Strongest Link

[L-TownCat]

I cant agree with that.  Our Oline got thwomped last year even at full strength.

 

To be fair, Chud was in max retard mode when our Oline was trying to block for 5+ seconds on a slow developing play.  Throw in a guard that was completely lost and a 2nd year rookie free agent tackle and thats not exactly the recipe for success.

[Ace_Aladdin]

Our O-line is not bad as people make it out to be. With Kalil returning from injury and having 2 young guards will solidify the middle. Both guards are big body with excellent run blocking skill  and athletic enough to get to the secondary level. Byron Bell is also better in run blocking and will benefit from the traditional run game & a RG  next to him that want get pushed around like a rag doll. With a more simplified play-calling & traditional formation will help the O-line gel from training camp to the begging of the season. The O-line play will probably be the most important key to playoff birth!

 

LT- Jordan Gross - 6'4" 304lbs

LG- Amini Silatolu - 6'4" 314lbs

C- Ryan Kalil - 6'2" 300lbs

RG- Edmund Kugbila- 6'4" 325lbs

RT- Byron Bell- 6'5" 340lbs

[Peppers90 NC]

I cant agree with that.  Our Oline got thwomped last year even at full strength.

yea i dont know what games that guy was watching.  i can't even say the last time our oline has been good from week 1, usually takes them 7 or 8 weeks to get on track

[SCP]

Our O-line is not bad as people make it out to be. With Kalil returning from injury and having 2 young guards will solidify the middle. Both guards are big body with excellent run blocking skill and athletic enough to get to the secondary level. Byron Bell is also better in run blocking and will benefit from the traditional run game & a RG next to him that want get pushed around like a rag doll. With a more simplified play-calling & traditional formation will help the O-line gel from training camp to the begging of the season. The O-line play will probably be the most important key to playoff birth!

LT- Jordan Gross - 6'4" 304lbs

LG- Amini Silatolu - 6'4" 314lbs

C- Ryan Kalil - 6'2" 300lbs

RG- Edmund Kugbila- 6'4" 325lbs

RT- Byron Bell- 6'5" 340lbs

You are giving Kugbila a lot of props. He has only played against D2 talent. We don't know how he'll turn out. Hangartner will more than likely start week 1.

[Ace_Aladdin]

You are giving Kugbila a lot of props. He has only played against D2 talent. We don't know how he'll turn out. Hangartner will more than likely start week 1

Well Piggy is not going to get  bigger this season and I believe Kugbila is more athletic and better at Run blocking than Piggy even if he hasn't played a down yet. The GM and coach knew the situation of our RG going into the draft and they believe Kugbila is the solution since they "overreached" him in the 4th round. He was getting 1st team snaps in mini camp and is going to continue in training camp. I think by end of preseason he takes the starting job.

 

If Amini can come from D-II school and switch from tackle to guard with little bit of success then Kugbila can do the same while retaining the same position. He has the skills and body build for the offense where going to be running and will help him transition better to the NFL by  playing to his strengths. He will have difficulty adjusting to pass protection, but it will not be a major issue.

[iamhubby1]

Well Piggy is not going to get  bigger this season and I believe Kugbila is more athletic and better at Run blocking than Piggy even if he hasn't played a down yet. The GM and coach knew the situation of our RG going into the draft and they believe Kugbila is the solution since they "overreached" him in the 4th round. He was getting 1st team snaps in mini camp and is going to continue in training camp. I think by end of preseason he takes the starting job.

 

If Amini can come from D-II school and switch from tackle to guard with little bit of success then Kugbila can do the same while retaining the same position. He has the skills and body build for the offense where going to be running and will help him transition better to the NFL by  playing to his strengths. He will have difficulty adjusting to pass protection, but it will not be a major issue.

I pretty much agree with all this. I see a decent enough line to get things done. So, I ain't as worried as a lot of folks seem to be.

The one problem, Kugzilla spent more time on the bike in OTAs than he did practicing. Althugh he did get some reps with the ones. I really believe he will be given the opportunity to win the starting job. And I can live with that.

[CatMan72]

Cam... it all starts and ends with him, he is the alpha and the omega of the Panthers universe. 

[rayzor]

You are giving Kugbila a lot of props. He has only played against D2 talent. We don't know how he'll turn out. Hangartner will more than likely start week 1.

 

the smart thing to do would be to let piggy start week one and gradually give kugbilla more responsibility throughout the course of the year. let him get emabarrassed a time or two to let him grow from it and see how he responds and then hopefully by mid season he's starting.

 

[Peppers90 NC]

cam/backfield or the front seven

[Ace_Aladdin]

the smart thing to do would be to let piggy start week one and gradually give kugbilla more responsibility throughout the course of the year. let him get emabarrassed a time or two to let him grow from it and see how he responds and then hopefully by mid season he's starting.

 

 

I rather start him early, so he can learn & adjust to the game head on. This will help him gel better with the  O-line and be ready for the tough part of our schedule. He wan't have problem adjusting to run blocking but pass protection might be a issue early on, but i think he is better than piggy  since he as the size and athletic ability to stand against bull rush. 

 

Pairing him with Byron Bell will give us a right side of  the O-line  that will be road grading DT & LB and if  he is "not ready" to start then, I rather have Garry Williams start as our RG than Piggy who can be a rotation guy.

[KendrickPanther]

Maybe I didn't make it clear. I feel our offensive line NEEDS to be our strongest link. They were not last season and there are reasons for that. If you look at some of the lineups we had it will be obvious why. The Giants thwomped us but Byron Bell was out that game. Kalil was done early, Hangartner on IR. We had guys like Thomas Austin starting for us.

 

Also Chud loved to run those slow developing plays. Even against the Saints in Week 17 he was running fake screens to one side then reverse to throw a screen on the other side (for a pick six). I think our line can flourish in a more traditional offense

[rayzor]

Maybe I didn't make it clear. I feel our offensive line NEEDS to be our strongest link. They were not last season and there are reasons for that. If you look at some of the lineups we had it will be obvious why. The Giants thwomped us but Byron Bell was out that game. Kalil was done early, Hangartner on IR. We had guys like Thomas Austin starting for us.

 

Also Chud loved to run those slow developing plays. Even against the Saints in Week 17 he was running fake screens to one side then reverse to throw a screen on the other side (for a pick six). I think our line can flourish in a more traditional offense

 

OL needs to be a strong point...but not the strongest link. the strongest point of the team needs to be what it is, cam and keek, and everything else needs to be built up to a high standard around them. everything else on the team is there as a support for those two. that's the way it should be, imo.

 

it doesn't matter what the strongest point needs to be, it is cam and keek, and for the team to win every other part has to be elevated if it isn't already playing at a high level.

[Udogg]

Our O-line is not bad as people make it out to be. With Kalil returning from injury and having 2 young guards will solidify the middle. Both guards are big body with excellent run blocking skill  and athletic enough to get to the secondary level. Byron Bell is also better in run blocking and will benefit from the traditional run game & a RG  next to him that want get pushed around like a rag doll. With a more simplified play-calling & traditional formation will help the O-line gel from training camp to the begging of the season. The O-line play will probably be the most important key to playoff birth!

 

LT- Jordan Gross - 6'4" 304lbs

LG- Amini Silatolu - 6'4" 314lbs

C- Ryan Kalil - 6'2" 300lbs

RG- Edmund Kugbila- 6'4" 325lbs

RT- Byron Bell- 6'5" 340lbs

 

I want to agree with you.  However, unless Silatolu improves "tremendously" in passing situation and bell and gross improve in running situations I don't see our O line being a strength.  Cam's athleticism and the delay in pass rush caused by the read option masked how bad our O line was last year.