Thread: How good of an oline do you want Emery to provide our team?

I voted for other. I feel that if Emery gets one good LG and one decent LT, we will be okay. Webb will be an upgrade at RT over bust Carimi.

Originally Posted by Boochee Man

I voted for other. I feel that if Emery gets one good LG and one decent LT, we will be okay. Webb will be an upgrade at RT over bust Carimi.

Webb could still be a bust. Here's why. He has always had the physical attributes to be a good player. His problem is between his ears. Tice gambled for 3 years, that Webb was capable of maturing. He is inconsistent. We've all seen it. He can look good one play, and then look bad the next. He can have a good game, then the next game look so bad you want to put your fist through the TV.

After painfully enduring 3 years of this - with him starting no less - do we really expect him to change magically now? Really?

He's a marginal player at best. You can't count on him. Soul said he reminded him a bit of William Perry. I think there's some truth to that. He's a happy guy, with the mind of a child. With the attention span of a child. Who will probably make off-field choices like a child.

Boy, I'd feel better with Carimi's chances than Webb's - long term anyway. But both are nothing special at this point. So, who does that leave us? Louis? Louis may be like Carimi (after injury woes).

And after Webb, Carimi & Louis - we have nothing. Nothing. I am not impressed with any of the backups.

I believe one of two things can happen:

1. We invest a ton of resources into building a quality NFL offensive line. This is more than throwing a couple new players into the mix and washing our hands of it all - "hoping" something good happens. Usually when Bears or Cubs fans take this "hope" approach we end up bitterly disappointed.

2. We don't invest a significant amount of resources into the OL, and we end up disappointed. It's kind of like Angelo/Lovie's approach. If we throw a bone or two into the OL, we expect a different outcome THIS time. Isn't that the very definition of madness? Attempting the same thing, but expecting a different outcome?

I tell ya, there is no pixie dust or magic here. The team was left in a very precarious situation, personnel-wise. Emery has a real mountain to move here. No easy choices. I think a lot of fans are euphoric with Lovie gone, but they fail to realize the mess we've been left with. It's not an overnight, easy fix.

I think we should have fixed the Oline starting 4 years ago. I honestly have not seen such a blundering debacle on the part of Bear's management since they insisted on Bobby Douglass as the QB dating back to 1971. In last years draft alone they could have three starters ...Dave DeCastro, Kevin Zeitler, Bobbie Massie. All of these lineman were available and ended up starting for their teams. They need starters at both G positions as well as T. The rest are backups including L. Louise who I felt was mediocre anyway. They also need a starting TE. They can get a solid OL as a FA, then use draft picks 1 and 2 on the other OL positions. They can use pick 4 for TE. I don't care what else they do, they have enough talent at the skill positions on offense if they FIX THE OLINE!!!!!!!!!!! ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!!!!!!!

It's going to take many solid legitimate years and attempts to rebuild and stay on top of the o-line. Need at least 2 OL in the draft and someone in FA if it can be had. If we had picks like the 'Niners we could draft 4-5 OL and still fill needs. But we can't so it will probably be a 2 year plan just to get back to having a competent line. With so much uncertainty with injuries, ineffectiveness, and age this line will be up and down still for some time.

Originally Posted by weneedmorelinemen

There have to be some decisions made about what they want from their offensive line. Trestman seems to prefer bigger guards. So does Kromer when he had Nicks and Evans. I think with Lance Louis's injury history that we could make the decision to move on and get a vet guard like Schwartz. We could also sign Louis to a one year deal and make Carimi play RG, but that sort of behavior smacks of what the previous regime did. Musical chairs yet again.

I'd like to see us upgrade at guard. We don't have a LG, and our RG situation is a bit of an injury risk. I'd like to see us invest in a guard 2nd round at least or higher, but I'm expecting a 4th round olineman and FA help. I think Kromer did the right thing for this day and age of the NFL by having pro bowl guards and competent tackles.

I'd like to see a vet center. I just do not feel bringing in a rookie center is what we need. Garza is supposed to make 2.05 million and then there is some roster bonus of like 300k and a workout bonus of 75K that bring that number to like 2.4 million. I don't know when the roster bonus goes into effect, probably June 1st. I don't think Garza is worth that kind of money, especially after reading that it's going to be a buyer's market in FA. I like the guy and I'm saying that. There has to be a non-sexy simple center who would take that kind of money and get the ball snapped to Cutler. I don't need elite right now. But I think Garza would do for a year if we upgraded at guard and drafted a potential replacement in the 3rd day.

I have no idea what to do with the mess at tackle. Do we make a play for Albert? I don't think we have the money. I guess leave Scott and Carimi on the right side. Then that leaves what to do with Webb. Emery has his work cut out for him.

I keep thinking that surely we're due for a bit of GOOD luck for a change. We've had so much bad luck with the oline in recent years. I'm hoping we get lucky and Carimi, Webb and Louis all end up being decent. I especially would like to see Carimi & Louis come back healthy and playing at the level we hoped. But it's all a roll of the dice.

I do agree with you, that it would be a rough year if we did not have the OL with a solid veteran - and had a bunch of green rookies out there. If we had Garza flanked with a pair of absolute stud guards, then I think we could get by with Garza at center. The center play is heavily dependent upon the guards.

I really don't expect Louis to be playing worth crap, initially. Even if he CAN someday be 100% physically, that doesn't mean he'll be anywhere near that initially. At best, he'll look like Urlacher did when he first came back from HIS knee injury (or crappy like Carimi looked when he came back from HIS injury this past season). But later in the season (before his hammy gave out, Urlacher was looking better to me. But he was an embarrassment in the early games. That's about what I expect from Louis. It's not even certain that he will be allowed to practice at training camp.

Ideally, I'd think we'd get the best LT we can in FA. Let Carimi and Webb battle it out for RT. Loser ends up being our swing tackle. Then, let tackles remain as tackles for the entire season. No more of this crap of switching guards to be tackles and vice versa. It's stupid.

Draft 2 of the best interior linemen that we can get our hands on. Studs. Let the best one start day-1. Let the other battle it out with Lance Louis for a starting role at the other guard position. Even if one is eventually going to be Garza's replacement at center, don't start him as a center this year. If he beats out Louis let him start as guard. If he can't beat out Louis, then he can be the #2 guard. Let him learn at the NFL level 1 year before we let him start as a center next year.

There are different ways we could do this. This is just one option. It would give us an immediate upgrade at LT and two of our interior linemen. We'd have to hope Garza would have one more year if flanked by stellar guards. And of course we'd need Webb/Carimi to be solid at RT. I'm still hoping Carimi works out as a solid tackle......and his only issue last year was injury related, and not talent related. That could very well be the case. I'm not giving up hope there yet.

Webb is probably always going to be a goofy immature guy. A marginal player at best.