the second, is d’brick’s physical size. he may have lifted enough weights to have gotten over 310 or so, but if you look at his head and wrists, he’s not a huge person. i saw bruce matthews in an airport once, and his head was as big as my entire torso. his hands too were enormous. bruce matthews had natural o-line size. d’brick does not. that’s why i had hoped that joe thomas would fall to number 5.

based on these two shortcomings, i doubt d’brick will ever be more than an adequate run blocker, but i still hold out hope that he can be a consistent pass blocker and amount to an average NFL left tackle.

Incidentally, Brick did a nice job of warding off rushers with those arms in practice. He also had a much better defined lower body than I remember him having last year.

I still think he may be a little too upright in his blocking which puts him off balance at the point of contact. Still, Faneca should allow him to limit the number of threat directions, which will surely help him.

To answer your question regarding Brick’s useage of his arms, it depends on whether it is a passing or running play.

If Brick is pass blocking, he needs to do EVERYTHING in his power to prevent the D-Lineman from getting HIS hands on Brick’s chest. That is why his long arms are an asset (and Woody’s short arms are a concern for a tackle). Idealistic pass-blocking technique (i.e., for 75% of all players, even in the NFL) has you using a series of punches to keep the DL from getting into your chest. If D’Brick gets a really good “shock” on his punch to the DE’s chest, he will neatralize his momentum and can take a step back and hit him again, or if the DE decides to move outside hard, D’Brick can “pop his hip pocket” and encourage the movement so far outside so as to take him off the path towards the QB.
-You probably see Faneca getting his chest on the guy, even during pass plays, b/c he will be dealing primarily against the “bull-rush” and only elite DT’s have any real pass-rushing moves to speak of, other than rips, bull-rushes, etc. Getting his chest and arms on a guy should be sufficient to stop a DE, or a blitzing LB.

HOWEVER, if the DE gets HIS hands on D’Brick, he will throw him around like a little girl (which has happened a lot to Brick). It will allow for the DE to do a “push-pull-swing”, a “rip” or to feign moving outside with his momentum and swing inside (or vice-versa), creating a patented D’Brick “look-out block”. Unfortanately, “look-out blocks” are what Brick has specialized in the past 2 years (getting beat, looking back and screaming “look-out” to Chad and Clemens).

Running plays are a bit different. In that case, BRICK — or any lineman for that matter — is the one trying to get in and STAY in on the DE or DT or LB. Not only does he need proper hand placement (similar to pass-blocking), he also needs to get his helmet up in there into a proper “fit position”. He will want to start low, with helmet right around where the laces are on the shoulder pads, and try to explode up through the DE/DT/LB while rolling his hips, and THEN finishing the block by extending his arms.

*This is all idealistic. In reality, you want to incorporate as much of these techniques as possible “when the rubber meets the road”.

One of the major things a tackle is judged on is his arm length, the longer the arms the better. It’s important for a tackle to keep defenders off their bodies, and they do so by pushing off the their arms. I is paramount for a tackle to be fluid and be able to move with the rush, if a defender gets into a tackle’s body its all over. D’ brick graded out as having excellent arm length when he was scouted. Guards on the otherhand, by virtue of their position as interior linemen take the impacts to their bodies.

I’m sure that tackles have to deal with more range of motion from opposing pass rushers. Long, powerful arms are a big asset when a defensive guy can go upfield ten yards without running into another blocker. Still, I was a little concerned that Brick might not really like contact.

If he is avoiding contact, then he’ll always be a technique guy and never make a Pro Bowl. Still, if he winds up to be a quality blocker who gets beat less than six times a year, who am I to complain.

Shy-ru-ken!!!