Lemme just get this out of the way:
For our football team, Pass pro >>>>> run blocking
Wells is one of the best centers in football in protection adjustements and pass blocking. Unless we can find an all-pro center, that is as good as him in pass pro, but offers better blocking, he won't be replaced.
2009, they tried to put Spitz in there, because he is a better run blocker. But the dropoff in pass pro was so big, that it wasn't worth it.
There's also Clifton. He played his best football ever in the playoffs, pratically negating the best rushers in the game in Cole, Abraham, Peppers and Harrison. But he's a lousy, lousy run blocker. But, as with Wells, unless we can find a guy that offers as much in pass pro and more in run blocking, he'll stay.
As for Collegde, I really think he'll be gone. Someone is gonna overpay for him. Then, chances are we're gonna see Lang in there, who's a better run blocker, and player well against the Lions the time he was there.
Sitton is one of the best guards in football at everything, and Bulaga is a very good run blocker that it's only going to get better.
That covers the OL.
Now I'm gonna discuss the reasons we can't run the ball properly.
First of all, we can. We ran the ball really, really well in the playoffs this year, even against Pittsburgh. But we're never going to be able to rely on the running game (the closest to it will be how we performed against Philly in the playoffs).
The reasons we can't rely on the run are those:
1) OL
2) RB
3) FB/TE
1 is covered. Our OL is build primarily to pass block, and an all around great OL is incredibly hard to built, and would take away money from more vital areas (to us), such as playmakers on offense and defensive players.
As for 2, we need the right kind of backs to work on our zone scheme. Grant and Starks fit the mold, and we can run effectively with them. Kuhn and Jackson do not. They can work in situations, but as every down backs, they can't get the job done. Of course, if we had a back like Adrian Peterson, even with our OL blocking, we would be a great running team. But I've covered the money issue, and, as evidenced by the SB, we don't need that to win.
Number 3 is the other issue. As for FBs, the Packers are trying to get better with Johnson, but he's coming along slowly with the playbook and passing game, and unless he's effective in the passing game, he's not gonna play. And regarding the TEs, all of our guys are pass catchers first, with the exception of Crabtree, who is a good blocker. We saw in the SB Heath Miller and Spaeth being able to block Matthews one-on-one. Finley and Quarless can't do that, and that hinders our running game.
But, as with the trend of this post, they're assets in the passing game, which, to us, is much more important. If they develop as blockers, the running game would benefit, and we've seen at times good blocking from them.
I think what I'm trying to say with this is, we're built to pass. Passing the ball and running the ball are not excludent, but in today's NFL, with the cap, it's nearly impossible to build a team to be as good passing as it is running, while having a great D.
It sure would nice to be like the Cowboys of the early 90's, with Aikman, Irvin and Smith, and with a great D, but do not expect it.
Expect our running game to perform like it did in the playoffs. If that happens, there's no way we have games like Detroit and Chicago. If that happens, teams can't just play the pass. And that will go a long ways towards us repeating.