(09-18-2021, 11:01 AM)JagFan81 Wrote:

(09-18-2021, 09:50 AM)TheO-LineMatters Wrote: Finding good O-Linemen is a rare feat in the NFL. If you want a premier OT, you need to take them in the first round. Even the premier OG's like Zach Martin, Quenton Nelson and Brandon Scherff were all taken in round 1. Waiting until round 2 means you are normally getting a guy with potential, but they have some issues that they may or may not be able to overcome with good coaching. In our case, Robinson and Taylor were both known to be slow footed and got out of their stances too late. Warhop certainly hasn't help them correct those issues. 

I know we got burned years ago by drafting Luke Joeckel in round 1, but we gotta get over that. (I never liked him to begin with and thought it was a terrible pick.) If we want this O-Line to improve, we gotta start using 1st round picks on elite O-Linemen and/or breaking the bank to bring in elite O-Linemen in free agency. We spent money on Norwell and although he hasn't performed like we expected, he's not been the problem. I have no issue with him or Linder. Both men have been the only saving grace for the O-Line. Norwell is an UFA at the end of the season and we need to use that money that will be expiring, to help bring in some elite O-Linemen in free agency. We gotta protect Lawrence and open up some running lanes without making boneheaded penalties. 

Priority one needs to be to extend Linder and spend whatever we have to in free agency to bring in top free agents like Brandon Scherff, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Wyatt Teller, Terron Armstead, Riley Reiff (who I wanted this past offseason) or Duane Brown. If we can't do that, then we need to start trading high round picks to bring in proven starters. If we just keep using O-Linemen taken in the 2nd to 4th rounds as starters, we'll never get better.

You make some very good points and i agree with you. The standard of Olinemen has dropped in recent years and i think college teams moving to more spread O's and shotgun formations hasn't helped truly developed Oline players come through like they used to. A lot of times they need to learn the skills like pulling and sustaining a block.

You are absolutely right about 2nd rounders not being the same as the guys that go in the 1st. Theres usually one standout Olinemen and the rest arent bad but not at his level. Part of our problem is picking top 5 and those players seen as a reach when you can draft a 'star' and pick up a solid Olinemen in the 2nd but i do think your right about Joeckel being the reason we see that as a bad move.

Completely agree thats where the cap should be going this next off season. Id even try and use one or two of those 6th rounders to try and get someone early rather than waiting for FA. Be aggressive and get the players we want that fit our system. Lawrence is too valuable to have behind an Oline that isnt getting it done and sadly our current group havent shown that they are those guys.

Exactly, that is the reason it is so important to have a good O-Line coach. Someone that can really teach them NFL schemes. Warhop has never been able to do this effectively. 

Agreed. We need to get out of the mindset of an O-Linemen being a reach, where we pick in the draft. Just look, we could've had Tristan Wirfs in the 2020 draft, but that wasn't a "sexy" pick like getting a CB was. Wirfs is already in the top 100 players in the NFL, as voted by his peers. I remember when we drafted Leonard Fournette at #4 overall in the 2017 draft. A terrible pick! Personally, I really wanted Ryan Ramcyk. He was taken #32 overall and has been a 2 time All-Pro, but again, he wasn't as "sexy" a pick as drafting a skill position like RB. You don't have to draft a skill position player in round 1. You should take the best and safest selection. Both times, Wirfs and Ramcyk represented very good, safe picks, but were passed over in favor of riskier, skill position guys. 

Personally, I've been watching the top OT's that could be available in the 2022 draft and so far, all I've seen is garbage. This appears to be an awful year to take an OT. I'm not optimistic at all about finding OT help via this next draft. I have yet to scout the OG's, so maybe we could find help at that position in the draft, but I'd much rather address the OT position via free agency or a trade. Hopefully, Little can improve enough throughout the season that he can be an upgrade at one of the starting spots, so we only need one OT. I'd stop at nothing to bring in a premier OT though, even if that means trading our first round pick, 2nd round pick and a starting player. Giving Lawrence a dominant protector for his blindside will be crucial to his future success.

---