Let's not go too crazy with OL upgrades

[CRA]

8 hours ago, MHS831 said:

 

5.  In 2022, the OL was decent to OK, and that was before Ekwonu.  The OL if healthy, can get it done.  We need 2 or 3 reserves, and I am guessing we pick up a vet in free agency.

 

OL was decent when asked to play football like it was 1990.  To an extent that's still a problem given that's not what you want to do in the year 2024.

[mav1234]

I'm of the mind you should always be looking to improve and get depth on the OL.  I don't think we need to tear it down and start over, but we should always be looking to improve because you never know where injuries will hit or how players returning from injury will do.

[SetfreexX]

22 minutes ago, CRA said:

OL was decent when asked to play football like it was 1990.  To an extent that's still a problem given that's not what you want to do in the year 2024.

Exaggerate much....1990...having a Power run attack with a 230 LB back is what MADE sense, we literally became a top running team.

 

[SCO96]

1 hour ago, 3838 said:

So... with Bryce having a window of 2.7 sec do we go for "deep threat speedsters" or someone that has a "knack for getting open" ( a McConkey type) at WR position?

I think every football fan loves to see their team go deep with the long ball.

That said, we have a QB with a questionable arm and a below average o-line protecting him. I'd gladly settle for a WR who can get open quickly, help move the chains, and increase our YAC stat (which had to be near the bottom of the league in 2023). A receiving threat like that would open up things for everyone else because defenses would then have to adapt their game plans to deal with him. Honestly, I'd be excited if we took a TE who could get open on a regular basis and be a scoring threat in the red zone. 

Any receiver who can improve Bryce's 5.5 yards per attempt and 179.8 yards per game average and increase his 11 TD passes would be a welcome addition. 

[CanadianCat]

Good points @MHS831

I think we still need to bring in 1 high level guy but also agree that we need better weapons. 

[RumHam]

The scheme introduced issues last year. But it also showed Icky can't pass protect worth a fug. This is year three. Corbett may not ever be 100% again. Bozeman is still garbage. 

[CRA]

41 minutes ago, SetfreexX said:

Exaggerate much....1990...having a Power run attack with a 230 LB back is what MADE sense, we literally became a top running team.

Steve Wilks inherited what he inherited.  I'm talking about what he chose to do on offense.   He opted to play football from a prior era as much as possible.  And when he was able to do that, THAT is when the OL looked good that season.   It helped that schedule was slammed full of opponents with bad run defenses.   

They looked good run blocking vs bad run defenses.  Passing and play action off heavy run.  Not much else. 

It's a passing league.  You need an OL that excels in that.  It's a QB league.  You need an OL that can hopefully get the job done once you finally find the QB everything should be built around. 

I mean, we lost under Wilks by double digits where we still didn't attempt more passes than runs.  We won a game rushing 41 times and completing 5 passes.  Won another rushing 46 times with 11 passes completed.  Another win was 46 runs with 14 passes completed.   Wilks did his best to make us as least embarrassing as possible.   Props to him for that.  But this OL isn't up to snuff and hasn't been for some time.   It's weak doing what the NFL is designed to be in 2024.  

[RumHam]

I'm just saying instead of taking the tenth best receiver in the draft, the 2nd and third round could nab the top two guard/center. It seems like tackles will be taken high this year. We, again like BC, aren't drafting a franchise tackle where we are positioned.

Also i think the bears trade back and trade up for offensive weapons in the draft. 

[Khyber53]

I do believe that a smart team spends at least one draft pick and picks up at least one free agent lineman each year that they believe can make the team. They don't have to be world beaters or top end free agents, but there should be a bit of new blood at all times... but just a bit and ones not directly aimed at supplanting starters. Now if one shows out and is obviously worthy of the spot, then it's an earn it situation for sure.

You should always be planting seeds for the long haul, but you can't just keep going in and plowing up the orchard before the trees have a chance to bear fruit, yanno?

 

[Ricky Prickles]

32 minutes ago, RumHam said:

I'm just saying instead of taking the tenth best receiver in the draft, the 2nd and third round could nab the top two guard/center. It seems like tackles will be taken high this year. We, again like BC, aren't drafting a franchise tackle where we are positioned.

Also i think the bears trade back and trade up for offensive weapons in the draft. 

What you are saying totally makes sense but sometimes the tenth best receiver in the draft turns out to be amazing and a gem if your scouts are good enough to find some hidden gems much unlike we have not been able to do. If Morgan is good with scouting and his college scouts are worth a crap then they should find a good solid player even if they go WR. Did we overhaul the college scouting department hopefully by the way? Who were the guys in charge of college scouting anyhow? They were hopefully fired becauae we have been dismal at this for a while now.

[LinvilleGorge]

Nobody has ever lost a football game and later said "I mean, our OL was just entirely too good tonight. That really messed us up."

[Gapanthersfan]

With checkout Frank, it’s really difficult for me to judge much of the position groups. His coaching was probably ‘just do whatever the hell you want.’ 

The line was clearly poorly or not coached all together. Were they still trying to process the play when the ball was snapped? Reacting instead of acting? Always on their heels. 

Winning consistently in the NFL goes… turf or grass (kidding, but not really)—> GM (the most important piece, by far) —> scouts—> position coaches—> QB —>coordinators—> head coach—> trainers—> players

Motivated, Good talent that stays healthy and is well coached with a QB that elevates talent to look better than they would be otherwise. 

Key is position coaches. A good wr coach and line coach will make an average coordinator look like a genius. Good coordinators and QB will make an average coach look generational (Bellicheck?) 

Without good position coaches, teams suck. Bad DL coach? You get smoked. Bad O line coach? Destroyed and your QB gets killed. Good all around except for special teams? You lose 3 games you should have won and just miss the playoffs. 

With Morgan being plugged in to the NFL as long as he has been, my hope is that he knows who the good ones are and can lure them our way. 

[DaveThePanther2008]

11 hours ago, MHS831 said:

I know what you are thinking--are you CRAZY MHS?  Yes, but crazy people get good ideas too. 

Here are my points:  The main problem with the OL was in pass protection.  (We are going to adopt a system in which the QB has a clock of 2.7 seconds.   Investing in stud pass protectors is not a wise use of limited moves and $$.   Here is why:)

1.  Campen is gone.  He sucked and the OL actually digressed under his watchful eye.  He was a Tepper snitch.  Nuff Said.  With a new system and a more hip and groovy OL coach, players like Ekwonu, and the reserves should respond.  More ground and pound with quick QB releases will make Ekwonu elite--trust me.

2.  We get BC and Corbett back.  40% of our offensive line was missing up the gut, and that is where defenses attacked us.  A 5' 10" QB standing in the pocket with facial pressure and WRs who can't separate.  Not a recipe for success.

3.  We can use some inner OL depth, but Mays and maybe Zavala need some development. (I know, Zavala really sucked--but he was decent at NCS--I recall a G named Evan Mathis who sucked here and went to become a pro bowler at Philly.  Maybe they can come around with a new coach, new system.

4. Ekwonu, Christensen--if Icky sucks again and needs to be moved to G, BC is a stud athlete (see combine #s) and he might very well be the LT--find who does what the best and possibly flip flop them.

5.  In 2022, the OL was decent to OK, and that was before Ekwonu.  The OL if healthy, can get it done.  We need 2 or 3 reserves, and I am guessing we pick up a vet in free agency.

So, MHS, if you are wrong, we are screwed!!   Yup, but if I am right we are screwed as well.  Our resources need to go to WR and (in my unpopular opinion) CB  (Jackson could be gone and Horn is hurt so much he gets great parking.  We need 4 CBs who can step up.  We have 2 who are made of glass.   Not even sure a third round CB can play, but the second rounder has to be WR.  I also think we might double dip at WR.  CMC's brother is a deep sleeper from Rice.  Washington from UVA is interesting.  Lotta options deep in the draft--maybe we should double dip. 

Just stirring the pot to get some thoughts going so I can see under your receding hairlines. 

 

 

 

 

It's a double edge sword.  We need receivers to be able to get open and catch the ball, but we have to have an O-line good enough to protect our midget QB.  So, which do you address first?

Barring a trade I say WR.  I say this because our WR Corp outside of Theilen was terrible.  Terrible routes and no hands.  This is a fact.  We all saw it.  However, our O-line was torn apart partially by injury and an insane scheme.  As you said getting Corbett and BC back will help.  Zavala should have never seen the field his rookie season.  Too much to learn.  I still think there is hope for him.  Overall, I think the O-Line is fixable with what we have over a WR Corp that is horrendous. 

Canales and Morgan have their work cut out for them.  They will have to decide if the O-line is priority or receiver.  

I wouldn't reach for any position.  We should either trade out of the pick or select BPA.  Whatever position we grab at #33 will most likely be an upgrade at that position. 

[Jay Roosevelt]

We need to sign two OL and draft one, IMO.

We need at LEAST one fairly major upgrade at guard and ideally a young center in the middle rounds who can be competition for Bozeman now and replace him long-term.

I'd give Ickey one more shot at left tackle before moving him inside. He has shown flashes of being very good there and was always a raw prospect in terms of pass protection so I don't think throwing in the towel with him is a good idea... yet. It's not like we've got much to lose at this point.

But we definitely need some insurance and, for the love of God, actual NFL-caliber depth.

We're getting Austin Corbett back, which should solve one guard spot. Brady Christensen is also coming back, but I would make him the 6th man on the OL and our key depth piece. He can play either tackle spot and either guard spot so he could step in practically anywhere in the event of an injury. Or if Ickey continues to struggle he could take over there and at least not be awful.

Sign one more solid depth player with some versatility and draft our future center in the 3rd/4th round. Let's say, for the sake of projection:

FA UPGRADE: Mike Onwenu, OG (Patriots)
FA DEPTH: John Simpson, OG (Ravens)
DRAFT PICK: Sedrick Van Pran, C (Georgia)

LT: Ickey Ekwonu, Brady Christensen
LG: Mike Onwenu, Brady Christensen
OC: Bradley Bozeman, Sedrick Van Pran
RG: Austin Corbett, John Simpson
RT: Taylor Moton, Brady Christensen