Thread: What if the oline doesn't get any better this season?

Originally Posted by Dagan81

If the offensive line doesn't get any better this season, then we're in some major trouble. I would then see us going 7-9 or 8-8 again simply because Cutler won't be able to get a single play off without being harassed. The play must improve or I fear we are in dire straits.

Meanwhile, I think Motown made an excellent point, and it's one that I've shared with him now for a long time. That game against the Packers was actually winnable despite the horrid play of the offensive line. One thing this line still does rather well is run block. I noticed that both Forte and Bush averaged better than 4.0 yards per carry in the box score. My best guess is that had we not fallen victim to that ridiculous fake field goal run for a touchdown, we could have scored a couple of extra times that night with a retro-Woody Hayes/Bo Schembechler running attack where basically we attacked the Packers flanks and their defensive line with the run. Doing that would have eventually freed up playaction passes, though those would have to be limited in the interest of maintaining some kind of consistency with running the ball. The reason I say all of this was possible was because the Packer offense did nothing, NOTHING against our defense that our offense didn't put them in a bad situation to have to overcome, and the Packer defense couldn't stop the run when Tice actually decided to employ it.

I agree that the game was winnable. But we made a boatload of stupid plays. I'm watching the game on DVR right now Dags. Webb is a poor LT, but he didn't lose this game for us. There were a lot of errors by a lot of people. Carimi had a brain fart with the retaliation penalty. Forte whiffed a block that helped kill the early drive. Spencer stunk. Garza is not playing as well as last year. Even special teams let us down on allowing the TD at the end of the half. The play calling was poor, although I "get it" that Tice was seeing we had the vertical game opportunities with our WR's open deep, but the oline couldn't hold their blocks so that Cutler could hit those targets. Briggs drops an easy interception that ends up giving GB points at the end of the half.

Cutler stunk it up too. It wasn't all on the oline (yes, they stunk too). But he made some very poor decisions in his own right. He looked more like Rex Grossman than anything. Happy feet & poor decisions.

I guess the one encouraging thing is that a LOT of the mistakes CAN be cleaned up. I believe they will. It was one of those nights were a lot of guys had brain farts. Guys that don't usually make those stupid mistakes.

Originally Posted by Sunbear

Trade Cutler!!! He is a sissy and personifies the pussification of America! He is a proven coward and Webb should have knocked him the f out! I love the Bears, but I despise this clown. He is an embarrassment! We will never win with him and his obama entitlement attitude. Arrogant piece of shit!

Hi Jeff. Long time. Chargers boards get a little stale for ya?

At least w/Louis we can re-sign him at a good price. I don't even think Cwill would want to re-sign w/us though.

Originally Posted by MPBears68

Why the hell would he? He's been jacked around like crazy and had his job taken away for no good reason by this idiotic coaching staff. If I were him, I'd say "eff you, bye bye".

I thought the same thing about Cutler re-signing with us. B.Marsh is a good reason to stay here, but if I were him I'd want a committment from the Bears that they would fix the oline THIS off-season. I wouldn't sign squat until I saw some of these existing starters cut from the roster & replaced by "real" NFL linemen.

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

I thought the same thing about Cutler re-signing with us. B.Marsh is a good reason to stay here, but if I were him I'd want a committment from the Bears that they would fix the oline THIS off-season. I wouldn't sign squat until I saw some of these existing starters cut from the roster & replaced by "real" NFL linemen.

I posted something similar in another thread, JABF. It wouldn't surprise me at all if behind the scenes this offseason Jay told Emery "until you get me a real LT I'm not interested in talking extension" or something like that. We all know that Cutler must have lobbied hard for BMarsh last year and probably vouched for him when a lot of people questioned his off-field issues. Since a "real LT" is going to have to come via FA (unless we plan on finishing 5-11 this year), it would be nice if Jay expressed a willingness to work out a cap-friendly extension since Bushrod, Clady, or Long wouldn't come cheap by any means.

The rest of the OL isn't a disaster and is fixable. Carimi is basically in his rookie year and I have every confidence that he will become a pro-bowl level RT. Louis (don't know why anyone's surprised at this) is developing and finally playing where he should...will be a solid RG. LG is fixable too. CWilliams needs to be back there and allowed to prove his worth for an extension. Maybe James Brown can be his backup next year (lot of people mistakenly think JB is an OT when his body type screams OG, just like Louis). OC will need to patched via the draft. Garza is aging and declining. Fortunately, you can usually get a good C in the 2nd round or so. Wisniewski in '11 and Konz in '12 are perfect examples of franchise OCs of the future who weren't drafted until well into the 2nd round.

This OL can be greatly bolstered by signing a FA LT (pricey but worth it and hopefully available in '13) and drafting an OG or C in ~ 2nd round. It would also help if Tice, or whoever the OC is next year, managed his personnel better than so far this season.

Originally Posted by MPBears68

I posted something similar in another thread, JABF. It wouldn't surprise me at all if behind the scenes this offseason Jay told Emery "until you get me a real LT I'm not interested in talking extension" or something like that. We all know that Cutler must have lobbied hard for BMarsh last year and probably vouched for him when a lot of people questioned his off-field issues. Since a "real LT" is going to have to come via FA (unless we plan on finishing 5-11 this year), it would be nice if Jay expressed a willingness to work out a cap-friendly extension since Bushrod, Clady, or Long wouldn't come cheap by any means.

The rest of the OL isn't a disaster and is fixable. Carimi is basically in his rookie year and I have every confidence that he will become a pro-bowl level RT. Louis (don't know why anyone's surprised at this) is developing and finally playing where he should...will be a solid RG. LG is fixable too. CWilliams needs to be back there and allowed to prove his worth for an extension. Maybe James Brown can be his backup next year (lot of people mistakenly think JB is an OT when his body type screams OG, just like Louis). OC will need to patched via the draft. Garza is aging and declining. Fortunately, you can usually get a good C in the 2nd round or so. Wisniewski in '11 and Konz in '12 are perfect examples of franchise OCs of the future who weren't drafted until well into the 2nd round.

This OL can be greatly bolstered by signing a FA LT (pricey but worth it and hopefully available in '13) and drafting an OG or C in ~ 2nd round. It would also help if Tice, or whoever the OC is next year, managed his personnel better than so far this season.

I totally agree & that is a good blueprint for improving the oline. And it is doable.

Other than LT, there are usually rock solid interior linemen in the 2nd, and even 3rd rounds. Any I totally agree regarding centers. You don't have to use a 1st round pick to get a very good center.

I don't expect us to have a great oline, but just a very good one.

Even the best offensive lines are going to give up some sacks/hurries/hits. That's just reality in the NFL today. But having a very good oline is absolutely attainable - and your "blueprint" is a good way to go about this. I'd also want to see them maintain that high quality by never letting the line drop in quality to the point we're in a full-blown crisis year (where your season is hurt due to the oline). That just shouldn't happen if you maintain the line year after year.

Oline personnel are a good value when you think about it. Good players typically have long careers where they play at a high level, well past age 30 and often to around 34 or 35 years of age. Building and maintaining a good oline simply takes commitment from the organization. It truly isn't rocket science.