http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=547850 Center rankings: Some of the smartest players on the field Posted: May 11, 2009 As RealScouts, a group of former NFL scouts, take a look at the top centers, it's important to note that these guys are among the smartest players on the field. Not only must they make their own adjustments, they must read the defensive front and make the line calls out to teammates, hear the quarterback's audible, re-adjust the line calls, snap the ball and then get his man blocked -- all in a matter of a few seconds. NFL centers come in all shapes and sizes, and our top-10 ranking is representative of that. 1. Nick Mangold, Jets. The Jets' offensive line had its best season in a long while, and it starts with Mangold. He doesn't overwhelm with physical tools and there isn't one aspect of his game that stands out, but he does everything well. He has started every game of his NFL career, showing excellent football intelligence, competitiveness and instincts. As his strength and technique continue to improve, he will get even better. 2. Nick Hardwick, Chargers. Hardwick often is overlooked in the Chargers' offense, but the production drops off dramatically when he's sidelined. At 6-4, he's tall for a center but still plays with good leverage and pad level and his long reach is a big asset. He shows good footwork and uses his hands well, and he is athletic enough to reach linebackers on the second level. RealScouts' Rankings Offensive tackles Guards Centers 3. Olin Kreutz, Bears. He has everything: He is tough, smart and athletic, plays with a mean streak, is fundamentally sound. He is a fine run blocker and has the agility to protect a mobile quarterback like Jay Cutler. 4. Shaun O'Hara, Giants. He is one of the most consistent and durable players in the league, missing just one game in the past four years. He isn't powerful or explosive but is smart and technically sound. He takes great angles to defenders and communicates well with line mates to create the holes for the Giants' dangerous running game. 5. Jamaal Jackson, Eagles. As Eagles' coach Andy Reid shuffled the line in the offseason, he certainly didn't even think of moving away from Jackson. He's an immovable object in the middle of the line at 330 pounds, but he also has impressive athleticism. He gets off the snap and reaches the defensive tackle quickly, and he can pull and seal the corner for perimeter runs. He'll be even better in '09, leading an improved line that added Jason Peters and Stacy Andrews. 6. Jason Brown, Rams. He is a big, powerful, wide-bodied center who can move the pile in the interior running game, which will be a bigger part of the Rams' offense in '09. He was the best center available on the free-agent market and is a big addition for the Rams, who already have begun building around him with the selection of OT Jason Smith in the draft. 7. Jeff Saturday, Colts. The Colts toyed with the idea of letting Saturday leave via free agency, but that couldn't have made quarterback Peyton Manning happy. Ultimately, Saturday ended up re-signing. That's good because he's a perfect fit for their pass-oriented attack. He's agile, still has some initial quickness and is smart and instinctive. He turns 34 in June and probably has only a couple years left. 8. Dominic Raiola, Lions. Raiola lacks ideal size or strength, but he is a high-effort and competitive guy. He plays smart, shows good instincts and fights to the whistle on every snap. His technique and experience will be invaluable to a young offense this year. On what has been a terrible team, Raiola has been a rare bright spot. 9. Andre Gurode, Cowboys. He made the Pro Bowl last year, but it was based more on reputation than production, like the Titans' Kevin Mawae. Gurode is a physical run blocker, not a finesse player. He'll need to be more productive in '09 than he was in '08 to get the Cowboys back to the playoffs. The measure of that will be the success of their running game between the tackles. 10. Ryan Kalil, Panthers. Kalil's strength is his ability to reach the second level and deliver key blocks on linebackers to spring RBs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams on the long runs. It's what makes the Panthers an elite rushing team. Kalil is equally adept at working inside or outside, showing the athletic ability to pull and lead perimeter runs. RealScouts, a team of former NFL scouts, analyze NFL and college players, coaches and teams exclusively for Sporting News.
Can't believe Mawae isn't on that list. He's getting pretty old but he's still a top 10 C in the NFL at the very least.
After QB (and maybe not even after QB), center is the most important position. Whatever he costs, they better cough up.
I'm sure they will, he's just too important to this offense. I'm not a huge fan of the rankings overall, but it's good to see Mangold get some recognition.
Jenkins made Mawae his bitch in last year's game. Coincidentally, it was the same game where Mangold had folks asking "Haynesworth who?"
Yes but Jenkins made many center his bitch this year. Also as we know very well Mawae has always struggled against a massive man in the middle. He's at his best when he gets out in space.
I disagree, I don't think C is in the top 3 or maybe top 5 most important positions. 1. QB 2. Blindside T (most likely LT) 3. Pass Rusher (in 3-4 OLB, or in 4-3 DE) 4. Defensive Leader (Most Commonly ILB or S) 5. NT (in a 3-4, or other DE in a 4-3) granted its my opinion that from 4 down is debatable, and completely dependent on the teams philosophy. But I don't think any team has Center rated a top 5 must have position, note that the last time 2 centers were taken in the first round was over 20 years ago (prior to this year of course, also its looking like Eric Wood of the Bills will be playing G) So yeah, I don't think Center is either the most sought after position in the NFL or the #2 most sought after position. Heck I don't even know when the last time a Center was selected top 15, forget top 10. Where's Cakes when you need em?
i would say LT is more important than centre.... in fact i think most would agree. you're covering the guys blindside in pass protection, a guy like jake long who can run block excellently too is a bonus. you don't have to look further than draft patterns to recognize this.
The center is the one who is calling out all of the blocking assignments. He is definitely one of the most importantpositions on the field. That's why Indy did everything they could to keep jeff Saturday.
We have been blessed with great centers for a while now. And I agree that Mawae still belongs on that list.
"He doesn't overwhelm with physical tools " That doesn't seem right, Mangold seems much stronger than your average center.
I think a couple honorable mentions for this list should be Birk and Wiegmann. Matt Birk I feel is pretty self-explanatory. But Wiegmann deserves some credit. He shut down every nose tackle he encountered last year, including our beloved Jenkins, right after Jenkins made Mawae his bitch.
Ask Bruschi about it... What makes Mangold special is that, he's got large hand - larger than most Cs of his size, that is. On that hand, he's got much stronger hand strength too. This means: when he gets his hand on you, that means you are dead in that play. Either you are going to be thrown to the ground, or at best, blocked out of the play for good.
