Tampa Bay Buccaneers should look at Orlando Franklin
There’s no doubt that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers biggest need is at quarterback, and they’ll have to address it with the first overall pick in the draft. Despite the importance of landing a franchise quarterback, the Buccaneers need for better blocking up front might be just as dire, since Logan Mankins and Demar Dotson were their only above-average blockers last season. Evan Dietrich-Smith is a big bounce-back candidate at center, but it seems like the Buccaneers could give up on free-agent bust Anthony Collins, who failed to perform as well as he did in a breakout 2013 campaign.
With holes at guard and tackle, the Buccaneers should find a solid starter at both spots and value consistency over upside. If they want to add someone who could potentially fill either spot with high level play and consistency as a pass protector or run blocker, then there is one impending free agent who could be a good fit.
If you ask most people who the Denver Broncos best offensive lineman is, former star left tackle Ryan Clady would most likely be the most common answer. However, Clady surprisingly struggled last season after missing most of the 2013 season with an injury, so he wasn’t the class of an offensive line that disappointed this past season. No, that honor goes to impending free agent Orlando Franklin, who made an absolutely seamless transition to left guard after previously being a solid right tackle for the Broncos in 2012 and 2013.
There’s no guarantee that Franklin hits free agency, but the Broncos have many notable names who are set to hit the free agent market in Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, Terrance Knighton, Rahim Moore, and Franklin (just to name a handful). The first two guys will likely be clear priorities, and there’s no doubt that the Broncos are in for an offseason of change. If I were John Elway, then I would make Franklin more of a priority than Knighton, but there’s a solid chance the Broncos lose a starting guard for a second straight offseason.
The Jacksonville Jaguars signing of Zane Beadles worked out pretty well for them despite initial criticism of the deal, and Franklin had an even better season in a contract year despite worse play around him. Per Pro Football Focus, Franklin allowed just one sack, two additional QB hits, and 11 total pressure on Peyton Manning this past season, making him the second-best statistical pass protecting guard when adjusting for snaps and weighing the types of pressure allowed.
That’s not something to take lightly, as it means that Franklin was part of the cream of the crop at the position, since he did a solid job of paving the way for the various Broncos running backs that took the field in 2014. He’s been a consistently above-average run blocker in this league, as it was his calling card as a rookie when he, like most rookie tackles, struggled in pass pro with seven sacks and 14 QB hits allowed, per PFF.
Franklin hasn’t struggled in pass pro for quite some time (since 2011, in fact), and there aren’t many players who can say that they have blocked at a high level at both guard and tackle. Last season, Franklin had PFF’s second-best Pass Blocking Efficiency rating among all guards, and he was first in that statistic at the tackle position back in 2013. Those are back-to-back levels of clean pass protection at two very different positions on two different sides of the formation, so it’s rare to find that kind of year-to-year brilliance, consistency, and versatility.
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As the Buccaneers know, though, it’s buyer beware when it comes to offensive linemen in pass protection when they play in an offense that takes advantage of quicker passes. As a tackle, Franklin undoubtedly benefited from Manning getting the ball out quicker than most QBs, though that advantage dissipates on the interior. The Buccaneers, of course, will still be cautious, since their big tackle signing last offseason, Collins, struggled outside of a system with the Cincinnati Bengals that emphasized Andy Dalton throwing the ball out as quickly as possible.
Because Franklin has shown solid play at two dissimilar positions and has been adept in the running and passing game, there’s less risk involved with him than someone like Collins. He’s also performed at a high level for three straight seasons, and his rookie issues in pass pro are likely more due to inexperience than him benefiting from Manning at QB later in his career. These are all things the Buccaneers have to weigh closely, because a touted starting offensive lineman on an elite team won’t come cheap in free agency.
It’s clear that players like Oniel Cousins and Kevin Pamphile aren’t worth starting in this league, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have to put their rookie quarterback in a good position (assuming they draft someone No. 1, which has to be the smartest policy for this organization). They can’t afford to trot him out there with the offensive line they put together last season, as veteran Josh McCown and second-year pro Mike Glennon were both under duress too often. Since the Bucs need someone at either guard or tackle, Franklin could knock out either need.
Mankins and Dotson are undoubtedly quality players, and EDS is likely headed for a substantially better season in 2015. That said, the Buccaneers still have two big holes at guard and tackle, and those are holes they will have to fill. The preferred route is to sign two reliable, inexpensive players, but there won’t be many options on the free agent market.
An elite option that could hit the market is Orlando Franklin, and he would most likely immediately be the Buccaneers best offensive lineman. The line should be a priority for a Bucs team that needs a young QB and already has enough weapons in the passing game.