Why Brad Butler can't play center
He is too tall. Brad Butler measured in at 6 feet and 7 1/8 inches at the combine. His listed height is not an exageration.
Picture a center, bent over before a snap. Now imagine how much time he has to give the QB the ball, stand up and drive his body forward before the DT gets his hands on him. It happens so quickly that every inch is crucial to establishing leverage and getting the proper hand placement to control the DT.
Here is a list of every center who started 5 or more games last season and their height:
Eugene Amano - 6'3
Matt Birk - 6'4
Jeff Faine - 6'3
Mike Flynn - 6'3
Melvin Fowler - 6'3
Hank Fraley - 6'2
Eric Ghiaciuc - 6'4
Andre Gurode - 6'4
Rex Hadnot - 6'2
Nick Hardwick - 6'4
Eric Heitmann - 6'3
Jamal Jackson - 6'4
Al Johnson - 6'5
Ryan Kalil - 6'2
Dan Koppen - 6'2
Olin Kruetz - 6'2
Sean Mahan - 6'3
Nick Mangold - 6'4
Kevin Mawae - 6'4
Todd Mclure - 6'1
Andy McCullom - 6'4
Brad Meester - 6'3
Tom Nalen - 6'3
Jeremy Newberry - 6'5
Dennis Norman - 6'5
Shaun O'Hara - 6'3
Casey Rabach - 6'4
Dominic Raiola - 6'1
Brett Romberg - 6'2
Samson Satele - 6'3
Jeff Saturday - 6'2
Chris Spencer - 6'3
John Wade - 6'5
Scott Wells - 6'2
Casey Weigman - 6'2
Damian Woody - 6'3
To summarize there are:
6'5 - 4 players
6'4 - 9 players
6'3 - 12 players
6'2 - 9 players
6'1 - 2 players
There is some obvious symmetry to the list and it is apparent what the ideal height range for a center is.
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4 comments
Comments
Well, there is the other possibility
Grade- 95
Strengths:
Is tall and thickly built. Also has long arms and big hands. Shows a quick first, takes proper angles to assignments and gets into position quickly. Plays with a mean streak and drives legs once locked onto the defender. Has very good initial quickness for his size. Shows above-average range and can pull around the edge. Shows smooth footwork getting into pass sets and shuffles feet to stay in front of defenders. Gets adequate hand placement and extends arms once in position. Keeps head up, shows good awareness and can adjust to line stunts as well as blitzes. Never missed a game because of an injury and is durable.
Weaknesses:
Does not have overwhelming power and doesn't knock many defenders back with initial punch. Plays too high at times and is going to have problems driving two-gap defenders off the ball. Runs well on a straight line but has some trouble hitting the moving target. Doesn't get great knee bend in pass sets and can get pushed back into the pocket. Appears to take plays off at times and may lack ideal endurance at this point.
Overall:
Albert started all 37 of Virginia's games during his three-year career (2005-07), including two at offensive tackle in 2007. He allowed just one sack and received an All-ACC honorable mention in 2006. He was a first-team All-ACC selection in '07.
Bottom line:
Albert needs to improve his power at the point of attack and learn to get under defenders' pads. He also is a bit inconsistent when it comes to hitting the moving target as a second level run blocker. However, he is a massive guard with very good short-area quickness and tenacity. He could possibly move to ROT in the NFL but we think he fits best inside at guard, where he should quickly develop into an upper-echelon starter. He could be the top interior offensive lineman selected in 2008 draft no later than the second round.
by WABillsfan on Apr 19, 2008 5:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Albert
by Ron From NM on Apr 19, 2008 6:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Any chance...
by Calvert on Apr 20, 2008 11:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
A Cheaper Alternative
Read hsi combine analysis from nfl.com. They say he can play RT, OG and actually projects as a center at the Pro Level.
Ranked in the 100-125 player rating on various boards so 4th round possible.
IMHO there are no True Centers big AND athletic enough to deal with the 3 NTs we see in the AFC East playing vs 3-4's of NYJ, Fins and Pats.
by freddyjj on Apr 20, 2008 4:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

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