New Orleans Saints left tackle Terron Armstead and rookie center Erik McCoy were just two players in a crowd of offensive linemen at this year’s “OL Masterminds” conference, organized by Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson. Created in response to the annual “Pass Rush Summit” led by Denver Broncos sack artist Von Miller, Johnson wanted to give the league’s blockers a competitive advantage against their opponents.
Johnson noted that he and other offensive linemen are “protectors of very valuable men,” such as quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Drew Brees. Johnson explained his goal to Jori Epstein of USA Today: “I wanted all the NFL linemen to start communicating and start really talking football, something that’s never really happened.