I missed the DAL and NE games while I was in Europe where the football is played with a round ball, so I was excited to return home and catch up on MHR news and watch the games.  Like many of us at MHR I like to watch the games by focusing on things away from the ball the second time through. This week I decided to focus on our superlative LT Ryan Clady. It is my contention that he is already at his young age the best OT in the NFL.

Ryan Clady was chosen as the 12th overall pick in the 2008 draft by the Denver Broncos after a superior college career at Boise State. He had numerous accolades as a college student athlete, but his explosion on the scene into the NFL was truly exceptional. I'm going to break down some things he does and some characteristics he has that set him apart.

Physical:  RC is a huge man with tremendous strength. 6'6 325 pounds and with supernaturally long arms for even a man of his size. He has an uncommon agility  for a man of his size and even for a professional athlete of smaller stature. It is rare indeed to see such nimble feet combined with such structural solidity. He has tremendous quickness with which to position himself at the snap count. His long arms and adept hand work allow him to engage the defensive player and control the entire interaction of the play.

Technique: Watch how RC takes his stance exactly the same way each snap. The right hand is down and to the side at exactly the same distance each time to prevent any dropping of the shoulder, forming a perfect T shape with his shoulders and torso. Not even a infinitesmal hint to which side the play will go or whether it's a pass or run.  The feet are exactly 2-3 inches outside his shoulders with the right foot back in perfect bend for maximum explosive force and balance. Sometime you should try to get in this position and hold it for ten seconds in your family room and see if you can achieve the same balance and relaxed muscles needed for an OT. His head is up, but not arched; he uses his eyes to swivel first then his head to gather in the defensive set and his assignment.  For an OT, controlling the opposing player is all about leverage and balance and getting to the intersection of contact first. The snap count knowledge helps by giving him a fraction of a second to get there, but sometimes I don't think he needs it!  For an offensive lineman technique dictates that two things absolutely must happen -- one foot can't be in the air when contact is initiated and the OT must get his hands on the defensive player first. There is no leverage and no balance on one foot and the battle is over if the defensive player catches you in that position. RC just never gets caught this way! I can't begin to tell you how amazing this is when you consider the speed, the distance, the different defensive rushes that can occur to always be there first with both feet on the ground at impact. Then the hands come into play. This is a huge jump from college to the NFL because hand work is a judo lesson with a thousand variations that are constantly being practiced and refined on both sides of the line. The OT must keep his hands inside the shoulder line of the defensive player or holding will be called, but otherwise almost anything goes. The hands are extended at the end of his long arms and he makes contact before the defensive player can touch him. The farthest back the elbows will ever go is to the chest line. If the elbows go behind the side seam of the jersey the defense has won the battle and the torso of the OT will be turned allowing loss of leverage.  The defensive player is always trying to turn the offensive player with leverage.  RC never overcommits to the right or left. He's always directly in front of the other player because he's gotten there first with superior leverage and controlled the hand contact. He has the strength to withstand the strongest power rush move and the speed to beat any defender to the contact point. His steps are extraordinarily efficient, small keeping his feet on the ground for the maximum amount of time in the play. Watch how he times the shove at exactly the point where the defensive player has one foot in the air on the move to give himself control of the play. It's an absolute thing of beauty.  Watch how opposing players are almost never able to get their hands past his forearms to create their own leverage.

Intelligence: His football acumen for such a young player is truly exceptional. He sees the subtle way opposing players are trying to play him and has adjusted before they begin the move they've contemplated. He anticipates the contact point better than any OT in the game today. He almost instantaneously adjusts his technique to the circumstance.  He doesn't make mental mistakes. No offsides calls and three total penalties so far in his career. That's in 21 games folks! We know from the coaching staff that he's a delight to coach because he's constantly interested in improving, recognizing different looks quicker (which is pretty scary given his current skill) and studying game film to see the tendencies of his opponents. This is one smart young man with the character we want.

Toughness: A game in the trenches is very much like a 15 round boxing match where two skilled athletes try to impose their physicality, leverage, strength and body mass on another.  If you've never punched a heavy bag at a gym before, try this in your family room. Shadow box from a safe distance from your TV  (are you listening Brandon?) for 3 minute sets throwing a punch every 2-3 seconds at 80% effort. In between punches keep your hands up at shoulder level always. Do this for three sets. Are you tired?  Now imagine the physical effort put forth by a professional lineman over the course of a sixty minute game. If you keep getting stalemated or dominated each play doesn't a little nagging doubt begin to creep in? Do you begin to think maybe I can't beat this guy? The best players never give up on any play ever. The mental toughness to do this is really a tremendous skill, because most players take plays off. Not RC and definitely not BDawk just to name two.  What this ends up in is Richard Seymour getting so frustrated that he resorts to pulling your dreadlocks and giving us another 15 yards.  Despite his gentle demeanor and actual shyness off the field, RC is tough and has a real nasty streak when he's playing. On runs up the field when he's pulling, he wants to destroy the defender and he has that look in his eyes that I wouldn't want to be facing.

Ryan Clady is the only player ever named as offensive rookie of the week who plays on the line. He's cut off his dreadlocks so Seymour can't pull them. He's been assessed the first full sack of his career on what was a fluke play, not his fault when I looked at it. I believe he is a once in a lifetime OT.  I'm even going to go so far as to say if he adds longevity to his other accomplishments that he will rank with Anthony Munoz as one of the greatest of all times. Ladies and Gentleman I present to you Ryan Clady -- the best OT in the NFL.