AsylumGuido

My only question would be cutting Hurst. While he's nothing special, he is versatile. There is a glaring shortage of offensive linemen across the league. There isn't a team in the league that that isn't struggling to field a full quality line these days.

Andrew Whitworth shares great insight on what's causing NFL's declining offensive line play

As for what’s causing the regression in offensive line play, Whitworth credits defensive linemen, but he also says linemen don’t have to block in college the way they have to in the NFL.

“I think there’s a lot of things. Really, you look at it, the mixture of D-linemen we’re seeing are more and more athletic. They’re bigger, they’re stronger – in the sense that they’re not worse competition, but that may be some of your offensive tackles that are now playing D-tackle or defensive end in a 3-4 that could’ve been left tackles,” he said.

He continued: “The college system isn’t anything like the NFL system. These guys barely have to block, so I just think they’re coming in unprepared.”

The NFL has an offensive line problem — and help is not on the way

The league has an offensive line problem, according to longtime lineman Andrew Whitworth.

The Super Bowl LVI champion and current Amazon broadcaster made an appearance on ESPN’s “This is Football with Kevin Clark” to discuss what Clark labeled a “crisis.” When asked if 2023 was a low point for offensive line play, Whitworth wholeheartedly agreed.

“Oh, that’s for sure,” said Whitworth, who spent 16 years in the league. “I mean I think it’s definitely not the quality of what we’ve seen. I think there’s some really good football players out there. That doesn’t mean there’s not some guys that are dominating at the offensive line position. But if you went in the totality, it’s rough. There’s a lot of weeks where you go, ‘Man, I don’t know how we can’t find another guy, or another three or four guys who are better than this.’”

Why Are so Many Offensive Lines Struggling in the NFL?

There are a ton of factors but I want to point out three that I believe are the most impactful. First, the current CBA is centered around player safety which is great. They are decreasing the number of practices allowed in an effort to keep players healthier. The downside of this is the offensive line does not get a chance to practice their skills as much. They spend a handful of practices actually in pads blocking actual defenders coming at them. Even in that setting, the defenders are still letting up at the end so as to not injure their own quarterback. These players need more practice due to the many skills needed for the position.

This goes directly into my second point. The offensive line is one of the most difficult positions to play. It isn’t about lining up and blocking a player. Proper footwork, angles, hand play, leverage, balance, and patience all factor into the equation. It isn’t enough to just be big and athletic. Look at former second-overall pick Greg Robinson. The Rams took him as analysts gushed over his athletic skills. It wasn’t enough. He was never able to get the myriad of other skills and skilled pass-rushers exploited his deficiencies.

The final factor is the college football landscape and how offenses are run. While the spread offense isn’t as prevalent as it was a half-decade ago, the NFL is different from college football. The players are different in college football. 99% of the players will not be going to the NFL so being big and athletic is usually enough. Coaches don’t have to worry about the technical side of it when their player is simply bigger and faster than the person on the other side.

Other mentions of the problem:

Why one of the NFL's most crucial position groups is in crisis

The NFL's Offensive Line Crisis Has No Single Diagnosis

Lack of Offensive Line Development in NFL Falls on League, Coaches

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill