OL and DL: Good Things Coming

[Bretsky]

I have seen GREAT evidence of the DL improving via games
I have seeen no evidence of the OL improving from last year via games

Not saying it won't happen, but I need to see the evidence in games as opposed to all these homerism fluff pieces before I believe it.

Why am I agreeing with you alot lately ?

Maybe you are getting smarter

[Deputy Nutz]

I am not totally sold on the offensive line this preseason. I know they didn't game plan, or work the cut blocks but we simply don't have an interior that is going to push people of the line of scrimmage. Well not at this point anyways.

[Noodle]

Why would anyone say our OL looks good this year? Better than last year, sure, but warmed over shite is still, in the end, shite.

They do ok pass blocking, especially when we keep the TE and a back for passpro, but cripes, can anybody around here open a friggin' hole? And can't we passpro a 5 or 7 step drop without going max protect?

I don't want to get too epic, but I think TT, or, more accurately, our scouting department, has a weakness: we don't know dink about OL. We're world beaters at WR, darn good at DL, and nobody's momma at DB and LB.

But tell me one OL standout we've brought in through FA or the draft. Don't waste my time with "he looks like he might be good some day." And yeah, I know it takes a while for a rook to develop, but that's why you trade or go get some seasoned wide load in FA.

[Partial]

For what its worth, I said they are not especially good on the top, but they have good depth.

[Bretsky]

For what its worth, I said they are not especially good on the top, but they have good depth.

Depth would appear to be an unproven but JS Fluff'd Orange Juice Coston, a rookie in Barbe at OT, and heck, I don't know who else. Oops, and Moll; I'm not sold on his completely either but he looked somewhat respectable for "part" of last season.

I see our interior OL as a weakness
I'm not sure about our depth; just not sure at this point.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I won't judge the OL until the season starts. The interior OL was decent--considering they had 3 1st starters. Tons better than the guys the year before. It would have been easy for them to fail. I expect them to be better, and I won't write them off because of their preseason struggles. Hell, this preseason was a hell of a lot better than last preseason.

I'm not willing to say they are a weakness or a strength at this point. Philbin doesn't seem to be full of fluff, so if he says Coston is much better and he expects Barbre to be a solid starter some day, I put credence into that. Moll did pretty darn well for a former college TE starting as a rookie. They SHOULD improve. We'll see how much starting this weekend.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Why would anyone say our OL looks good this year?

A. they could be a homer. Or B. the wife of the OL coach. Or C. they could say the line has been together for a year, so they are likely to progress. I choose B.

[Patler]

I have seen GREAT evidence of the DL improving via games
I have seeen no evidence of the OL improving from last year via games

Not saying it won't happen, but I need to see the evidence in games as opposed to all these homerism fluff pieces before I believe it.

Why am I agreeing with you alot lately ?

Maybe you are getting smarter

Bretsky; If my posts about the Packers had become consistent with the thinking of a Bears fan, I would engage in a serious session of self-criticism and evaluation!

[packers04]

duh, of course our run blocking has been shitty this offseason, we dont cut block our own players... we havent cut block for 90 percent of the preseason games either out of respect for other teams d-linemen. dont underestimate how much impact cut blocking has in the zone blocking scheme. because its a big impact.

[Bretsky]

duh, of course our run blocking has been shitty this offseason, we dont cut block our own players... we havent cut block for 90 percent of the preseason games either out of respect for other teams d-linemen. dont underestimate how much impact cut blocking has in the zone blocking scheme. because its a big impact.

One could also theorize that defenses are playing bland much of the preseason and not showing their top stunts/trick plays...etc

if if if

That's all I have to say about the run game; we'll see soon