The NFL needs to change how it handles Pro Bowl voting for offensive tackles

Retired NFL lineman Geoff Schwartz has an easy way to make sure right tackles get voted in — and get the recognition they deserve.

Welcome back to my weekly dive around the NFL offensive line, followed by the disrespectful blocks of the week.

This week the Pro Bowl rosters were announced for both conferences, and since this article is about offensive lines, we will focus on those. More specifically, we need to focus on the offensive tackles.

There are six total tackles selected on the first ballot for the Pro Bowl, three from each conference. These tackles aren’t selected based on right or left tackle; instead, they’re just lumped together as one position, and this year all six are left tackles. Forever, this was acceptable because a left tackle was superior in talent and responsibility from his counterpart on the right side. That is no longer the case now.

The left tackle position has evolved, but so has right tackle

We all know how the left tackle became of such importance, or if you don’t, go read The Blind Side. The importance of left tackles changed in the 80s and has generally stayed status quo until now. Left tackles were protecting the blind side of the quarterback, who was most often starting from under center on his drop and did have his back turned to the right defensive end. Because of this, the best pass rushers always rushed over the left tackle.

Also, teams more often ran their power runs to the right tackle, who tended to be bigger and more powerful than the left tackle. In turn, the defensive ends over the right tackle tended to be bigger and less agile than the “rush” defensive end over the left tackle. These norms all started to change with the use of shotgun a primary position for the quarterback.

In shotgun, the QB lines up anywhere between 5-6 yards behind the center with his entire body looking at the line of the scrimmage. When the snap is taken, the quarterback can see his blind side before he turns his back to start his drop back.

Because of the starting position of the quarterback, the drop back isn’t what it used to be. The old “3-step drop” is now just a quarterback receiving the ball and firing it somewhere off the spot where he took the snap. The “5-step drop” is the quarterback taking three steps, and then hitting his landmark and climbing back into the pocket. There isn’t a blind side anymore like there used to be. The quarterback has way more vision of his back than ever before.

The continued evolution of offenses, along with the shotgun formation, has led to the ball being out so much quicker. With the ball being out quicker, it again makes rushing the passer, especially over the left tackle, tougher than ever. The ball is gone before the rusher even has had a chance begin his rush.

So teams have figured out two ways other ways to rush the quarterback. First, with an elite inside rusher. Second, and more important for this article, moving elite rushers over to the right tackle, who hadn’t been considered good enough to block these exceptional rushers play after play. A pass rusher working against a right tackle can move past that tackle and hit the ball out of the QBs hand before it’s delivered. It’s “easier” than trying to sack the QB from the left side at times.

There’s an easy way to guarantee right tackles make the Pro Bowl

So just as teams realized they needed to make a left tackle a priority in the 80s, they now have put the same emphasis on finding right tackles who can pass protect. This season, here are the pass rushers over the right tackle: J.J. Watt, Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Von Miller, Ryan Kerrigan, DeMarcus Lawrence, Cam Wake, Brandon Graham, and so on. I probably missed a couple of others, but the point is that there are more amazing pass rushers over the right tackle now than the left tackle.

All of this is just a longer way to say we must start voting in right tackles to the Pro Bowl. And no, this isn’t because my brother, Mitchell Schwartz of the Chiefs, didn’t make the Pro Bowl.

The easiest way to handle this is voting in four tackles, instead of three, and mandating the highest vote-grabbing right tackle makes the Pro Bowl.

Some might ask “Why is the Pro Bowl important?” Well, it’s used in contract negotiations. It’s used for Hall of Fame arguments. It’s used as a status symbol. You want that recognition from your peers. Of course you’d want to make the Pro Bowl. So I hope they decide to revamp the Pro Bowl voting at offensive tackle.

And finally, here’s your new disrespectful blocks of the week

Week 15 gave us some gems, including my favorite — Marcus Mariota laying out Giants linebacker Alec Ogletree. As always, you can watch the video below or on my Facebook page.