The NFL has an Offensive Line Crisis

[My Goodness My Guinness]

22 minutes ago, Jangler said:

talent level across the NFL has gone downhill over the last 10 years or so...from over protective parents to more money in baseball...

I think parents have a right to be protective in a sport where you are almost guaranteed to endure some sort of head injury. 

[the butch]

Article is extremely one-sided.  Coaching and GM preference for building DL has taken priority over OL.  I do grant credence to the evolution of college offenses.  But that's a market problem that should fix itself (i.e., kids want to go to schools that can put them in the NFL).  Besides, there are still great talents out there.  This is much ado about nothing.

[Growl]

Ultimately its good for the game.

 

Goodell has been working hard to make 45-42 point games standard Sunday fare.

Let offenses implode for all I care. It'll combat the onslaught of rules designed to make defenses neutered.

[LinvilleGorge]

57 minutes ago, csx said:

I'm not so sure the OLs are worse as much as the DL are more and more athletic DL has become more of a "glamour" position for lack of a better term. If you are young, athletic, and big which would you chose?

This. Most great young jumbo athletes don't want to be OL. They want to play defense where they can be impact players. OL are facilitators. There's no glory. Plus, as a HS coach and possibly even college coach, were do you want to play that guy? On the OL where he's blocking for potentially mediocre QB and RBs or on defense where he can make life hell for the opposing offense?

[LinvilleGorge]

9 minutes ago, Growl said:

Ultimately its good for the game.

 

Goodell has been working hard to make 45-42 point games standard Sunday fare.

Let offenses implode for all I care. It'll combat the onslaught of rules designed to make defenses neutered.

I think the opposite. It'll make them double down and attempt to further hamstring defenses.

[Snake]

1 hour ago, yasuhara2241 said:

I have been going back and forth on the Norwell or Star extensions. I believe that we will only have money for 1 of the 2. I understand how important the oline is, but Star is one of the main reasons for our success against other olines. He takes on the double teams constantly. 

So convince me on if we had to choose one or the other, why Norwell would be your choice?

We have money for both but down the road it will cost us. Star is much more important than Norwell because of Moton

[XClown1986]

This article really should state that the NFL has an offensive tackle crisis. Not offensive line. There are plenty of good guards and centers around the league. The trouble comes from protecting against edge rushers. 

The more athletic big guys get put on the D-line, not the O-line. Colleges and Pro teams need to think about moving athletic, but underachieving, D-linemen to the offensive line more often if they want the talent pool to get deeper.

[L-TownCat]

1 hour ago, yasuhara2241 said:

I have been going back and forth on the Norwell or Star extensions. I believe that we will only have money for 1 of the 2. I understand how important the oline is, but Star is one of the main reasons for our success against other olines. He takes on the double teams constantly. 

So convince me on if we had to choose one or the other, why Norwell would be your choice?

It's tough so don't think I'm just Willy nilly throwing this out there, but I'd keep Norwell because Cam.  

I want Cam clean.  We've got the head hunters on D already.  Make sure our franchise QB stays upright above all else.

[csx]

8 minutes ago, stbugs said:

Baseball? Outside of Judge, how many OL do you think are sitting in baseball uniforms?

Babe Ruth

[Darvinsun]

I vote Norwell.Colleges are producing good DLinemen its the offense that struggle. Plus we are already struggling with left tackle ..We do not need the whole offensive line to be brand new.

[Millioso7]

1 hour ago, GRWatcher said:

Which is why we should've kept Chris Scott on IR.

Ehhh Scott is getting long in the tooth who knows how he would comeback next year of injury.. I say keep looking for young versatile Olinemen in next years draft..

[XClown1986]

I don't understand the argument for Norwell over Star. Is Norwell a beast? Yes. But Rivera has all but confirmed that the LG position for our offense may be of the least importance. RG is primarily one on one against the 3 tech, so he has to be able to hold up against both speed and power without help. The center in our offense has to be able to quarterback the entire line, be able to pull, get to the 2nd level, and line up head on with a nose tackle. LT is obvious. And since the RG is lining up one on one the majority of the time, the RT is often left on an island or with a TE blocking or RB chipping. The RT has to be able to create movement against a LE in the run game as the LE is often the "base" end in the formation and is responsible for setting an edge. The LG is often a helper. They are responsible for double teams up the middle or to the outside, making combination blocks in the run game, etc. Norwell is very good at what he does, but out of the 5 positions on the line, his is the most expendable. This is why guys like Chris Scott could come in and do well because of the responsibilities of the position. 

Star, on the other hand, can play both nose and 3-tech and has to be double teamed, if not triple teamed, almost every play because he has freakish strength and ability. At that point it becomes simple math. If 1 of our guys takes up 2 of your guys, one of our guys is left free. Not every DT can demand that kind of attention. Star does.

Star should be the one who sees his payday first.

[CatMan72]

Yeah, because contact is so limited in practice these days. 

I played OL for a long time, you run drills and walk through blocking schemes all you want but you don't learn anything until you go live. 

[xav8tor]

40 minutes ago, stbugs said:

Baseball? Outside of Judge, how many OL do you think are sitting in baseball uniforms?

Recently, there's been some P and FB players pushing six six and three hundred. Quite a few more guys in the six three/four range probably could have hit OL weights in an NFL training regimen. Boog Powell comes to mind. Relatively big FB hitter back in the Brave's hay day. He was a fun guy to watch if you're a baseball fan.