Offensive Line

[Toker Smurf]

Would you say,  that this is now our weakest position group (assuming the CB"s drafted,  are legit)? Does Gettleman target hawg mawlies for the oline in the draft next year or are we going to see extensions for Kalil,  Norwell,  Remmers and Oher? 

[Jon Snow]

Who knows, Dave will address it the best he can like always.  I ain't even worried.   The godfather got this.

[the butch]

I would expect a couple FA signings at some point. Don't know if we'll ever pick high enough in the draft anymore to get a quality OL...

[ctrcat]

5 minutes ago, Dick the Butcher said:

I would expect a couple FA signings at some point. Don't know if we'll ever pick high enough in the draft anymore to get a quality OL...

I think it's best to let other teams spend top picks on them as they learn the ropes as kids, then come to us as men in their mid-late 20s.  

[Paa Langfart]

Any one remember Norwell ?

[stirs]

We have Williams who will probably start at RT this year

We picked picked up a C Grodkowski (spelling)

Remmers can back up RT and C

From other team cuts, I would expect a veteran G

Next year, Stew will be leaving, we will have even more cash with which to buy some good guys.  At this point, we are in good shape

[KB_fan]

I knew we weren't going to get an immediate starter on Oline, but I really thought we'd pick up some solid depth picking a guy like Haeg or Shell in a later round.  It seemed really promising when they were both on the board at the start of the 5th given our trade with the Browns gave us the #2 pick in Round 5.

Tackle is really a position of critical need.  I'm pretty cool with Remmers & Oher starting.  It's not that I'm trying to replace them.  But it's our lack of depth behind them that has me quite alarmed.

Here are the other tackles on our roster:

Daryl Wiliams:  We're excited about this kid, but he's still pretty totally unproven.  He had a grand total of 83 snaps last season, mostly in jumbo packages.  Maybe he will beat out Remmers for the starting job... but if not, HOPEFULLY he is still adequate depth as a backup at RT or LT.  But he's only 1 guy.

Who else do we have who can backup tackle...  Say Remmers has to miss 2 or 3 games for some reason.  We start Williams.  Who them backs up him and Oher?

Right now we have two options:

1.  French Canadian giant David Foucault ... is there any evidence he is ready to make the roster and be a solid backup?? He at least has some game experience, playing in 5 games (128 total snaps) in 2014 (but most of us are trying VERY hard to forget that, it was a disaster!)  He was activated for 1 game last season as an emergency backup but did not play at all in 2015.

2. Practice squad guy Donald Hawkins.  (A 2014 UDFA signed by Philly who's bounced around a few teams' practice squads.  Here's his 2014 draft blurb).  He's played in 1 NFL game.  (Update: it's worse than I thought.  In that 1 game he only played 1 snap on ST.  UGH.)

 

So, I'd say that AT A MINIMUM we urgently need a free agent vet who can backup at tackle... plug & play, ready to go.

BUT, with Oher & Remmers in contract years, we would have been wise to pick up a new rookie to be grooming for the long term.

[stirs]

We could also sign Oher to another couple of seasons.

Draft one next year if we think Williams won't work out.

Cordy Glenn, Riley Reiff and others will be available in FA

When you have cash as we do, then you are not always behind the 8 ball

[Lemory]

Its hard to say what our weakest position is before we have started training camp. 

[Toker Smurf]

Yeah,  I'm okay with who we have. It's that four of last year's starters are in contract years. 

[tiger7_88]

5 minutes ago, stirs said:

We have Williams who will probably start at RT this year

We picked picked up a C Grodkowski (spelling)

Remmers can back up RT and C

From other team cuts, I would expect a veteran G

Next year, Stew will be leaving, we will have even more cash with which to buy some good guys.  At this point, we are in good shape

Also, center Reese Dismukes is still on the roster.

Don't know if he'll ever make it to the 53, but he's a smart player and a former Rimington Trophy winner (though a little undersized, so he can't back up the OG positions).

[KB_fan]

1 hour ago, stirs said:

When you have cash as we do, then you are not always behind the 8 ball

True, this is a good point.  This year, unlike 2014, we DO have some cash to spend.  That helps.  We don't necessarily have to shop the dollar store to find a starting-caliber OT who can be depth for us.

Obviously with Remmers & Oher, DG has shown that he can find decent OT talent outside the draft that fits our team.  I just hope that we can soon find a long-term young OT to be grooming for years of play and continuity on the line instead of relying on short-term stop gaps.

[chknwing]

If this is a hypothetical cut down to 53, and gettlemen signs a couple of OL for depth before september, who do u cut?  It was hard enough getting down to 53.

 

[KB_fan]

45 minutes ago, chknwing said:

If this is a hypothetical cut down to 53, and gettlemen signs a couple of OL for depth before september, who do u cut?  It was hard enough getting down to 53.

Nice work in attempting a 53, though I'm sure I'd make some changes.  (But, don't get me started on trying to predict a roster now....  LOL!  I need some time for a normal life after spending too much time on draft analysis & tomfoolery recently!)

But seriously, I don't think we need to sign "a couple" of OL.  One more solid tackle with starting experience would be ok.  I know we've invested a lot of coaching in Foucault, but unless he has dramatically improved, he'd be on my cut list for sure.

Give me:

• Oher / Remmers / Williams / NEW OT (veteran)
• Turner / Norwell / Scott
• Kalil / Gradkowski

and I'll stop whining about Oline! 

I do think we need someone to groom for future LT (or RT if Williams proves good enough to move to LT), but I'm ok with waiting on that.