Quote:Like was said on the broadcast we are prob too young on offense, like 7 rookies has been major contributors
This past offseason we brought in 4 rookies and 1 vet on the OL, 2 drafted and 2 undrafted
Next year we need to sign proven vets, not big money guys just hungry guys that has been in the NFL for years, every year there are a bunch of vet OL getting signed to 1 year deals 2 year deals that just stick in the NFL.
We need those guys no more rookies on the OL, have all those guys compete, a LT, RT and G/C
You cant have your QB running for his life
I disagree, football is a young man's sport. It is not only cheaper and less risk to bring in a rookie or undrafted rookie and coach them up but they have a higher chance of remaining health longer. It usually takes a couple years for guys to really get into a rythm and trust each other to build a great Oline. Right now the team is just lacking talent on the Oline & in regards to the OLine coach.
Drafting FSU's Erving at center for the long run would spruce up this Oline and run game w/o having to sign a short term vet.
Quote:Like was said on the broadcast we are prob too young on offense, like 7 rookies has been major contributors
This past offseason we brought in 4 rookies and 1 vet on the OL, 2 drafted and 2 undrafted
Next year we need to sign proven vets, not big money guys just hungry guys that has been in the NFL for years, every year there are a bunch of vet OL getting signed to 1 year deals 2 year deals that just stick in the NFL.
We need those guys no more rookies on the OL, have all those guys compete, a LT, RT and G/C
You cant have your QB running for his life
We have had a bunch of vets on the offensive line before and with much the same results as we're experiencing with the rookies. The only difference is that the vets got paid a heck of a lot more for not much better performance and the excuses for bad performance were less obvious. There are
very few free agents who are actually any good ever out there. The reason veterans become free agents to begin with is usually due to poor performance or an excessively high cost for what they bring talent wise.
That's not to say there aren't good free agent acquisitions, but they just aren't that common. If you do find a pretty good veteran free agent, the odds are that they are on the cusp of getting too old to be competitive very much longer. You can't build a team around individuals like that; at best, a decent free agent vet is just a 'stop gap' until a rookie with talent worth developing can be brought along.
Going the route that was chosen by Dave is the best way to develop a winning team; but... it doesn't happen over night and there are going to be some hard knocks to bear, such as a lot of losses. But if you look at the teams who have become almost automatically assumed play off contenders each year, those are the teams who have successfully built around the draft, not free agents.
Quote:Drafting FSU's Erving at center for the long run would spruce up this Oline and run game w/o having to sign a short term vet.
Not sure center is the issue. We need strong athletic guards to get out in space and MAKE their blocks.
Quote:Agreed. I'm all for bringing in some vets to compete, same with drafting more o-lineman to push the young guys we have now. I think everybody is just so frustrated with how the season's going they're looking past the fact that Bowanko and Linder are rookies and Joeckle only recently got a full season's worth of games under his belt. I understand the frustration but I also realize that these guys are very young and should improve.
If the young guys improve like expected as well as Pasztor/New guy at RT I think the Oline will look differently. Also I feel if the young guys play better, Beadles will look better as it appears he is a guy that is best as a part of a collective rather than a dominant G on his own.
Same sentiments here. I think the two biggest issues on the offensive line are dealing with stunts/twists and getting bull rushed. Both seem like pretty common issues with rookie and young oline players. I think we'll see a big difference once some of these guys get a full offseason (hopefully healthy) in a pro weight program. Not even Pasztor has had that yet.
The rookies should get stronger with an off season to develop, and they now have a season of perspective to lean on.
I've got little doubt the front office will look at the veteran pool of free agents to see if they can pursue an upgrade for RT. They weren't timid about going after Mack last year, so they clearly felt the line was in need of attention. They drafted with the same mindset. I think the rookies they brought in through the draft will prove to be long-term starters, and if they can find a guy to anchor the other end of the offensive line, things will come together quickly.
I don't think the team needs to go out and sign a "bunch of vets" for the OL this free agency period. The line isn't nearly as bad as some experts here want to portray it. They're just young.
sign a vet like zane beadles....
Not a bunch, just some good ones
Only position that could potentially get a new starter would be RT. Stop trying to patch every single position with FAs. Thats how 2012 happened. We really won't be able to tell who needs to go until this point next year.