Alabama's Offensive Line In Flux As Spring Practice Continues
How valuable is spring practice for an offensive line missing major pieces?
The Alabama Crimson Tide football program is wrapping up spring practice this week with its annual A-Day scrimmage. The Monday edition of "The Joe Gaither Show on BamaCentral" talks about the Crimson Tide's second spring scrimmage from this past Saturday and discusses some of the movements along Alabama's offensive line.
First and foremost Washington transfer Parker Brailsford is still not partcipating in spring practice as he's acclimating to Tuscaloosa. Head coach Kalen DeBoer mentioned that his absence wasn't a football related issue and that he didn't expect him to transfer out of the program. However, it does create question marks in the middle of Alabama's offensive line.
Is James Brockermeyer good enough to start at center for an SEC championship contender? If Brockermeyer isn't going to start and Brailsford is, then what is the value of these spring practices if there won't be carryover into the fall?
The program continues on the offensive line by discussing Elijah Pritchett and Wilkin Formby. The two reportedly started at left and right tackle respectively in the scrimmage, but the Crimson Tide is also expecting Kadyn Proctor to rejoin the team for the coming season.
What will happen with Pritchett? Will he earn and keep the starting left tackle job or will be bumped back to the bench when Proctor returns? Additionally, is Pritchett a better tackle than Formby? Should the Tide's current left tackle be on the move to the right side when Proctor returns in order to get both on the field?
The final offensive line complication came in the form of a Jaeden Roberts injury on Saturday. Alabama's starting right guard left the field on crutches, but DeBoer downplayed the severity of the injury, calling it minor. Roberts' mother utilized social media over the weekend to call the injury just a minor ankle twist.
If Alabama's offensive line is going to look completely different in the fall when real games happen, how valuable are these practices in the spring?
How valuable is spring practice for Alabama's offensive line if its starting five will likely be vastly different in the fall?
