A reader asked for updated offensive line rankings. Since we put the magazine to bed, a number of projected starters have met with ill fortune -- injury, release, retirement. Poor caddying.
We rank lines by assigning a number grade to each player at each position, then totaling numbers up for each line. New player comes in, that number changes, and so does the line's position. To see a colorful table (as in the preseason annual) showing projected starters and our assessment of each, check out our Facebook page.
The most noteworthy changes are due to injury (Terron Armstead in New Orleans, Taylor Decker in Detroit) and release (Austin Howard). Considering the exhibition games haven't even started, there will be more over the next six weeks. Armstead and Decker could return at some point during the season, but will definitely miss a good chunk of games. In fairness, Armstead missed a large portion of last season, as well.
Rankings below show where the lines were when the magazine went to print, and today.
| OFFENSIVE LINE RANKINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Team | May | August |
| Dallas | 1 | 1 |
| Pittsburgh | 3 | 2 |
| Atlanta | 4 | 3 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 4 |
| Oakland | 2 | 5 |
| Philadelphia | 6 | 6 |
| New England | 7 | 7 |
| Cleveland | 9 | 8 |
| Green Bay | 10 | 9 |
| Washington | 11 | 10 |
| Miami | 12 | 11 |
| San Francisco | 13 | 12 |
| Buffalo | 14 | 13 |
| New Orleans | 8 | 14 |
| Carolina | 16 | 15 |
| Kansas City | 17 | 16 |
| Chicago | 18 | 17 |
| LA Chargers | 19 | 18 |
| Arizona | 20 | 19 |
| Detroit | 15 | 20 |
| Tampa Bay | 21 | 21 |
| Denver | 24 | 22 |
| Jacksonville | 25 | 23 |
| Minnesota | 22 | 24 |
| Indianapolis | 23 | 25 |
| Seattle | 32 | 26 |
| NY Jets | 26 | 27 |
| Cincinnati | 31 | 28 |
| Houston | 27 | 29 |
| NY Giants | 30 | 30 |
| LA Rams | 29 | 31 |
| Baltimore | 28 | 32 |