philadelphia general manager Tom Heckert said. "He might be great. You just don't see a super, super guy."
The scouts holding back on Thomas cited a variety of reasons. In comparison to the franchise left tackles, they say Thomas isn't quite as powerful, isn't quite as nasty and isn't quite as quick-footed.
"He's not a finisher and he gets beat some," an AFC scout said. "He's good and will start from day one, but I just don't see a dominant player there."
Dominance defined Munoz, who came out in 1980 carrying 285 pounds on his 6-6 frame and ran 40 yards in 4.9 seconds. In turn, it defined Roaf (6-4 1/2, 307, 5.05), Boselli (6-7, 323, 5.12), Ogden (6-8, 318, 5.05), Jones (6-5, 303, 4.85) and Pace (6-7, 328, 4.97).
Two scouts posited that Thomas (6-6 1/2, 311, 4.92), still just 15 months removed from reconstructive knee surgery, figures to be markedly better in 2007 and beyond.
Several scouts who don't see a Hall of Fame future for Thomas brought up the ongoing careers of Chris Samuels (6-5, 320, 5.10) and Tra Thomas (6-7 1/2, 335, 5.30) as reasonable end games. They have combined for five Pro Bowls.
A more frequent comparison was Paul Gruber (6-4 1/2, 290, 4.91), another former UW left tackle. Partially due to playing on poor teams, Gruber was never voted to the Pro Bowl. He did average 15.3 starts from 1988-'99 and, for most of a decade, ranked among the top eight or so tackles in the league.
Jerry Angelo, the Chicago Bears general manager who helped draft Gruber for Tampa Bay with the No. 4 pick, says Thomas was better than Gruber and on a par with Samuels. Tampa Bay personnel consultant Jim Gruden, Smith and Heckert view Thomas and Gruber as nearly equal.
If Thomas were to become the No. 2 pick, he would join fullback Alan Ameche (1955) and halfback Pat Harder (1944) as the highest-drafted Badgers ever.
"Of the 60 guys that we had at the combine, Joe Thomas had to be among our top four interviews," an AFC personnel man said. "He has a good feel for what he wants to do in life and articulates well. Guys like that will be successful no matter what they do."
NEXT: Wide receivers and tight ends