If left tackles are no longer "safe" first-round picks, Weston Richburg is doing his best to change the narrative at center.
The New York Giants pivot is one of a handful of big-bodied NFL blockers training at the O-Line Performance Center in Chandler, Arizona. Run by former NFL lineman LeCharles Bentley, the facility is aimed at reversing a disturbing lack of teaching for O-linemen at the pro level.
"We're the Mushroom Club,"Bears guard Kyle Long, also at the facility, told CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco. "They throw us in a closet, feed us (expletive) and expect us to come out a finished product."
Richburg -- anonymous to plenty of NFL fans -- agrees, saying: "There isn't much teaching going on at all. It's kind of sink or swim. That's why I am here."
Not joining him? The rest of New York's line, leaving the center to put his teammates on blast.
"The percentage of guys who are just OK to be there (in the league) is pretty high. This is pretty rare. The majority of my offensive line is not doing anything right now," Richburg said. "... I know a lot of guys are just happy to be there. That's the difference between them and the guys who are here (training)."
His dedication paid off last season, with Richburg grading out as one of the league's finest centers by Pro Football Focus. Still, he's not impressed by the rankings handed out by a metrics site.
"On Twitter, I get tagged in so much PFF stuff. You hear this stuff, but you have to look at the source," Richburg said. "Most of these people who talk about offensive line play don't know anything about offensive line play."
It will be interesting to see how Richburg's comments play out in the locker room, but he isn't wrong about this: Today's linemen need all the teaching and help they can get, something coaches like Bruce Arians and Pete Carroll have preached for ages.
