We are now on the third of six guards that will be presented to you in this portion of the series. Most recently, we asked the readers if Evan Mathis should be a potential target for the Arizona Cardinals once free agency begins. If you might recall, Mathis had interest in joining Arizona during the last offseason, but ended up signing with the Eagles instead. This time, 61% of the voters feel that he should make his way to the desert to become one of the team's starting interior linemen. Mathis has certainly proven his talent on the field, so it will be interesting to see what type of contract he will demand on the open market.
Today, we look at a guy that was once a former first round draft pick. Ben Grubbs, currently a member of the Baltimore Ravens, missed plenty of games last year and when he was in the lineup, he definitely had his ups and downs. So should the Cardinals consider bringing him on board?
Grubbs has been a healthy player for most of his career, but last season he was forced to deal with injuries for the first time. He missed weeks 2-8 with a toe injury and with him out, the Ravens definitely noticed the void that he usually filled at left guard.
According to Pro Football Focus' stats, Grubbs barely made a positive grade as a pass protector and received a -2.1 in the run blocking department during the 2011 season. In his 426 pass blocking snaps, Grubbs allowed 4 sacks, 3 QB hits and 12 pressures on Joe Flacco.
Again, one of the issues that the Cardinals would have if they picked Grubbs up would be who plays on the right side of the line. Both Daryn Colledge and Grubbs are accustomed to playing left guard, so one of them would need to switch over and make the adjustment.
Grubbs should cost less in free agency than a player like Evan Mathis and he will definitely be cheaper than Carl Nicks, but would it even be worth it for the Cardinals to bring him in? The Ravens might not choose to keep him given the fact that they just paid Pro Bowler Marshal Yanda a ransom before last season. Based on the stats and what I have seen out of Grubbs when watching the Ravens play, I would say that the Cards could probably get better value from a lesser known name.
What do you think? Should the Arizona Cardinals pursue Ben Grubbs in free agency? Tell us in the comments below and vote in the poll.
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