Ridley, Kirk and Jones are our starting receivers.
In two years I don't think I can name one time where any of them made a good block on a bubble screen.  Or a run play outside the tackles.

I bring this up because I think the size of our starters is too small.   When the Jags swapped Marvin Jones Jr. for Ridley...the receiving corp got slightly younger and more skilled, but they appeared to lose some of the physicality they had the year before.

Just an IMO.   I hope that whomever we draft with the 1st or 2nd pick has some size and can block in addition to catch, beat his man, run a great route.   

Not asking the guy to block like a TE.   But block well enough to keep a DB from seriously effecting a screen or run play.

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Black Jaguar: Yeah, it's a thing.

It was always the Jags!!!!

Tim Jones consistently grades high in blocking. I've seen quite a few solid blocks from WRs on screens/outside runs. Wouldn't say its a strength, but I don't think it's that big of a weakness

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IT WAS ALWAYS THE JAGS

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Ridley, Kirk and Jones are our starting receivers.
In two years I don't think I can name one time where any of them made a good block on a bubble screen.  Or a run play outside the tackles.

I bring this up because I think the size of our starters is too small.   When the Jags swapped Marvin Jones Jr. for Ridley...the receiving corp got slightly younger and more skilled, but they appeared to lose some of the physicality they had the year before.

Just an IMO.   I hope that whomever we draft with the 1st or 2nd pick has some size and can block in addition to catch, beat his man, run a great route.   

Not asking the guy to block like a TE.   But block well enough to keep a DB from seriously effecting a screen or run play.

Ridley is listed as 6'1" as am I.  Ridley has walked right past me on one occasion.  I know walking height and standing height may be different depending on how someone holds themselves while walking, but he seemed noticeably shorter than me.  Engram is also small for a TE, btw.  We definitely need some body type variety in our WR room.  Is it deemed a luxury versus other needs though?  I guess we'll find out in a couple of months.

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Tim Jones consistently grades high in blocking. I've seen quite a few solid blocks from WRs on screens/outside runs. Wouldn't say its a strength, but I don't think it's that big of a weakness

Yeah...but I'm talking STARTER material as a blocking WR.   Odds are, if Tim Jones came in the defense knew he wasn't getting the ball so they could probably view him as a blocker only.  Hopefully Tim won't even be on the squad next season. (I think Cook is a better 4th/5th receiver option).

One of the things I always loved about Hines Ward was how much he embraced hitting a DB as hard as he could whenever he could.   It can be quite helpful.

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Black Jaguar: Yeah, it's a thing.

It was always the Jags!!!!

It's not just the WRs.  It's the entire team that doesn't block well.  The entire team was deficient last year on the two most fundamental aspects of football: blocking and tackling.

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Tim Jones consistently grades high in blocking. I've seen quite a few solid blocks from WRs on screens/outside runs. Wouldn't say its a strength, but I don't think it's that big of a weakness

Yeah...but I'm talking STARTER material as a blocking WR.   Odds are, if Tim Jones came in the defense knew he wasn't getting the ball so they could probably view him as a blocker only.  Hopefully Tim won't even be on the squad next season. (I think Cook is a better 4th/5th receiver option).

One of the things I always loved about Hines Ward was how much he embraced hitting a DB as hard as he could whenever he could.   It can be quite helpful.

It's a pass first league. I want my guys to run clean routes, get open, and snag passes first and foremost. If they get in the way on a run play, that's enough. I don't need no pancakes on the sideline when the interior line are doing their best impressions of lawn chairs.

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I've seen some good blocks from Kirk, Zay and Tim Jones.
I've also seen a bunch of whiffs.

Same can be said for our tight ends, which is even more concerning.

TBF - When you are replacing a completely inept running game with a bunch of short passes that require blocks from skill players - and your opponent knows this - the would be blockers job gets harder because the defense sees it coming.

Could definitely be better though.

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Careful what you ask for, the Texans' Tank Dell broke his fibula while trying to run block in a short goal-line play...of course he's only 165 lbs.  In all seriousness, WR blocking is an extremely underrated part of a WRs game.  I agree that sometimes all it takes is for the coaches to stress the importance and hold players accountable if they're underperforming in that area.

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Him Jones is the best blocking WR on the roster. Calvin and Kirk have to be crafty because of their body type. Cooks could be a good blocker but that ain’t why these guys get paid the big bucks.

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Tim Jones is often asked to block DE’s when he comes in. The defense sees him as a blocker when he comes in the game and you can even see them call it out. If I can see it, the defense can too lol. Kids catches balls all preseason then gets minimal targets two years running. I’m no coach but I sure don’t get it.

I really think forced plays with no time for check downs and very predictable play calling is a bigger problem than the wr room.

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It's more than likely a scheme and personnel fit Vs. a lack of effort and strength fit.

Most teams that run the ZBS (Zone Blocking Scheme) primarily rely on three key things as a football team:

1. Quick and nimble feet with their lineman.
2. Quick and decisive movements with their runners.
3. Creativity in space.

We're not a downhill, in your face power running football team anymore. It hasn't felt like that nor been constructed like that for years. I would say at least going back to probably Doug Marrone's final season here as the coach. That may be pushing it as well.

I don't care what scheme or personnel they use personally, just as long as it results in enough consistency to win football games and they're able to execute it, most importantly, during critical situations in their contests.

Our receivers should be tasked with running clean routes, getting clean releases and executing big time pass catching opportunities.

Our lineman should be quicker, stronger, more on point and more cohesive as a team so they don't lose their leverage or assignments.

Our tightends should fall in between both of the above in my opinion, because, obviously it's a more nuanced position and it will have it's moments in both aspects.

I would say, right now, based on the last two years of what this offense has done with 18 wins? The glaring issue is the lineman as a unit. Whether it's due to mismatched personnel, injuries or bad scheme fits. This has been the Achille's Heel of the football team and that needs to be addressed before I remotely come close to critiquing the receivers in the run blocking department.

Let's take baby steps first. Literally, baby steps. Etienne is lucky to get a yard most of the time. I don't care if we draft a receiver that's the size of Wilt Chamberlain and is as strong as Andre the Giant. His efforts and blocks will mean absolutely nothing 10 yards out wide from the line or scrimmage with our five lineman getting pushed back into the void where the play was dead from the start.

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"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."