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Two Lamar Holmes articles in two days? Yes.
Lamar Holmes had a roller coaster of a 2013. By most metrics, he was a distinctly below average left tackle. He also was a slightly above average right tackle in three games, and he was one of the few players who did the little things like picking Matt Ryan up off the ground and getting in linemens' faces. It was a mighty uneven season, but there were reasons to believe he's not a lost cause.
James outlined Holmes' desire to improve in his recent write-up, and obviously that's an important ingredient to a better 2014.
Holmes will be a controversial choice for this series, but he's got a legitimate shot to open 2014 as the starting right tackle. As I mentioned earlier, Holmes graded out above average at right tackle in his three opportunities there, and after nearly a full season at left tackle, we can safely conclude he's ticketed for the other side. With his size, power and youth—he'll be just 25 when the 2014 season starts—there's a chance he turns into a very useful player.
There are real obstacles to that. Holmes struggled to get the necessary leverage consistently in 2013, his footwork was atrocious at times and he committed more penalties than anyone else on the offensive line. If Peter Konz needs to have his confidence rebuilt, Holmes needs to have his technique remastered. It's not an impossible job, but I'm not going to sit here and tell you it's a given, either.
You may have already covered this ground, but what are your 2014 expectations for Holmes?
