Time to Build an Offensive Line

[Pocket$ $traight]

Originally Posted by The Goat

Nice post. I think the part in bold is key. Even at 340 I remember folks saying Mike had surprising agility, and that's after how many years outside the game? As a huge, agile guard he could be very important in the zone-blocking scheme, though I don't enough acumen to know how he'll make the transition otherwise.

The part about Mike playing next to a RT superior to Heyer is also important. Personally I'm surprised we even kept Heyer. In space is just awful and watching him target, close and then block someone (which is key in zone-blocking) is just painful.

I forget which game it was, hell it was probably more than one game, but Heyer couldn't even get the snap count right. I thought it was the Ballcoach era all over again.

My hope for Heyer is that he ends up our 4th tackle. If Big Mike and Stephon are both on our bench to start the year, I think we are in decent shape.

Btw...I am all for renting Mawae. We need at least one premium lineman playing for us week one. I think he has intangibles too.

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by Pocket$ $traight

I forget which game it was, hell it was probably more than one game, but Heyer couldn't even get the snap count right. I thought it was the Ballcoach era all over again.

My hope for Heyer is that he ends up our 4th tackle. If Big Mike and Stephon are both on our bench to start the year, I think we are in decent shape.

Btw...I am all for renting Mawae. We need at least one premium lineman playing for us week one. I think he has intangibles too.

Rabach's smallish size is already a bit of a liability facing the nasty d-lines in the NFC East...putting him at guard is downright scary so I can't imagine we paid him to do anything but play center. That said Mawae would have been an enormous upgrade so I'm kind of surprised we "rushed" to lock up Rabach.

I think Shanny has to be very focused on the oline (obviously) beyond just acquiring younger, legitimate players. In Denver he didn't face conference rivals w/ d-lines like we see so he could get away w/ smallish, quicker linemen for the zone-blocking. Smallish guys, no matter how talented, will probably get destroyed facing our rivals 6 games each year. I think he needs the best of the best type of trench troops, extremely agile large guys to make his scheme work now. That cries out youth like I don't know what. This is why I was worried about Clifton coming here. We need serious talent in this group. Btw I think Shanny/Allen know this and probably don't expect to sign our LT/RT starters in FA. Just my hunch...

[Pocket$ $traight]

Originally Posted by The Goat

Rabach's smallish size is already a bit of a liability facing the nasty d-lines in the NFC East...putting him at guard is downright scary so I can't imagine we paid him to do anything but play center. That said Mawae would have been an enormous upgrade so I'm kind of surprised we "rushed" to lock up Rabach.

I think Shanny has to be very focused on the oline (obviously) beyond just acquiring younger, legitimate players. In Denver he didn't face conference rivals w/ d-lines like we see so he could get away w/ smallish, quicker linemen for the zone-blocking. Smallish guys, no matter how talented, will probably get destroyed facing our rivals 6 games each year. I think he needs the best of the best type of trench troops, extremely agile large guys to make his scheme work now. That cries out youth like I don't know what. This is why I was worried about Clifton coming here. We need serious talent in this group. Btw I think Shanny/Allen know this and probably don't expect to sign our LT/RT starters in FA. Just my hunch...

I was hopefull for Clifton because as far as I can tell we only have two starting quality lineman at the moment. I am not panicked but I am nervous...

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by Pocket$ $traight

I was hopefull for Clifton because as far as I can tell we only have two starting quality lineman at the moment. I am not panicked but I am nervous...

My sentiments exactly...

[SirClintonPortis]

Originally Posted by The Goat

Rabach's smallish size is already a bit of a liability facing the nasty d-lines in the NFC East...putting him at guard is downright scary so I can't imagine we paid him to do anything but play center. That said Mawae would have been an enormous upgrade so I'm kind of surprised we "rushed" to lock up Rabach.

I think Shanny has to be very focused on the oline (obviously) beyond just acquiring younger, legitimate players. In Denver he didn't face conference rivals w/ d-lines like we see so he could get away w/ smallish, quicker linemen for the zone-blocking. Smallish guys, no matter how talented, will probably get destroyed facing our rivals 6 games each year. I think he needs the best of the best type of trench troops, extremely agile large guys to make his scheme work now. That cries out youth like I don't know what. This is why I was worried about Clifton coming here. We need serious talent in this group. Btw I think Shanny/Allen know this and probably don't expect to sign our LT/RT starters in FA. Just my hunch...

I think Denver had a winning record against the NFC East....and big guys tire more easily when they're a mile high above sea level(I think anyway)