Thread: Saints Lineman Say Bears Lucky To Have Kromer.............

I think aside from the great reviews he gets from his former players two things stand out to me.

1) NOLA has some of the lowest sack total in the NFL and he's done it without a bunch of high draft picks on that line. Most of those guys were mid round picks and yet he turned them into Pro Bowlers.

2) Take this kid De La Puente. He was an UDFA who spent three years bouncing around the league never starting a game yet Kromer starts coaching him and he becomes a two year starter and their best lineman in his second year starting and on that line that's saying something.

If the guys who have struggled can't be coached up by Kromer then they aren't gonna be around very long. Both Carimi and Webb may become completely different players under him which is one reason why I'm not ready to give up on Webb just yet. I'll let Kromer decide whether he's salvageable or not.

I think the greatest thing I'm reading is that this guy is capable of being the guy we only thought Tice could be. Tice only TALKED a good game, this guy has DONE it.

I assume Kromer will be given the time with the OL needed, considering Trestman will be calling the offensive plays. If not, perhaps we won't see the bump implied.

These are the two things that impress me the most.

"He's great in coaching different techniques, working with everybody on an individual level and working to their strengths.

"First and foremost the Bears are getting a coach who really understands offensive football and will bring a lot of knowledge and experience," said Saints tackle Zach Strief. "I also think they're getting a guy who relates incredibly well to his players and can get them to do things other coaches can't because of the respect level he will garner."

He coaches and schemes around his players strengths instead of playing the square pegs in round holes games Martz and Tice seemed to like doingand he knows offensive football.I don't deny that Martz knows offense but his offense was a very poor fit for the talent he had available and in Tice's case we can only assume that he knew just enough to get the job as OC and then fuck it up.

Originally Posted by soulman

If the guys who have struggled can't be coached up by Kromer then they aren't gonna be around very long. Both Carimi and Webb may become completely different players under him which is one reason why I'm not ready to give up on Webb just yet. I'll let Kromer decide whether he's salvageable or not.

I think the greatest thing I'm reading is that this guy is capable of being the guy we only thought Tice could be. Tice only TALKED a good game, this guy has DONE it.

I agree. In fact, all of your oline posts today are pretty much how I view it for this year.

This is another example of the chicken and the egg. Much like Montana and Rice. Was Montana one of the greatest QBs because he had one of the greatest WRs in Rice, or was Rice one of the greatest WRs because he had one of the greatest QBs throwing to him? Or was it a combination of both?

Is Kromer one of the best OL coaches because he had some of the best OL to work with, or is the Saints OL that good because they were coached by Kromer? Or is it a combination of both?

Coming to Chicago, it will put his skills to the test since this OL needs tons of work. Hopefully Emery can give Kromer the tools he needs via the draft and FA so we can have some Pro-bowl OLmen for once.

Originally Posted by Jimmors

This is another example of the chicken and the egg. Much like Montana and Rice. Was Montana one of the greatest QBs because he had one of the greatest WRs in Rice, or was Rice one of the greatest WRs because he had one of the greatest QBs throwing to him? Or was it a combination of both?

Is Kromer one of the best OL coaches because he had some of the best OL to work with, or is the Saints OL that good because they were coached by Kromer? Or is it a combination of both?

Coming to Chicago, it will put his skills to the test since this OL needs tons of work. Hopefully Emery can give Kromer the tools he needs via the draft and FA so we can have some Pro-bowl OLmen for once.

Well it sure isn't because they were all prime prospects and first round picks when they were drafted. Two 4th round picks, a 5th, a 7th and an UDFA at OC who ranked as their best lineman last year. I'd say the bunch took a little coaching to get that good.

RT: Zach Strief/7th Rd.
RG: Jahari Evans/4th Rd.
OC: Brian de la Puente/UDFA
LG: Carl Nick/5th Rd (2012 with TB Bucs)
LT: Jermon Bushrod/4th Rd.

LG: Ben Grubbs/1st Rd. (signed as 2012 UFA)

Grubbs is the only 1st round pick on that line and it makes sense that they would have signed him to replace Nicks who had become an All Pro LG. But Grubbs was drafted by Baltimore not NO.

Yeah he does have his work cut out for him but if we can bring in his LT from NO as a UFA and pickup a couple of inside guys to go along with the other young talent we have in Louis, Carimi, Brown and maybe even Webb what he has here is certainly nothing less than had to work with in NO and maybe even a notch better.

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

I agree. In fact, all of your oline posts today are pretty much how I view it for this year.

I'm just trying to apply as much logic to it as I can. Even Webb improved enough over the course of last season to give me some hope that he may not be a completely lost cause. I don't want him starting at LT again if we have any other viable option (with the emphasis on viable) but at RT or even better as a Swing OT he's just about perfect. A young guy with 3 years of NFL starts under his belt that costs us a mil and three ain't a bad deal at all. Kromer isn't gonna put up with his taco eating attitude either because if he doesn't produce Kromer can find another low round pick just like him who wants to play and make something out of him.

With the exception of LT inside at LG and at OC is where we need to upgrade and that's where I think we should focus in the draft. Our chances of getting a starting LT with the #20 pick aren't good at all and if that's what we attempt we may well end up with Webb there again. Shooting for the best OG or OC on out board at that point pretty much assures us of a 2013 starter and that's really what we need this year. A guy who can come in and play 100% of the snaps from game one on.

We had to pass on DeCastro last year in order to take a pass rusher and I think at the time that was pretty clear but based on what I'm seeing we get a redo on that this year. There are interior lineman in this draft that are as good and it looks like at least a couple of those guys will be there when we pick. We've beefed up our other spots now it's time to rebuild that line and we can do it all this year with a combination of luck in FA and smart drafting.

Originally Posted by soulman

I think the greatest thing I'm reading is that this guy is capable of being the guy we only thought Tice could be. Tice only TALKED a good game, this guy has DONE it.

Totally agree. Hopefully Kromer can develop draft prospects into Pro Bowl players, no matter if they are first or late round prospects. Maybe he can even convince Bushrod to go up north and be the LT we have been waiting for so long.