Falcons release a Boudreau coached veteran OG

wv wrote:

he was due $4.75 million this year, and might not have been a perfect fit as they transition to more of a zone blocking scheme under new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

–Long-time starting left guard Justin Blalock was released by the Falcons on Friday.

http://atlantafalcons.blog.ajc.com/2015/02/27/falcons-cut-veteran-wide-receiver-harry-douglas/

Blalock, 6-foot-4, 326 pounds, was selected by the Falcons in the second-round (39th overall) of the 2007 NFL draft out of Texas. He started all 125 games in which he played, including 102 consecutive games between 2007 and 2014. Blalock started 15 games in 2014.

Blalock did not test well in the 20-yard shuttle and three-cone agility drills at the 2007 combine. Blalock, 31, also sat out with a back issue last season after previously never missing a game because of injury.

The staff concluded that he doesn’t fit the new blocking scheme. Also, Blalock, who had two years left on his contract, was due a base salary of $4.75 million next season and had a cap figure of $7.91 million (third highest on the team). The team will take a significant cap hit for his release because he received an $11 million signing bonus in 2011 that was prorated over the life of the contract.

“The main thing when get these linemen in here, is we are going to get them to run,” offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said. “They are going to run more than they ever have before. We are going to challenge the defense sideline to sideline, not just between the tackles. It’s a challenge to get guys to run and still be as physical as anybody.”

The system was popularized in the 1990s by the Broncos with assistant coach Alex Gibbs and head coach Mike Shanahan, Kyle’s father. Gibbs later coached with the Falcons under Jim L. Mora.

“You need to be able to run,” Shanahan said. “It’s not necessarily always the 40. You need quickness. I had some bigger guys in Cleveland that I did in Washington and there were some pluses to it and some minuses. Everyone wants a huge player who can run faster than everyone else. Until they allow me to spend top pick on linemen five years in a row that’s not going to happen. You have to find other ways to get by.”

zn wrote:

Jim Thomas @jthom1
Rams have shown some interest in former Atlanta offensive guard Justin Blalock.

Examining Justin Blalock as a potential Rams fit

By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16830/examining-justin-blalock-as-a-potential-rams-fit

EARTH CITY, Mo. — As many of the big-ticket free-agent offensive linemen head to new locales with lucrative contracts in tow, the St. Louis Rams have mostly stood by and watched the market develop.

The Rams clearly have a need on the offensive line — multiple needs, in fact. But they were never likely to jump into the deep end of free agency and offer the piles of cash required to land guys like Orlando Franklin or Rodney Hudson. Franklin and Hudson appear headed for San Diego and Oakland, respectively, with contracts exceeding even the most optimistic of projections.

Meanwhile, the Rams have taken an approach similar to last year wherein they seem to be feeling out the market and looking to add players who might come in the wave after the initial burst. One such player who won’t move the needle much but might make sense for them is guard Justin Blalock.

The Atlanta Falcons released Blalock on Feb. 27 after he spent his first eight seasons there. Almost immediately, Blalock appeared to be a potential fit in St. Louis. At 31, Blalock doesn’t exactly fit the mold of the type of younger free agent that Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher recently said they’d prefer but he would offer a possible short-term fix while the Rams bolster the group behind him with youth.

By now, you might be thinking that Blalock isn’t so much a replacement for the likely departing Davin Joseph, the player who started at right guard for most of the year last year for the Rams. In some sense, that’s a fair comparison given their respective ages. But in most areas, the two are completely different.

Blalock has been one of the most durable players in the league since the Falcons made him a second-round pick in 2007. In the time since, he’s started 125 games and only missed three along the way. Considering that he’s older and doesn’t profile to make the kind of money that a guy like Mike Iupati figures to command on the open market, Blalock could also probably be had for a relatively bargain rate.

In terms of scheme, Blalock would also make plenty of sense. He’s 6-foot-4, 326 pounds and is best suited for a power running scheme similar to what the Rams prefer. Part of the reason Atlanta allowed Blalock to leave other than saving money on the salary cap was that Blalock isn’t an ideal fit for the preferred zone schemes favored by new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

Last but certainly not least, Blalock also has plenty of ties in St. Louis. He played for current Rams offensive line coach Paul Boudreau when he was in Atlanta from 2008 to 2011. Current Rams general manager Les Snead and some of his top lieutenants also spent time in Atlanta with Blalock.

One NFL personnel evaluator summed up Blalock at this stage of his career like this: “Blalock is steady, reliable player. This season was the first time in his career that he’s missed time. Good strength and is a better athlete than you think. Really smart player as well. Still has some years left in him.”

Since the Falcons released Blalock, he could sign with a team at any time. But since he’s not considered one of the top tier players available, there might not be much of a rush to do so. In theory, the Rams could explore other options while maintaining contact with Blalock in the meantime.

Whether anything comes of Rams’ potential interest remains to be seen but if it does, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

Jim Thomas ‏@jthom1

G Justin Blalock does plan to visit Rams, but Detroit also in mix