COOPER CARLISLETONY BERGSTROM
Left guard
Cooper Carlisle vs. Tony BergstromTale of the tape:
Carlisle: 13th season, 6-5, 295, Florida
Bergstrom: 1st season, 6-5, 313, Utah
Of course, Bergstrom has to sign his contract and get into camp on time to make this a battle worth watching, but as the first draft pick in the Reggie McKenzie Era, Bergstrom has more than a little pressure on him. Even as the all-Pac 12 selection from Utah switches from tackle to the interior. "It's something that was a little foreign to me," said Bergstrom, who was taken with the 95th overall selection, a compensatory pick at the end of the third round. "I had (to) get used to being in a stance on the left side. It feels goodI'm a big believer in finish. I'm the kind of guy who wants to, as soon as the ref blows the whistle, that's my cue to hit someone else." Carlisle, meanwhile, has played only right guard in his five years with the Raiders, so he's also figuring out the mirror image of many plays after initially being cut by Oakland this offseason only to re-sign a few weeks later in March. "There's some obvious things," Carlisle said. "Your footwork is a little different. As far as the plays, your brain's a little backwards at first, butas far as getting your feet in different positions, and your hands, it's coming along pretty good." Both linemen have experience in a zone-blocking scheme. In fact, Carlisle has long been seen as a better ZBS lineman than a power-blocking guard, giving him the edge over the rookie entering camp.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Who do you think should be protecting Carson Palmer's blind side? Leave your comment below.