Ekwonu contract

[kungfoodude]

2 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

I see your views on Zavala (small sample size--17th game) and Mays.  Depth is so important because it is rare to have all 5 play all season.    Agree on RT--I think we need to start preparing for that now. 

The OL overall made a massive step forward after the massive step backwards last year. I think that is largely due to top 15/20 OG's being added to the roster and stabilizing the whole unit. Also, credit to the coaching staff for taking the heat off them in various ways.

I would like to snag an OT in the first three rounds but it isn't a very deep class and we have so little in the way of top 90 draft capital. Couple that with our extreme amount of needs all over the roster and I think RT will likely have to wait until next offseason to adequately address.

[PNW_PantherMan]

I mean if Ekwonu is lacking as a pass protector, why not shift him to the right side next year and draft a pass blocking specialist as a LT?  Using Moton's last year to bridge for that is actually really good management.

Edited Thursday at 07:43 PM by PNW_PantherMan

[kungfoodude]

1 minute ago, PNW_PantherMan said:

I mean if Ekwonu is lacking as a pass protector, why not shift him to the right side next year and draft a pass blocking specialist as a LT?  Using Moton's last year to bridge for that is actually really good management.

TBH, had we not went nuts at OG, I think moving him to OG would have been the play. Especially with so many top 10 draft picks in a row.

[Basbear]

2 hours ago, kungfoodude said:

TBH, had we not went nuts at OG, I think moving him to OG would have been the play. Especially with so many top 10 draft picks in a row.

 

What about 2026 RT?? Bonus the contract should be lower too. 

Just means finding a new LT instead of RT.... 

 

[kungfoodude]

35 minutes ago, Basbear said:

 

What about 2026 RT?? Bonus the contract should be lower too. 

Just means finding a new LT instead of RT.... 

 

IDK. He has never played RT and as former OL have often said, sometimes that isn't the seamless transition that fans always believe it will be. 

I am okay with him at whatever position he is the most dominant at, LT, RT, OG, whatever.

 

[PNW_PantherMan]

21 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

I am okay with him at whatever position he is the most dominant at, LT, RT, OG, whatever.

Well unless Bryce starts throwing lefty, it's probably not LT.

[kungfoodude]

28 minutes ago, PNW_PantherMan said:

Well unless Bryce starts throwing lefty, it's probably not LT.

Yeah, I don't see him really becoming more than "slightly above average" at LT. It's possible because he is a high ceiling player but those guys rarely ever come close to that potential for us.

Also, if he doesn't really make a big leap next season, there isn't a ton of precedent for that all of a suddenly happening after 4 years of being a starter.

I do think that people are potentially not considering this fact when they talk about why he hasn't been extended yet. 

Not doing that does allow the team to pivot to him being an OG or RT if need be and have a completely different contract potential. 

[PantherChris]

On 4/16/2025 at 11:28 AM, LinvilleGorge said:

65th in pass blocking rate is the issue. This isn't 1985 anymore. You're not paying LTs to be road grading run blockers.  He's above average for a starting LT as a run blocker. He's well below average for a starting LT as a pass blocker. The issue is that you're paying LTs primarily to be pass protectors. 

That's out of 142 which isn't accounting for snap counts....

 

He did improve a bit last year, and I'm not holding the train wreck the year before against him, I'd like to see him get that grade up into the 70s and I'd be happy with it.

[PantherChris]

On 4/17/2025 at 7:32 PM, kungfoodude said:

Yeah, I don't see him really becoming more than "slightly above average" at LT. It's possible because he is a high ceiling player but those guys rarely ever come close to that potential for us.

Also, if he doesn't really make a big leap next season, there isn't a ton of precedent for that all of a suddenly happening after 4 years of being a starter.

I do think that people are potentially not considering this fact when they talk about why he hasn't been extended yet. 

Not doing that does allow the team to pivot to him being an OG or RT if need be and have a completely different contract potential. 

I wouldn’t hold 2023 agaist him tbh the rotating door of scap heap guards and centers playing every week next to him made it impossible to know whose assignment was what.

 

This year will be very telling for Ickey, first year returning all five starters with ni weak links.

[LinvilleGorge]

22 minutes ago, PantherChris said:

That's out of 142 which isn't accounting for snap counts....

 

He did improve a bit last year, and I'm not holding the train wreck the year before against him, I'd like to see him get that grade up into the 70s and I'd be happy with it.

Yeah, but there aren't 142 starters. 64th out of 142 puts him in bottom of the barrel starter/good backup range.

[kungfoodude]

7 hours ago, PantherChris said:

I wouldn’t hold 2023 agaist him tbh the rotating door of scap heap guards and centers playing every week next to him made it impossible to know whose assignment was what.

 

This year will be very telling for Ickey, first year returning all five starters with ni weak links.

I would say center is a weak link, for sure. Unless we draft a guy.

[PantherChris]

10 hours ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Yeah, but there aren't 142 starters. 64th out of 142 puts him in bottom of the barrel starter/good backup range.

Correct but that's literally the grades for everyone who took snaps at T, I'd like to see the grades from say everyone who took 500 snaps or more to rank that.  Sample size is important Christenson was the #1 pass block rate in two starts as a rookie.

[PantherChris]

3 hours ago, kungfoodude said:

I would say center is a weak link, for sure. Unless we draft a guy.

When healthy *huge asterisk* both Christensen and Corbett played/graded EXTREMELY well.

[kungfoodude]

29 minutes ago, PantherChris said:

When healthy *huge asterisk* both Christensen and Corbett played/graded EXTREMELY well.

Eh....average or below average mostly. Using PFF, 

BC: 63.6 (23rd of 40)

Mays: 66.1 (13th of 40)

Corbett: 62.2