128 days until kickoff!!!

While a great deal of the off season media and fan attention has been placed on developing a new quarterback, it is likely that rebuilding the offensive line is more important. After all, the anchor of that line (Andre Smith) was just taken in the top ten of the NFL Draft and the ‘rock’ in the middle (Antoine Caldwell) went in the third round. And that’s not to mention Marlon Davis also signing a free agent contract.

Replacing 60% of the offensive line is a huge deal. When you consider how much the Tide spent time in a two tight end set last year, and both of the starting tight ends also signed free agent contracts with the NFL, this is a massive overhaul.

Luckily there is some talent on hand.

A-Day might not have indicated that, with the large number of sacks allowed. Throw that out the window, though. The combination of quarterbacks only having to be ‘touched down’, no rushing attack, and the amazingly talented Bama defense made things look much worse than they really were.

I’ll be honest here and tell you that as much as I tried to watch the big men, by the time the play was a second old, I was following the ball. So I can’t necessarily give you a good solid run down of the way the line played. Instead, I’ll go player by player and give you an indication as to where I think they stand.

Starting with the seniors, and moving backwards through the classes:

Mike Johnson - he’ll be the guy on the line this year. He’s a multi-year starter, and really came into his own at left guard last year. He’ll be nursing new guys on both sides of him, so he’ll be counted on for a lot - both physically and from a leadership standpoint. Luckily he’s up to the task.

Drew Davis - it seemed last season like everyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop with Drew. Week after week during the off season, and even continuing into the season, everyone expected Drew to lose his starting job. The reality is that he had a very solid junior campaign, and should be primed for a solid 2009 season as the starter at right tackle.

Evan Cardwell - he’s the other senior on the line, and is really an odd man out at this point. He’s seemingly running third string at center, and third string at both guard spots. The facts that he has already graduated, and at this point seems unlikely to see the field in 2009 - seem to indicate that he might follow the lead of Charles Hoke in 2008, and simply move on with his life. No inside info there, but just a pure guess on my part.

David Ross - he has seen a ton of work at center after being the primary backup at both guard spots in 2008. He spent some time with the first unit during the spring, but appeared to close things out as the #2 guy. He could be an enormously important part of the offensive line in 2009, because it is likely that he could be the primary backup at all three interior line positions. That’s a rare commodity, and one that the coaches will likely take advantage of.

Brian Motely - don’t let the fact that he played right guard with the first unit on A-Day fool you, he’s still with the second unit. I’ll get to more of that in a bit, but right now he’s running with the second unit guards. I don’t know if he’s ahead of Ross in that capacity, but he has made strong strides during the past four months. If certain things don’t fall into place this fall, he could easily find his way into the starting lineup.

Taylor Pharr - I’m just not sure where he’s going to fit into things. He’s already third at right tackle before the addition of several offensive line prospects come in this summer. A hard worker, he’s never been able to add the type of weight that the coaching staff likes. Drew Davis managed to find a way to pull this trick prior to last season, so it’s not time to totally give up on Taylor. But the fact that he has already fallen behind several other tackles is going to make it increasingly tough to see the field.

James Carpenter - Coach Saban indicated that he could possibly play all five positions, but he pretty much settled into the left tackle spot from day one. I know everyone loves to project big time recruits to start from day one, and DJ Fluker could be that type of player at left tackle. The great news for Tide fans is that Carpenter is versatile enough to move to another position if Fluker is ready, and talented enough to start at left tackle if Fluker isn’t. Don’t expect to see Coach Saban take many JuCo guys unless they can contribute quickly.

Alfred McCullough - I honestly don’t know if he’s a junior or a senior. The university still has him listed as a sophomore, but Coach Saban bemoaned not being able to redshirt him. My guess is that the compliance staff has figured out a way to redshirt him - he didn’t play after week one - and he’s actually a soph. Regardless, he’s made the move out to tackle, and seemed to take to the position well. He’s still considerably behind several other guys, but more time at a new position could serve him well.

John Michael Boswell - remember what I said about Brian Motely? Boswell is the reason. He worked as the #1 guy at right guard for most of the spring before moving to tackle just prior to A-Day. I think that had much more to do with the coaches needing a viable tackle for the second unit than it did some late change in the depth chart. Boswell played solidly in his action in 2008 before moving inside this spring. Things could change when the new guys come in this summer, but he’s the starter at right guard exiting the spring.

William Vlachos - I made the guess heading into the spring that he would take over at center, as he’s making me look good right now. He’s the strongest guy on the team, and seems to be taking to the starting role well. He and David Ross flip-flopped some, but Vlachos always seemed to close out the week on top. This could still be a pretty hard fought battle over the summer, but I thinking Vlachos snaps the ball to Greg McElroy in the Georgia Dome come Sept.

Tyler Love - he hasn’t officially received his medical redshirt for 2008, but he will. And he’ll also serve as the primary backup at right tackle - assuming Boswell doesn’t fill that role along with his guard duties. There have been some questions posed on the internet about his toughness, but the coaches seem to like the kid an awful lot. He still needs to add some weight, but a leg injury made his first season on campus a waste in some areas.

Barrett Jones - he’s also awaiting his official medical redshirt. Where he ends up is still open for debate. He’s a versatile guy that has worked at all five positions on the line. I think he’ll settle into a position by the time that school starts in August, and he stands a decent chance of working his way into the discussion for a backup role at that position. There are guys ahead of him, but as a redshirt freshman, he could still be a couple of years away from being expected to contribute.

Chance Warmack - enrolling early and participating in the spring helped him a ton. It also helps him that he’s built like a college junior. He quickly made his way into the two-deep at left guard, which gives strong indications towards his potential. I would imagine that the coaches would love to redshirt him, and if Bama can avoid injuries in the fall, that might be possible. He’s gonna be a good one, though.

So heading into the summer, from left to right, here’s the starters:

Carpenter, Johnson, Vlachos, Boswell, Davis.

How game-ready Fluker is in August could cause a huge shake-up here, but this is where it stands now.

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