(05-02-2021, 10:07 AM)TheO-LineMatters Wrote: I was very surprised we did not select at least one OG in this draft. Next season I expect that we're gonna have to draft several offensive linemen, as we have a lot of expiring contracts at the position. Cam Robinson, Andrew Norwell, A.J. Cann, Tyler Shatley and Will Richardson will all be UFA's at the end of 2021. Brandon Linder is entering the final years of his back-ended deal and will likely either be cut, traded or have his deal re-structured at the end of the season, since he has an $8.5 million cap hit this year and a $10 million cap hit in 2022 with no dead money. We have to deal with all of this as well as the fact that Jawaan Taylor was statistically the worst starting OT in the NFL in 2020 allowing more pressures than any other OT, so a decision will have to be made about him as well.

I sincerely hope Little is able to be a good pro, because we're going to need him. I have a feeling our offensive line is going to look very different in 2022 than it does in 2021. That is a lot of expiring contracts all at once and very little depth. It just seems odd that we didn't deal with this problem in free agency or much in the draft.

I was thinking about that as well for most of the offseason.  In fairness, the team had something of a conundrum in balancing the need for depth and transitioning to 2022 and getting immediate impact this year.  That said, I think the team would have done well to pick Trey Smith in the 5th or 6th round.

Assuming Little could be expected to start by 2022, Little plus Smith could cement the left side of the line.  Shatley could have been retained and been at least a stop gap starter at C.  We'd at least have experience on TL's blindside, and all we'd have to do is build the right side.

As I think about it, I think at least one of those guys will be retained.

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