jackal wrote:I wouldn't have signed Loadholt past his rookie contract. The only year he impressed me, was his the year he was trying to get a new contract.
I guess I have a different opinion of Big Phil. Like many, I was expecting a lot when the Vikings drafted him #54 overall. He struggled with penalties early and many remember that but he's only been flagged for six penalties in the last two seasons combined. He's a brute in the run game. He is susceptible to fast/quick pass rushers, particularly if he doesn't get good engagement off the snap, but he's not poor in that department overall and not the consistent liability some folks make him out to be. Is he a top-3 right tackle like he's being paid? Probably not. But I'd be hard-pressed to name 10 right tackles that are consistently better. And all of this ignores the fact that the Bears were going hard at Phil before he re-signed here, which is a good indication of his value from those outside the organization. It was also reported that Phil may have been having one of the best camps out of anyone this year. Not to mention all of the glowing reports from players and coaches from this and the previous regime mentioning how much of a leader and valued member of the organization he is. Everybody on the team really, really respects Phil Loadholt.
You may be interested in an article that also provides some additional data on Phil in relation to other tackles:
http://cover32.com/vikings/2014/05/28/m ... olt-elite/
From the article:
In the last two years, he’s only allowed eight sacks, nine hits and 50 hurries. Compared to the average tackle (again, 12 sacks, 13 hits and 54 hurries), that’s very good. It’s beginning to compare to the elites.
Four tackles made various 2013 All-Pro teams: Joe Thomas, Jason Peters, Joe Staley and Tyron Smith. 2012 also saw Duane Brown and Ryan Clady added to that list. In those two years, Trent Williams was named to two Pro Bowls.
Phil Loadholt compares well to those tackles over their last two full seasons. Staley and Williams both gave up more sacks, while Thomas and Brown gave up more hits. The hurries don’t look quite as good as only Smith gave up more, but all told it’s comparable.
All that said, he still doesn’t rank among the top pass protectors in the league—he’s just been clearly better than average for two years now. Of the 42 tackles that have taken 750 snaps in the past two years, he ranks 17th in Pass Blocking Efficiency—a proprietary PFF stat that weights sacks, hits and hurries and takes into account the number of pass blocking snaps a player has taken.
Among right tackles, he ranks sixth of 20.
The entire article provides a pretty good look at Phil and is worth the read. I know it may not change your impression/opinion of him but I think might provide some additional context when evaluating him, especially in comparison to other NFL right tackles.
