Thread: Would smaller/faster/quicker OT's be better?

Originally Posted by motownbear

I think one of the biggest things killing olines is the advancements of steroid testing and some players scared of the soon hgh testing

Good thing they're not into cycling.

I’m no football guru; I’m not going to pretend I know the intricacies of line play. I’m just going by what I think I see, so if someone who does have a football education wants to educate, by all means… have at it.

To me, it’s a matter of advantage.

From what I see, depending on the play, advantages go to either the OT or the DE. On a run, a big OT has the advantage; they get to tee off, pushing the DL who now has to concentrate on tracking the ball while trying to disengage and then get after the ball-carrier, something they’re not typically well-suited for, physically. A big OT on a run play will only need to expend enough energy to occupy his man until the ball-carrier is either at the next level or he’s out of the area.

On pass plays, the big OT has the disadvantage. As soon as he sells the play (or it’s given away by down and distance) all he can do is try to be prepared for the DE. And if that guy is a veteran (or a well-coached rookie), he’s going to come with a bag of moves and a strong persistence to do one thing: Get the quarterback. So now that big OT is going to using a ton of energy, but only if he’s successfully guessed and countered the initial move. And that requires high agility, fast reflex… things a big OT isn’t typically well-suited for, physically. But he's also got to be strong enough to contain that DE until the end of the play.

Finding someone who possesses the attributes and ability to do both is rare. Someone who possesses those and the expertise to use it…

That’s rarer still.

Originally Posted by jackiejokeman

Matt Kalil (ROOKIE) 4rth pick in the draft ... is the anchor for Minnie at LT.

Yeah they got to pick high ... but they picked right in the draft.

If we see the next LT in college this season at the college level,

no matter where we are in the draft ... should Emery TRADE ?

In other words ... can we find a Matt Kalil ?

Can Emery ... unlike Angelo, actually think the OL is worth drafting ?

Youve seen the drafts of Emery and Angelo ... OL isnt even a concern.

No we shouldn't. It's far too costly to go from a mid or late 20s pick to even a top 10 pick let alone a top 5 pick.

The 5th overall pick is worth 1700 points. If we finish as the NFC runner up we get the 30th pick which is worth 620 points. So that's 1080 points or more to trade up. That's the current 1st and at least another 1st and/or probably two 2nds or more to do it. We don't have those kind of picks to make a move like that.

This is why we go out and find one in FA.

Originally Posted by soulman

Hadn't thought of that mo. Watching the size of these guys increase as much as it has always leaves me wondering about that. How is that a kid who goes maybe 260-270lbs in HS all of a sudden grows to 320lbs by the time he finishes college?

The heck of it is, a high school 320 pound lineman isn't unusual around our area (Central Illinois). And our school has faced two linemen who were 400+ pounds.

The best football HS's have exceptional year-round programs. Heck, my son and his teammates were working with Matt Toeaina and an NFL line coach by the end of the 8th grade. It's a different sports world now.

Originally Posted by matsellah

I’m no football guru; I’m not going to pretend I know the intricacies of line play. I’m just going by what I think I see, so if someone who does have a football education wants to educate, by all means… have at it.

To me, it’s a matter of advantage.

From what I see, depending on the play, advantages go to either the OT or the DE. On a run, a big OT has the advantage; they get to tee off, pushing the DL who now has to concentrate on tracking the ball while trying to disengage and then get after the ball-carrier, something they’re not typically well-suited for, physically. A big OT on a run play will only need to expend enough energy to occupy his man until the ball-carrier is either at the next level or he’s out of the area.

On pass plays, the big OT has the disadvantage. As soon as he sells the play (or it’s given away by down and distance) all he can do is try to be prepared for the DE. And if that guy is a veteran (or a well-coached rookie), he’s going to come with a bag of moves and a strong persistence to do one thing: Get the quarterback. So now that big OT is going to using a ton of energy, but only if he’s successfully guessed and countered the initial move. And that requires high agility, fast reflex… things a big OT isn’t typically well-suited for, physically. But he's also got to be strong enough to contain that DE until the end of the play.

Finding someone who possesses the attributes and ability to do both is rare. Someone who possesses those and the expertise to use it…

That’s rarer still.

That's my take on this whole thing. Many of the Webb-sized LT's move about as fast as Herman Munster, and some aren't much smarter than old Herman was (no names mentioned here). I just had a sick thought. I'll bet most folks here don't even know who Herman Munster was :-(

Anyway:

1. If we think we're getting a Webb-sized LT who is top-tier (or even 2nd tier) without a top-10 pick in the draft, we're delusional.

2. If we think we're getting that kind of guy through FA, without a huge cash layout (almost franchise QB cash layout) then we're delusional.

3. If we think we can draft a "project" and have Tice throw some pixie dust on him, and magically we have a decent LT, then we're delusional.

I look at our quest for a franchise LT, as being a lot tougher than what most folks believe. It's similar to getting a franchise QB. There is no magic. It's tough. It can be VERY expensive - and even if you do want to spend a boatload of money on one, there's no guarantee that one will be available. Teams tend to keep franchise QB's and LT's to themselves (with notable exceptions, like Cutler).



Herman is on the left (a white-guy version of Webb I think).