(09-27-2021, 01:54 PM)TheO-LineMatters Wrote: Personally, I think having a QB with a much, much better pocket presence is making more of a difference than I anticipated. I still believe 100% that Robinson and Taylor are slow to get out of their stance, but I also see Lawrence anticipating the pass rush so much better than our past QB's who held the ball too long. With that said, Lawrence doesn't always make the right decisions in those situations and has rushed some really ill-advised passes, but he is a rookie and that is to be expected. Just the ability to avoid some unnecessary sacks is a huge plus.
It is still very early in the season and things could change, but compared to other rookie QB's, our O-Line isn't quite as a disaster. The Jets have been without Mekhi Becton though and he was without question, their best O-Lineman and he protected Wilson's blindside. With him out, they have been abysmal. They still might be bad once he gets back, but not nearly to the extent that they are now. The Bears drafted Teven Jenkins to be their starting LT, but he is on I.R. and the talk of the NFL offseason was just how bad the Bears O-Line was as a whole. They chose to take QB in round 1, instead of beefing up that line and now they are paying for it. Fields was a one read and run QB in college, so putting him behind a horribly constructed O-Line was always gonna turn out to be a terrible idea.
This is gonna be a strange offseason. Robinson, Norwell, Cann, Shatley and Richardson will all be UFA's and Linder will be in the final year of his contract. I fully expect Walker Little to take over at LT, Ben Bartch to take over at LG, Linder to get his contract extended and maintain his position at Center and Taylor to get another year at RT. I also expect Shatley to get re-signed and possibly even Richardson. That would basically leave RG as the only real position to fill. With the seemingly endless supply of draft picks we have in 2022, I expect us to use a 2nd or 3rd round selection to fill the void at RG. We may also add another OT, to eventually replace Taylor. It definitely isn't how I would prefer us to address the situation, but we have so many areas of need on this team, that this may be the easiest and fastest way to deal with it in the eyes of the decision makers.
Personally, my feelings haven't changed on the matter. I'd still do everything I could to bring in a true franchise LT. If that means going all in on Terron Armstead or Duane Brown in free agency or trading away our 1st round pick and something else to get a franchise LT like Laremy Tunsil, I'm all for it. I would then have Little battle with Taylor for the RT position or install Little at LG and move Bartch to RG. My philosophy has always been to use college OT's in OG positions to give yourself more flexibility when injuries happen. Pieces are easier to move around when guys have experience at both OT and OG. I just don't think that's what this team will do though. I don't think they value the O-Line like I do and given how bad we are at a variety of positions, I think they'll just throw Little into the LT position and hope for the best, even if he isn't ready.
No matter what happens, I expect Warhop to be here in 2022. I can't see Meyer letting him go and I certainly don't see Khan firing Meyer, even if we go 0-17. He has already shown that he gives his people very, very, very long leashes.
If we have seen improvement in pass protection and it's solely attributable to TL's pocket presence, then we got a much better deal at #1 than we realize. QBs don't lose pocket presence as they get older. Some QBs never develop it. If TLs pocket presence alone is the reason for the improved performance in pass protection, then he is already making the players around him better. Now are there other aspects of his game that need improving? Sure. But if he can buy himself time with pocket presence, watch out when the other areas of his game round into shape and he gets talent around him.
Under the circumstances, I would have taken Fields too if I were running the Bears. They have gone far too long without having a franchise signal caller, and they still managed to get a guy in the second most predicted would go in the first to upgrade their OL. He just got hurt though, as did Dalton who was starting ahead of Fields. Not sure how much the Bears could be faulted for both Jenkins and Dalton being hurt. The Jets and Bears' OLs are currently disastrous, but neither should have eschewed the QBs they took to fix the OL.
I could see your scenario unfolding like that and I would not like it. I don't fully trust Bartch, Richardson or Taylor. Ideally, we'd retain more of our OLs, trade back for a bunch of picks, use a lot of those picks on OL and develop them gradually. We'd have experience along the line, both in facing defenses and in terms of the scheme and protections. We'd have depth...and hopefully an infusion of young talent.
While I am not brimming with faith in our FO, I am not sure I see the Little scenario unfolding quite like that. If they were hell bent on throwing him into the lineup whether he was ready or not, he would have at least been active the first couple of weeks. If anything, I think the team has been too slow to start rookies, as exemplified by Andre Cisco.
Worst to 1st. Curse Reversed!
