Initially, my goal was to show that offensive lines were more a product of health, coaching, and experience rather than individual talent. I watched a lot of games and just focused on the limited camera time for the hogs up front.

My takeaways from the experience were two-fold: first, because television stations focus on the ball, it is very hard to get a good read on offensive line play. If I had access to the game tape or could fly around the country and watch games live, I may have been able to discern more. Second, it is really, really hard to evaluate offensive line play.

The difference between an excellent offensive line and a terrible one is not nearly as great the difference between Tom Brady and Blaine Gabbert. Sure, every now and then an offensive lineman will commit an awful penalty or whiff on a block, but it would take an eye trained better than mine to evaluate individual offensive linemen as part of a scheme. While I enjoyed writing the column, I decided to stop because I didn’t feel like I was getting anywhere. Nevertheless, I will continue to watch football differently and continue to keep my eye on offensive lines.

There was a fair amount of movement among offensive linemen in the offseason, so I figured I’d write about six teams that feature the biggest shifts of either personnel or scheme. Keep these teams in mind when you are drafting in the next couple of months.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos offensive line had a great 2011 season. Despite changing the entire offensive scheme during the season, the big men blocked effectively for both Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow. The line was also able to stay healthy and the five starters did not miss a game. Now, they will face the ultimate challenge in transitioning to a Peyton Manning-led offense. I always thought that the Colts offensive line was slightly different than others because they had to be so disciplined. They had to wait in their crouch until Manning finally was finished dancing around like a chicken. While I think the Bronco offense will not be as pass-heavy as the Colts were in Manning’s heyday, they may take a few games to adjust. Their most important responsibility will be to keep Manning from taking any hits on his surgically repaired neck. It will be interesting to see how the line reacts to Manning.

Minnesota Vikings

Unlike the Broncos, the Vikings had a rough season in the trenches in 2011. When a team has a running back as good as Adrian Peterson, the offensive line can look better than it really is. The Viking line had problems opening holes for Peterson. Christian Ponder only got sacked 35 times, which isn’t bad for a rookie quarterback. However, the team made whole sale changes to the line in the offseason. Guards Steve Huchinson, who I thought was overrated, and Anthony Herrera were jettisoned. The Vikings took the first offensive lineman in the Draft in USC tackle Matt Kalil. Minnesota also picked up free agent offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz from the Carolina Panthers. Schwartz missed the entire 2011 season with a hip injury, but started 16 games and played every offensive snap for the Panthers at right guard in 2010. Schwartz will be reunited with offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, who was formerly with the Panthers. With all of the changes along the line, you can expect the Viking offense to take some time to gel in 2012.

New Orleans Saints

I live in Louisiana. When the Saints won the Super Bowl in 2010, they almost eclipsed LSU in terms of popularity. Almost. With bounty gate running amok within the Saints and Drew Brees having contract issues, I am worried about the team. Another worry is how the team replaces two-time All Pro right guard Carl Nicks, who left as a free agent for Tampa Bay. Unlike most teams that feature tackles on the offensive line, the Saint system relied on the excellent guard tandem of Nicks and Jahri Evans. According to Football Outsiders, the Saints had the best run blocking and the third best pass blocking in the league last year. New Orleans signed guard Ben Grubbs from the Ravens. Grubbs missed six games last year with a toe injury, but had played every game from 2008 to 2010 with Baltimore. Without Sean Payton calling plays, the Saint offense might not be as a potent as in years past, so you may want to downgrade a little New Orleans players come draft time.

New York Jets

You’d expect the Jets to have a very solid offensive line, since they seem to be a defense- and run-oriented team. When I watched the Jets last year, I often came away unimpressed. Shonn Greene is not a runner who can create his own yardage (like most running backs) and the line was unable to open many holes for him. Perhaps in 2012, the Jet linemen will be psyched up by Tebow Time. Because I think the Bronco line is significantly better than the Jet line, Tebow could have limited effectiveness. Perhaps coach Rex Ryan can use Tebow to spell Marc Sanchez and keep opposing defenses on their toes. The same line is back for the new season. Left tackle D’Brichashaw Furgeson has not missed a game in his career and center Nick Mangold missed the first two games of his career in 2011.

Chicago Bears

Let me be open: I am a Bear fan. Yet, even my fandom would not prevent me from saying that the Bear offensive line was atrocious at times last year. I think the team will miss Mike Martz who was able to adjust to the poor protection of Jay Cutler and find a semi-effective offensive attack before Cutler and Matt Forte were lost with injuries. This year, Mike Tice has been promoted to the role of offensive coordinator, so you’d expect the former tight end to feature the running attack more often. However, Tice was the offensive coordinator for the Vikings when they had Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss. The Bear line hopes to get a boost from the return of 2011 first round pick Gabe Carimi at right tackle. Carimi was limited to two games because of a knee injury. Although the Bears have taken offensive linemen twice in the last five years, neither Carimi nor Chris Williams has been healthy. For Chicago, I would expect more of the same.

Houston Texans

If the Saints didn’t have the best offensive line last year, then the Texans did. They consistently opened huge holes for both Arian Foster and Ben Tate. The problem is that they were so excellent that it was hard to keep the line together. Right guard Mike Brisiel left for Oakland and right tackle Eric Winston is now a Chief. Rashad Butler has been on the Texans since 2007 and figures to be Winston’s replacement. Butler started four games in 2010, but only appeared in two games last year because of the Texans’ health up front.  Antoine Caldwell may start at right guard. He has started 13 games over the past three seasons, including three last year. Injuries have been an issue for the Alabama grad. The Texans did select Brandon Brooks in the third round out of Miami (OH), so he could start at some point as well. The Texans have had consistent success with coach Gary Kubiak’s zone blocking schemes, but time will tell if the rebuilt right side of the line can hold its own.

Written by Perry Missner exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com. For more great fantasy football analysis, follow Perry on Twitter @PerryMissner.

(May 20, 2012 – Source: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images North America)