Patreon<\/a>, so if you want to see me break down his play in video form, please check it out there! Right, enough pointless chat, let\u2019s go!<\/p>\nAthletic Ability and Movement Skills<\/p>\n
This is easily the biggest reason to remain optimistic about Steen. He is an excellent athlete for an interior offensive lineman. His first-step quickness immediately stands out on film. Steen can explode out of his stance and cover ground extremely quickly, particularly when he is asked to work laterally or climb to the second level.<\/p>\n
There are difficult reach blocks that Steen makes look relatively straightforward because of how quickly he can get himself across a defender\u2019s face. When the Eagles ask him to reach defenders on outside zone runs, he has the foot speed to get to the defender\u2019s outside shoulder and establish positioning before the defender has an opportunity to cross his face. That\u2019s obviously a big help when you consider what the Eagles will do this year.<\/p>\n
Steen does not need everything to happen directly in front of him. He can pull, climb, and work horizontally very effectively. He can briefly assist another offensive lineman before quickly transitioning onto a linebacker. He looks comfortable operating in space and rarely appears labored when asked to change direction or cover significant ground.<\/p>\n
There are some impressive snaps where Steen gets out of his stance almost immediately, reaches what initially appears to be an extremely difficult landmark, and gets himself into the perfect position to seal the defender.<\/p>\n
You can improve an offensive lineman\u2019s technique, but it is much harder to manufacture the type of movement ability Steen already possesses. His athleticism gives him a relatively high ceiling because there are blocks he can physically reach that plenty of NFL guards simply cannot.<\/p>\n
As referenced above, Steen\u2019s movement skills make him particularly effective in the zone-run game. I came into this study expecting to be more critical of his run blocking, but there is a lot to like about the way Steen operates when the assignment is primarily about positioning rather than pure displacement. His initial phase on zone concepts can be excellent.<\/p>\n
He gets off the line quickly, understands where he needs to get his body, and possesses the lateral quickness to establish leverage. On outside zone, there are snaps where Steen reaches the outside shoulder of a defensive lineman incredibly quickly and gets himself into an ideal position.<\/p>\n
There are also good examples of Steen working to the second level, locating linebackers and using his movement skills to seal them away from the football. He moves naturally in space and doesn\u2019t look uncomfortable while adjusting to moving targets. This is a big part of the zone run game.<\/p>\n
Run Game Processing and Combination Blocks<\/p>\n
Steen also showed more encouraging mental processing in the run game than I expected. I thought his work on combination blocks was consistently impressive. He generally understands how to work alongside the center or tackle without creating unnecessary space between the two blockers, and he appears comfortable determining when he needs to remain attached to the defensive lineman and when he can climb to the second level.<\/p>\n
There were many excellent examples of his work with Cam Jurgens. There were times that Steen recognized that Jurgens needed some initial assistance, helped secure the first-level defender with one arm, and then immediately climbed once it became clear Jurgens had control of the block.<\/p>\n
Offensive line play happens incredibly quickly, and poor timing on combination blocks can ruin an entire run. Leave too early, and the first-level defender can split the block. Stay attached too long, and the linebacker runs freely to the ball. Steen shows a good understanding of that relationship.<\/p>\n
There are also examples of Steen displaying very good hand placement. On his better snaps, his hands remain tight and inside the defender\u2019s frame. His elbows don\u2019t flare excessively, and he can get his hands underneath the defender\u2019s shoulder pads and establish initial control by winning with good low pad level. When his lower body and upper body are working together, the result can look excellent.<\/p>\n
He can use his feet to establish position before using his hands to control the defender, and there are snaps where he effectively uses that leverage to turn or drag a defender away from the play. Steen\u2019s initial punch can also carry some force when he is balanced. The issue is that his hand usage becomes much less consistent once the defender begins fighting back, but the flashes are significant because they demonstrate Steen\u2019s ability to maintain technically sound hand placement.<\/p>\n
Pass Protection Technique<\/p>\n
This was my biggest concern after watching Steen. His pass protection was worse than I expected. The athletic tools are clearly there, which almost makes some of the issues more frustrating. Steen should have the movement skills to become a dependable pass protector, but there are too many technical inconsistencies right now for me to consider him particularly reliable when isolated one-on-one.<\/p>\n
His footwork and hand placement are not always synchronized. There are snaps where Steen delivers his punch before he has established a stable base underneath him. When that happens, he doesn\u2019t have enough strength behind the strike and leaves himself vulnerable if the defender defeats the initial contact.<\/p>\n
He can also overset. Steen is athletic enough to cover a lot of ground very quickly, but occasionally that becomes a negative. He can move too far outside, giving the defender an easy path back inside. For an interior offensive lineman, that is a major problem.<\/p>\n
The quarterback\u2019s location must influence how Steen approaches the rep. He cannot consistently allow interior rushers a two-way go. There are snaps where he becomes too square to the defender or opens himself too far and loses the half-man idea he should be trying to maintain (for those who are unsure what I mean by this, as a lineman, if you get yourself into a favorable position, you can target half the opponent\u2019s body, making it easier for you to win the rep). The defender then has options in both directions.<\/p>\n
Steen\u2019s athleticism allows him to occasionally recover from imperfect positioning, but relying on athletic recovery is not a sustainable approach in NFL pass protection. Defensive athletes are too good. The technical landmarks need to become more consistent.<\/p>\n
Steen\u2019s hands are another reason his pass protection can break down after initially looking comfortable. His first punch can be effective. His second action is much less reliable. NFL defensive linemen are simply too talented to expect the first strike to win every rep. Offensive linemen have to be able to reset their hands, re-fit inside, and continue fighting for position after the defender counters. I didn\u2019t see enough of that from Steen.<\/p>\n
He can sometimes treat the initial punch almost as though it should end the rep. When the defender knocks his hands away or defeats the initial strike, Steen doesn\u2019t consistently reload and regain control.<\/p>\n
His two-handed punch can also be overly aggressive. There is nothing inherently wrong with using both hands aggressively when the opportunity is there, but if both hands fire simultaneously and miss, Steen has very little left to recover with. Developing more independent hand usage would help him significantly. There are too many reps where the first punch fails, and the entire pass-protection rep deteriorates from there.<\/p>\n
His shorter arms also appear relevant here. They are not some fatal flaw that automatically prevents him from playing guard, but they reduce his margin for error. When Steen\u2019s feet are not underneath him, he can find himself reaching for contact. That creates lunging, and lunging makes the recovery process even more difficult.<\/p>\n
Anchor and Functional Strength<\/p>\n
This is the other major concern in pass protection. Steen does not consistently anchor well against power. There are reps (see Quinnen Williams last year) where powerful interior defenders get into his frame and simply walk him backward. Once Steen loses the initial leverage battle, I don\u2019t see enough lower-body strength or recovery strength to consistently anchor and stop the rush.<\/p>\n
That is particularly concerning because NFL defensive coordinators are always looking for individual weaknesses. If defenders believe they can threaten Steen with speed, make him overset and then counter inside, that creates one problem. If they believe they can simply convert speed to power and drive him into the quarterback, that creates another.<\/p>\n
Steen needs an answer to both in order to develop further as a player. His base contributes to the problem. If his feet and punch are poorly synchronized, he can make his anchor look worse because he is trying to absorb power without a stable platform underneath him.<\/p>\n
The most obvious examples come against high-level power rushers, where Steen can be driven backward without showing the ability to suddenly drop his hips, re-establish leverage, and stop the momentum. Improved technique should help, but I also want to see Steen become physically stronger.<\/p>\n
This is probably the biggest issue with Steen\u2019s run blocking. Steen can get himself into a fantastic position and still fail to finish.<\/p>\n
There are difficult reach blocks where he does everything required athletically. He fires off the ball, gets across the defender, establishes leverage, and appears to have won the rep. But good defenders have counter moves, and Steen struggles to handle this. Steen needs to become much better at sustaining his blocks after establishing initial positioning. Getting to the correct spot is obviously hugely important, but NFL offensive line play cannot stop there.<\/p>\n
Imagine a block as being split into 3 parts. The initial block, hand fighting, then the finish. Steen excels at the first part but struggles outside it.<\/p>\n
I also don\u2019t consistently see the physical demeanor I want from an interior offensive lineman. There are individual snaps where Steen finishes extremely well, particularly when he reaches defenders at the second level, so I don\u2019t think he is incapable of playing with aggression. It simply isn\u2019t consistent enough.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d like to see more snaps where Steen establishes control and then actively tries to eliminate the defender from the play rather than merely occupying him. He does not need to throw defenders onto the bench on every snap, but greater physicality and more consistent finishing would make a significant difference.<\/p>\n
Steen is less impressive when the assignment requires him to generate displacement (as gap scheme runs often do) rather than simply win with positioning.<\/p>\n
On zone concepts, Steen\u2019s athleticism can be the dominant trait. He can beat defenders to landmarks and use angles to create running lanes. On gap concepts, there are more situations where he needs to move the defensive tackle to create the gap for the running back. That is where his limitations become more apparent.<\/p>\n
I wanted to see considerably more movement at the line of scrimmage outside of double teams. There are occasions where Steen helps create significant displacement, but it frequently comes when he is working alongside another offensive lineman rather than generating that power independently.<\/p>\n
His lower half does not consistently look powerful enough, as I referenced earlier. Steen can establish the initial contact and put himself in a good position, but there is often a noticeable drop-off between making contact and actually driving the defender away from the football.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, it\u2019s alright to just say a player is average right now. Not everything has to be a hot take about something being terrible or amazing. I don\u2019t look at Steen and see a player the Eagles desperately need to replace. I also don\u2019t see a clear long-term starting right guard who has already answered every question and deserves a 2nd contract as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
Right now, I think Steen is an average NFL starting guard. And that isn\u2019t necessarily a criticism. Finding competent offensive linemen is difficult, and Steen has already shown that he possesses traits worth developing. His athletic ability is legitimate. He gets out of his stance extremely quickly, moves very well for his size, understands combination blocks, and can execute difficult assignments in space. His zone blocking in particular gives you something to work with, especially when you consider what Sean Mannion\u2019s offense will ask from linemen.<\/p>\n
However, he needs to sustain blocks better, become a more consistent finisher, and develop his hand usage beyond the initial strike. His hands and feet need to work together more consistently, which will help his anchor and his ability to handle part.<\/p>\n
The encouraging part is that this was essentially his first season as a full-time NFL right guard. Steen is not a finished product, and offensive line development can take time. He has already done the hard part in some respects because he possesses the athletic traits required to execute a wide variety of assignments.<\/p>\n
At this stage, I am perfectly comfortable with Steen entering the season as the Eagles\u2019 starting right guard. I don\u2019t view the position as an obvious weakness that requires an immediate replacement. Being an average starter is fine early in a player\u2019s career. Eventually, particularly when the discussion turns toward a second contract, you want more certainty.<\/p>\n
If Steen cleans up his pass-protection technique, develops better independent hand usage and hand resets, improves his anchor and becomes more consistent at sustaining and finishing blocks, there is enough athletic talent here for him to develop into a good starting guard. If those areas remain largely unchanged, I think the Eagles will eventually have a decision to make.<\/p>\n
Thank you for reading! I\u2019d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you would like to support me further, please check out my Patreon here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Over the past few weeks, I\u2019ve been spending a lot of time watching offensive line film as part…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":973095,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2068],"tags":[25,12132,7,6,242,109,84309,2476],"class_list":["post-973094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia-eagles","tag-eagles","tag-eagles-film-review","tag-football","tag-nfl","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-eagles","tag-philadelphia-eagles-analysis","tag-philadelphiaeagles"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/117094853049315914","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/973094","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=973094"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/973094\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/973095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=973094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=973094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=973094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}