Thread: Tice: whoever is more consistent will win the LT job

Originally Posted by 4DaBERS

I guess the silver lining to all this is that we do not have to have a Pro-Bowler over there given Cutlers mobility. He's no Mike Vick, but he's pretty quick. So even if one of these guys can improve and step up to "Average", it will look like a huge upgrade to us. I really think CWill can be that "average" LT for us and I think the experience he has gained at LG will translate well. Obviously there are different traits between LG and LT, but he is now accustomed to the speed of the game, understanding schemes and concepts, reading defensive keys, etc. I think that's what gives Webb problems.

I think you hit the nail on the head here brother. It would be nice to have a Joe Thomas or a Jake Long (maybe we can con Miami out of him next) but we can survive (or should I say Jay can survive) with a guy who can pass block consistently enough to keep his guy out of Jay's face long enough to make the throw or roll to his right.

Cutler has good pocket presence and he's agile enough to escape and accurate enough to throw on the run if he's given an escape route. There isn't one when the LT allows his guy to come back inside him on a double move and Webb was such a sucker for that last year that I swear to God the DE's were telling their guys "watch this" in the defense huddles.

When you have a monster size LT like Webb you just want to scream at him, "just get in the guys way and stay there for cryin' out loud". He's as big as a house and if he played good position it should take a guy 10 seconds just to find a way around him. But.....he doesn't.

I think above all that's what may have finally dawned on CWill. At LT you win as many or more of those battles with guile as you do with strength. What you really need is enough size , quickness, and technique to just get in between the rusher and the passer and find a way to stay there. You don't need to pancake your guy or bear wrestle him.

Originally Posted by Rogelio

I think the team would be best served with Webb winning the starting spot. I hope he does win it. Of course, I mean he wins it by outperforming Williams and not just because he has potential. Williams was damn good at LG last year. If Webb can become a good LT, Williams stays at guard and the line is that much better. If Williams is the LT, who starts at LG, Louis?

Your logic is sound. This is just me, but I have no ill will toward Webb, I just want a solid LT, and if it's him STRICTLY BECAUSE he has improved that much, then that's great.

Just for the record and in my opinion, Spencer played better at Guard last year than he ever did at Center in Seattle, and he did so with a hand that was held together by pins. I really think we have the potential to see some of these guys step up and put a solid O-Line together. We'll just have to wait and see if that is a reality and not just wishful thinking.

Originally Posted by BigBadPapaBear

Who ran the draft? Emery.

Emery > Tice

Who evaluates the team needs and determines the most pressing needs that need to be filled? Emery.

Line not a big priority because it ain't so bad.

I keep coming back to the idea that Tice truly believes he has the players to put together a solid oline this year. He's worked with these guys a few years now, so THIS year he thinks it's going to come together as a sound unit.

This allowed Emery to invest in other positions of need. And it looks like this may the "the most bang for the buck" getting us closer to that Super Bowl this year. But, we all gotta hope Tice is right.