If you want to make a 49ers fan's blood pressure spike like the temperatures in the Bay this week, you don't talk about Brock Purdy's contract, Kyle Shanahans clock-management, or the team's errant trade for Trey Lance. No, you say two simple, powerful, and seemingly maddening words: Offensive line. It's the part of football that is, for most fans, a complete mystery a series of grunts and shoves and bodies piling up.
By giving Lucas a new deal, the Seahawks are making a bet on the health of his surgically repaired knee and a rare reinvestment in one of the key pieces of their offensive line. Lucas, 26, flashed dominance as a rookie in 2022 after the Seahawks drafted him in the third round. But he's been limited to 13 games over the past two seasons
Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism.
Coleman is making an important transition to the left guard spot this season after the Commanders traded for five-time Pro Bowl blindside enforcer Laremy Tunsil. This is also the reason why he wanted to gain valuable reps in a typical NFL game-day setting. It was initially expected that Coleman would not feature to avoid the risk of further issues. That didn't sit well with the player, who told head coach Dan Quinn that he wanted to play to hone his craft before the campaign.
In the last three years, the Dolphins have started just nine of 53 games (18 percent) with their projected starting five offensive linemen intact, showcasing the challenges in maintaining a stable offensive line.
