(02-29-2024, 09:21 AM)Mikey Wrote:

(02-28-2024, 04:06 PM)Protozoa Wrote: Really feels like thier just gonna rollout the same line and get Lawrence killed again. The excuse all offseason so far is "well they never played together cause they were hurt". The problem with that is there is no guarantee that if the line was all health that it would even be a good line.

Maybe I'm just terminally optimistic but I think there is nuance between the same line and slight change leading to improvement.

Restructure Cam - no change, but cap adjustment benefits team
Re-sign Cleveland - no change, but proven guy and possible stability
FA or Darft a C - we gotta do something here, this is the most critical weakness on the line.
Stick with Scherff - no change, no renegotiation, proven guy but risk of age and injury catching up to him
Stick with Harrison - no change, young, affordable player who is doing well and developing.

So yeah, if we start week 1 with 80% of last season's line, it's not drastic change. Is it improvement from last season? Potentially. Injury is an inevitability on the line. Even if we don't aim at starters early in the darft, we darn sure better be working to build that depth. I think we saw first-hand what injury can do to submarine a promising season last year.

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(02-28-2024, 04:34 PM)flgatorsandjags Wrote: If we are going by grades your boy Ezra Cleveland was about as bad as Fortner,   Now that's bad.  I've been Littles biggest supporter but his play declined a bit last year.  I do think if we give him a full camp at LT though maybe he can get back to his 2022 form.  Then we don't have a swing tackle if Little or Ton goes down though.  I'd be good with either decision at LT and I'd be good with Harrison at LT as well.  LT on this team is the least of my worries

I wonder how much of Cleveland's bad grades were him trying to pick up Fortner's slack, though. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to defenestrate my TV after a tackle behind the line and Fortner standing around with nobody engaged.

Ezra came to jax already hurt and played through it - clearly coming back too soon - while trying to help save an already banged up and dysfunctional line.

I don't think we know what we have in him from that small sample, but if they believe in him as a fixture they should def seek to have someone more worthy of backing up the guard spots than what we've had of late. 

I don't believe that Doug and TB are going to sit on their hands re: IOL this offseason - but I am concerned they won't do enough.

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