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I've been saying this since they were nicknamed the metaphors...he's always made them collectively look better than they were. As had Dante, although he can't hold their hands on the field and he couldn't coach around whatever got into (or ran over) them in 42.
I think the shock and awe of 2007 led to a false sense of security. Sadly by the end of the season teams were catching on and could stop this offense even with Moss, Welker, Gaffney and Stallworth.
Some of Cassel getting hammered was a learning curve but much of it was residue from the lessons the league learned down the stretch in 2007.
We need more options for Brady for sure, since having less clearly exacerbates the protection problems, but we also need consistently better pass protection and run blocking or we're not going to reap the full benefit of having Brady lead our offense. He's got another 6-7 highly productive seasons in him unless they get it beat out of him...
Belichick will always want his TE's to be good blockers, but it'd be real helpful if we could also use them as god intended...especially now that Welker is on the shelf indefinitely. I'd be a tragedy to see him come back midseason only to have a banged up QB as his welcome back present... For every corner you cut on the LOS you have to compensate in other areas. Spend the big bucks in the trenches and on your QB...and if he's a guy like Brady he will then make due with less costly/glamorous skill position players.
This.
When evaluating the future of the OL, these issues come to mind:
- Does SeaBass have a future at LT? If the answer is No, then Matt Light's replacement needs to be on the 53 by no later than opening Day 2011.
- Can Kaczur successfully move inside to RG? He makes too much $$ to be a backup, because Vollmer & Light appear to be the clear starters at Tackle for 2010.
- How much longer will Bill tolerate a Center who collapses the pocket on passing plays & provides no push on running plays?
From this view, the quickest solution to securing the present (& future?) stability of the OL could be:
- Start Vollmer at RT;
- Move Kaczur to RG from Day 1 of TC;
- Extend Mankins;
- Draft Maurkice Pouncey to replace Koppen by 2011 at the latest; he can also play RG if Kaczur doesn't cut the mustard.
This last step is problematic, because the FO might feel there is better value at 22; unfortunately, Pouncey will most likely be gone before our next pick in the 2nd round.
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The problem with upgrading an O-line is losing the continuity of the current line. O-line is a very complex position. Before every play, Brady will call out who is the "mike" linebacker. In the Pats offense, that means the whoever he calls, is the responcibilty of the O-line to block if he blitzes, so the O-line must then make their line calls (usually the tackles and the center make them) and the O-line will then figure out who is going to block all of the down lineman plus the "Mike". I don't care what level your playing at, the more lienman play together, the better they get at knowing which blocks each other can and can't make. So do not disregard the continuity of the O-line before moving to replace soemone, especially the Center.
I the big question for next year is do the Pats move Vollmer to LT this year or next? If they go this year, what do they do with Light? Trade him? I doubt he could make the switch to RT or even guard (who have to be quicker than tackles). I think that Neal will have to be replaced, injury has caught up to him. Now there are a few guards in the draft that could step right in and start ala Mankins. The trouble with that is Guard is not a spot to take at #22. Iupati will most likely be gone by the time the second round picks come along. HOwever, Pouncey from Florida (who is also a center) should be around and maybe even at #53. (Plus they could draft his twin brother next year, who is in sync with each other more than twins?). That could fill the guard hole. and he could give Koppen a run for the center job, or he could move there in the future. Johnson from Alabama could also fill the guard spot, but #53 might be a tad high for him, and the Pats do not have a 3rd round pick.
Keep in mind that Koppen is Brady's BFF, that can not be discounted in this discussion.
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When we think of upgrading the OL, the current line should be considered to be
LIGHT, MANKINS, KOPPEN, KACZUR, VOLLMER with Connolly, LeVoir. Wendell and Ohrnberger as backups.
There are very few lineman that would be a 2010 upgrade. Besdies, the issue will be whether the picks would be better used on defense. And even on offense, the receiver positions seem to be of greater need (wide receiver and tight end). I do expect us to sign a free agent veteran guard and/or center.
An interesting article from the Herald (I know, heresy to even post), but I agree with many of the thoughts on the offensive line.
The 16 sacks allowed is hugely misleading, IMO, since Brady got hit a lot and was under pressure a lot. I also think Brady forced throws - and interceptions - in an effort to avoid sacks & further damage to his ribs. Particularly in that Baltimore game - I think he really did not want to fall with his ribs ontop a football, with 250LBs of a psychotic-double-homicide committing-Baltimore Raven coming down on him as well.
Ross Tucker mentions Kazcur as a guy who needs help on the edge. I don't think he's elite by any stretch, but to me, the problem is the interior line. Once Neal went out in SB 42, that middle of the line was exposed, and truly cost us 19-0, moreso than the Tyree pass, Ellis Hobbs, bad refereeing, or any other scapegoats we've named. Koppen is not a great center, anymore, if he ever was. Mankins is a beast, but is not great in pass protection. Neal is good, when he's healthy, but he may be retiring this offseason.
So to me, the tackle position is looking strong with 4 guys I'd be OK with starting. The interior line needs help. As discussed in other threads, moving Kaczur inside might make sense given the depth at tackle and the lack of depth inside.
I have O Line in a large group of units that are ok but could use a impact player. Not every unit is going to be stacked with probowlers.
I see the deph looking like:
Light, LeVoir
Mankins, Wendell
Koppen, Connolly
Kaczur
Vollmer
As you said tackle is pretty deep with Kaczur being a primary backup at either spot.
If some addiitonal depth is added at Guard/Center then I think O Line is a good (not great unit).
To me the biggest problem with our OL is the current offensive philosophy. Teams do not fear/respect/plan for/care about/etc. our running game. It's not like we had stellar OLinemen in 01, 03 and 04. I think the personnel on our OL (with the exception of Koppen) are fine, but teams know when they play the Pats they can pin their ears back and come after Brady. Part of playing D is reacting to the O, but with the Pats having no threat of a running game, defenses just focus on coming after Brady. If it happens to be a running play, defenses are fine with giving up some yards. In the superbowl years, the Pats had big, straight ahead runners that could grind out yards. This allowed the play-action to work well, and during those years Brady had 3-4 quality recieving options to pick from. Today it's drop back, look for Moss or Welker, if they're not open throw it away or force it. Our offense is way to easy to game plan for right now, and if we don't get some more skill postion guys and change our philosophy, we could be wasting Brady's prime years.
Has Kazur ever played Guard before for the Pats? If so how was his performance? I would be reluctant to move a player who has issues with his current poistion, to a new position and call it a 'fix'.
Also Center is a definite need for this team! It needs to be address this coming season before they break TB again.
__________________ In BB we trust...the media...not so much!
Has Kazur ever played Guard before for the Pats? If so how was his performance? I would be reluctant to move a player who has issues with his current poistion, to a new position and call it a 'fix'.
Also Center is a definite need for this team! It needs to be address this coming season before they break TB again.
It's a lot harder to play T than G. A lot of players lacking lateral quickness to make blocks on the edge have been shifted inside to G and played very well. I read something a few days ago that mentioned KC wants to move their LT to G and a lot of people expect him to be near Pro Bowl cailber. Having said that, I don't know if Kaczur has ever played G, but its not like shifting positions would make him worse at blocking.
When evaluating the future of the OL, these issues come to mind:
- Does SeaBass have a future at LT? If the answer is No, then Matt Light's replacement needs to be on the 53 by no later than opening Day 2011.
- Can Kaczur successfully move inside to RG? He makes too much $$ to be a backup, because Vollmer & Light appear to be the clear starters at Tackle for 2010.
- How much longer will Bill tolerate a Center who collapses the pocket on passing plays & provides no push on running plays?
From this view, the quickest solution to securing the present (& future?) stability of the OL could be:
- Start Vollmer at RT;
- Move Kaczur to RG from Day 1 of TC;
- Extend Mankins;
- Draft Maurkice Pouncey to replace Koppen by 2011 at the latest; he can also play RG if Kaczur doesn't cut the mustard.
This last step is problematic, because the FO might feel there is better value at 22; unfortunately, Pouncey will most likely be gone before our next pick in the 2nd round.
This team has a lot more pressing needs than replacing Dan Koppen. After looking at some of the stats from Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders, I'm beginning to lose faith in him going forward, but there is no reason he shouldn't be a league average center next year. This draft has to address the gaping holes in the front 7 before any other position.
Re: Evaluating the offensive line
Linear Mode
