What is kugbila role on the team?

[SCP]

Folkerts is the backup there right now.

Gaylord Folkerts

[Mage]

Do some of you guys have any idea of what you are talking about?

How is taking a backup offensive lineman a wasted pick?  There are only 22 open starting spots on offense and defense.  Not everyone on the team is meant to be a starter.  Quite frankly, if your expectations are for every draft pick to start on the team, then you have no idea of how drafting and building a team works.  It would be nice if that was the case but that doesn't happen.  It would be wonderful if Edmund Kugbila turned into the next Larry Allen or John Hannah but it is quite unlikely.  Now maybe if Kugbila turns into an absolutely awful player that simply cannot do spot duty for us when needed, then maybe you can call it "wasted" (which I still wouldn't do).  Otherwise, as we are experiencing with the retirement of Jordan Gross, depth on the offensive line is crucial.  If Kugbila can be a dependable backup OL for us, to call it a wasted pick would just be moronic.  Not to mention, some of you STILL act like the best teams consistently find starting players in the mid to late rounds.  No matter how many times it is brought up that Richard Sherman was taken in the 5th round, this simply does not happen.  On occasion, sure, you will see a team who gets production from a good chunk of their draft picks.  But it isn't often nor should it be an expectation because it is unreasonable.  This should be common sense but lets look at the 2013 draft's 4th round and see just how many starters were taken then.  * = denotes starter, was a starter, or could likely start this upcoming season.

 

Matt Barkley

Nico Johnson

Akeem Spence*

Ace Sanders

Josh Boyce

Alex Okafor

Jelani Jenkins

Duke Williams

Dion Sims

Brian Schwenke

Edmund Kugbila

David Bakhtiari

Ryan Nassib

Shamarko Thomas*

Tyler Wilson

Barrett Jones

B.W. Webb

Landry Jones

Earl Watford

Khaseem Greene

Sean Porter

Phillip Thomas*

Gerald Hodges

Khaled Holmes

J.C. Tretter

Chris Harper

Trevardo Williams

Jonathan Franklin

William Gholston

Malliciah Goodman

Quinton Patton

John Simon

Kyle Juszczyk
Marcus Lattimore

Devin Taylor*

Levine Toilolo

 

So 4 guys who might start this year (Spence did last year, not sure if he will this year and it isn't like he was all that good) and 3 of them are very unproven.

 

Kugbila is no different than the mass majority of players drafted in the 4th and beyond rounds.  A hopefully quality backup that can provide good depth to your team and start a couple of games here and there if need be.  

[IGSaint]

On Kugs high school highlight tape he played Tackle, his feet looks a lil quicker than i originally thought.

 

Looking at his high school tape he looks really good at RT. Granted it was high school but kugbilla's technique when engaging the defender looked much better than bell. I hope his future is at RT.

[CPF4LIFE]

Looking at his high school tape he looks really good at RT. Granted it was high school but kugbilla's technique when engaging the defender looked much better than bell. I hope his future is at RT.

 

Oh yeah when he gets a hold of you, you are not going anywhere. And he has the punch when defenders are coming at him on passing downs to knock them back on contact where as Bell would get overpowered and knocked back into Cam after already backing up too much. I can tell you this is something you absolutely dont want to see from an LT because the Qb cant see the defender coming opposed to the right side, Cam will get killed.

[KillerKat]

This is his draft profile from draft insider: http://www.draftinsider.net/reports/2013/G/Edmund-Kugbila

Edmund Kugbila

School: Valdosta State

Position: G

Bio: Three-year starter awarded all-America and all-Conference honors the past two years.

Positive: Large, athletic offensive lineman with a huge upside. Bends his knees, blocks with leverage, and stays square. Jolts defenders with terrific hand punch, turns them from the action, or easily out positions opponents from the play. Moves well on his feet, displays the ability to slide in space and easily steers defenders from the action in pass protection. Flashes power in his lower body and drives defenders off the ball run blocking. Quick out to the second level, can readjust to linebackers, and hit a moving target. Massive and tough to get around.

Negative: Plays back on his heels and does not show a killer instinct. Must improve his blocking balance. A bit haphazard in his movement.

Analysis: Kugbila is a large, athletic lineman with the strength required for a power running offense and movement skills to line up in a zone-blocking scheme. He possesses tremendous upside but needs to improve the details of his position and pick up his all-around intensity. If he pulls it all together and is coached properly, Kugbila possesses starting potential for the next level.

Man if he could win the RT spot, we might be alright with a Chandler - Amini - Kalil - Turner - Kugbila lineup.

[CPF4LIFE]

Turner and Kug has some nasty potential on that right side far as running the ball.

[BigCat]

I worried about Kugbila, hasn't played a down and the team has already drafted another OG, well maybe he can be A solid backup.

[CelticCat]

Kugbila was a 4th round pick from a small college.  He was injured (fairly seriously) his rookie season.  He is and was always developmental.  If you are writing him off now, calling him a bust etc, comparing him to Everette Brown, etc.  then you probably forgot about Evan Mathis.  He was a second rounder (I think) from a big school who needed about 2-3 years to develop.  He is now a pro-bowler.  We wrote him off too early.

 

Want another example?  Geoff Schwartz..  We let him go (or made not attempt to re-sign) for reasons yet to be determined.  He has been a solid G for a few teams.

 

So if you want to write Kugbila off after his injury-plagued rookie season, go ahead.  You probably did the same for Mathis but don't talk about that anymore.  You just refer to Everette Brown and Jimmy Clausen, as if there is a connection there.

 

FWIW he was a 3rd rounder and it took Mathis 7 years to "get it". He actually showed promise his second year here. But I think after that he had weight issues and had conflict with the OL coach. You can't expect a team to reinvest a second contract in a guy that falls down the depth chart. He flamed out in Miami and Cincy before he got it together in Philly. I remember being high on Mathis as a rookie because he came in with NFL bloodlines. His uncle played OL for Miami I believe.

 

Schwartz showed some promise here too before injury sidelined him. Can't really blame us for moving on there either. You can't gamble on all the injured players, sooner or later you actually need bodies that can get on the field.

[CelticCat]

Do some of you guys have any idea of what you are talking about?

How is taking a backup offensive lineman a wasted pick?  There are only 22 open starting spots on offense and defense.  Not everyone on the team is meant to be a starter.  Quite frankly, if your expectations are for every draft pick to start on the team, then you have no idea of how drafting and building a team works.  It would be nice if that was the case but that doesn't happen.  It would be wonderful if Edmund Kugbila turned into the next Larry Allen or John Hannah but it is quite unlikely.  Now maybe if Kugbila turns into an absolutely awful player that simply cannot do spot duty for us when needed, then maybe you can call it "wasted" (which I still wouldn't do).  Otherwise, as we are experiencing with the retirement of Jordan Gross, depth on the offensive line is crucial.  If Kugbila can be a dependable backup OL for us, to call it a wasted pick would just be moronic.  Not to mention, some of you STILL act like the best teams consistently find starting players in the mid to late rounds.  No matter how many times it is brought up that Richard Sherman was taken in the 5th round, this simply does not happen.  On occasion, sure, you will see a team who gets production from a good chunk of their draft picks.  But it isn't often nor should it be an expectation because it is unreasonable.  This should be common sense but lets look at the 2013 draft's 4th round and see just how many starters were taken then.  * = denotes starter, was a starter, or could likely start this upcoming season.

 

Matt Barkley

Nico Johnson

Akeem Spence*

Ace Sanders

Josh Boyce

Alex Okafor

Jelani Jenkins

Duke Williams

Dion Sims

Brian Schwenke

Edmund Kugbila

David Bakhtiari

Ryan Nassib

Shamarko Thomas*

Tyler Wilson

Barrett Jones

B.W. Webb

Landry Jones

Earl Watford

Khaseem Greene

Sean Porter

Phillip Thomas*

Gerald Hodges

Khaled Holmes

J.C. Tretter

Chris Harper

Trevardo Williams

Jonathan Franklin

William Gholston

Malliciah Goodman

Quinton Patton

John Simon

Kyle Juszczyk

Marcus Lattimore

Devin Taylor*

Levine Toilolo

 

So 4 guys who might start this year (Spence did last year, not sure if he will this year and it isn't like he was all that good) and 3 of them are very unproven.

 

Kugbila is no different than the mass majority of players drafted in the 4th and beyond rounds.  A hopefully quality backup that can provide good depth to your team and start a couple of games here and there if need be.  

 

I agree with what you're saying but I believe Bahktiari  started all 16 games at LT after Bulaga went down. Schwenke also took over C in Tenn. I think Khaseem Green got some starts late in the season too.

 

[Yaboychris28]

If Kugzlla can just get healthy I have a feeling he will show up big time. G-man had to have seen big time potential in the kid to draft him where he did, we'll see.

[MHS831]

FWIW he was a 3rd rounder and it took Mathis 7 years to "get it". He actually showed promise his second year here. But I think after that he had weight issues and had conflict with the OL coach. You can't expect a team to reinvest a second contract in a guy that falls down the depth chart. He flamed out in Miami and Cincy before he got it together in Philly. I remember being high on Mathis as a rookie because he came in with NFL bloodlines. His uncle played OL for Miami I believe.

 

Schwartz showed some promise here too before injury sidelined him. Can't really blame us for moving on there either. You can't gamble on all the injured players, sooner or later you actually need bodies that can get on the field.

 

Kugbila was a 4th rounder.  We did not have a third rounder, so he was the third pick.

[MV%doe]

im about 95% sure kugzilla, isnt in the plans for OT. hes got a great makeup for a RG, but overall hes one big unknown. 

[Draconus]

I agree with what you're saying but I believe Bahktiari  started all 16 games at LT after Bulaga went down. Schwenke also took over C in Tenn. I think Khaseem Green got some starts late in the season too.

 

Yes, but you can't count those because they all went into the season as backups, and only went to starting duty because of injuries, terrible play, or being so far out of the playoffs that they wanted to evaluate.  

[Kuech the Sneak]

Probably depth and might get a look at RT since he's played there in the past