Where Will We Draft An Interior Offensive Lineman

[mgteich]

Most of us have followed this team for awhile. I understand the want to draft an upgrade at inside OL. I understand that we will draft an interior lineman or two to compete for 2015 reps.

HOWEVER, we have always needed linemen. How has Belichick chosen to find interior linemen? He once used a high draft choice for a LT who he moved to LG, and who still can play well at LT (as we were reminded last year).

It seems that even if interior OL is high priority, as it is with posters, I don't see Belichick using a high draft choice. He never has, and we have starters and backups at all the OL positions for 2014; everyone is back. We have a 7 man line ready to go. Perhaps Cannon will start; probably not. With Cannon and Kline in house, I don't see using a draft choice in the first 3 rounds on a center or guard.

Before you all argue the logic of the situation, I have wanted us to use a top pick for this position for years. This is just not the Belichick way of building a roster. We all agree that we need front seven defensive players. And we all have our opinions about other positions.

BOTTOM LINE
I don't expect an offensive lineman until the late 4th at the earliest. After all, many have hopes for Cave or Barker as the 8th OL.

 

[dryheat44]

I agree for the most part. To me, a choice between the top-rated interior lineman in the 1st and the 3rd best interior lineman in the 3rd really isn't any choice at all.

That being said, if the first round falls in a way that all the other players BB has graded as first rounders are gone, and he is unable to trade the pick, I can see him drafting a guy like Su'a-Filo as a safe first-rounder rather than reaching for a different player with a lower grade.

I think this scenario is unlikely however. There will probably be a guy with a first-round grade available, and he will likely be able to trade the pick if he wants. And with the large gap between 29 and 62, a reach isn't the worst thing in the world.

 

[Peachhead]

We need to keep in mind, Dante Scarnecchia retired. The days of just taking for granted that we could turn a late round guy or UDFA into a solid starter are gone. At least until the new OL coach proves he can do the same. Hopefully we can return to that mindset in a year or two. But for now I don't think we should chance it.

Of course plenty depends on who is available where. But I could certainly live with a "short" LT in the mold of Mankins in the first round. Then a double dip in the 3rd or later on day 3.

 

[Big-T]

DeGuglielmo seems to like behemoths:
Matt Slauson 6'5" 315lbs
Nick Mangold 6'4" 307lbs
Vlad Ducasse 6'5" 325lbs
Damien Woody 6'3" 330lbs
D'Brickshaw Ferguson 6'6" 310lbs
Wayne Hunter 6'5" 318lbs

So there might be a bit of a change in philosophy on the line to what Scar did. With that in mind, it could take the likes of Bitonio & Richburg off the Pats board and some of bigger guys in the draft on it - either way I think they go Guard early.

 

[Galeb]

John Urschel in the 6th.

 

[Brady6]

Most of us have followed this team for awhile. I understand the want to draft an upgrade at inside OL. I understand that we will draft an interior lineman or two to compete for 2015 reps.

HOWEVER, we have always needed linemen. How has Belichick chosen to find interior linemen? He once used a high draft choice for a LT who he moved to LG, and who still can play well at LT (as we were reminded last year).

It seems that even if interior OL is high priority, as it is with posters, I don't see Belichick using a high draft choice. He never has, and we have starters and backups at all the OL positions for 2014; everyone is back. We have a 7 man line ready to go. Perhaps Cannon will start; probably not. With Cannon and Kline in house, I don't see using a draft choice in the first 3 rounds on a center or guard.

Before you all argue the logic of the situation, I have wanted us to use a top pick for this position for years. This is just not the Belichick way of building a roster. We all agree that we need front seven defensive players. And we all have our opinions about other positions.

BOTTOM LINE
I don't expect an offensive lineman until the late 4th at the earliest. After all, many have hopes for Cave or Barker as the 8th OL.

Personally, I think are OL needs are OC and swing OT. I like Marcus Cannon as the starter at RG and I think it would be idiotic not to give the opportunity to win the job this year. That creates a need for a swing tackle capable of backing up Solder and Vollmer.

At OC we need a player who can start as a rookie in my opinion. I think the best OC is Marcus Martin and I think he could be drafted with the #62 pick.

 

[unoriginal]

I like the idea of moving Cannon inside and drafting his replacement as a mid-round project; you can develop interior linemen from late-round guys but its hard to do the same for serviceable tackles. Scar's only "successes" there were Ashworth and Gorin.

But this idea has been discussed before with Light and Kaczur. Cannon at RG is not a foregone conclusion. We haven't seen him do it yet have we?

 

[Big-T]

We haven't seen him do it yet have we?

Briefly, he came in for Connolly for a bit last season and he opened TC last season at Guard (if memory serves).

 

[BobDigital]

I think it is a fairly high need. Just watching Connolly & Wendell last year was no fun. I agree we have good depth but we could certainly use an impact starter in at least one of those 2 spots. If the answer was Cannon why didn't he step up last year? I think Baker and Cave are good but again I see them as good depth and not impact starters.

I have no idea what BB will do but I'd like to see us take a starter within the first 3 rounds there. I think you can get a good player there at round 3 in this draft.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Xavier Sua-Filo will be around at 29 and has already stated the pats are a team he would love to play for along with baltimore and NY. This kid is a can't miss prospect.

 

[cstjohn17]

Both 4th rounders

Most of us have followed this team for awhile. I understand the want to draft an upgrade at inside OL. I understand that we will draft an interior lineman or two to compete for 2015 reps.

HOWEVER, we have always needed linemen. How has Belichick chosen to find interior linemen? He once used a high draft choice for a LT who he moved to LG, and who still can play well at LT (as we were reminded last year).

It seems that even if interior OL is high priority, as it is with posters, I don't see Belichick using a high draft choice. He never has, and we have starters and backups at all the OL positions for 2014; everyone is back. We have a 7 man line ready to go. Perhaps Cannon will start; probably not. With Cannon and Kline in house, I don't see using a draft choice in the first 3 rounds on a center or guard.

Before you all argue the logic of the situation, I have wanted us to use a top pick for this position for years. This is just not the Belichick way of building a roster. We all agree that we need front seven defensive players. And we all have our opinions about other positions.

BOTTOM LINE
I don't expect an offensive lineman until the late 4th at the earliest. After all, many have hopes for Cave or Barker as the 8th OL.

Both

 

[Big-T]

Going on the type of linemen DeGuglielmo seems to like based on my earlier post, here's 2 Guards who fits the bill nicely and should be around at #62:

Gabe Jackson - 6'3" 336lbs
Cyril Richardson - 6'5" 329lbs

Based on both Slauson & Ducasse being 6'5" I'd suggest Richardson would be of interest to DeGuglielmo.

Then you have this guy who fits on 2 counts:
Zach Fulton 6'5" 316lbs

Has the size AND played on an OL that Belichick has praised (Tennessee).

 

[OhExaulted1]

We need to find another dude like this guy.

 

[Peachhead]

Going on the type of linemen DeGuglielmo seems to like based on my earlier post, here's 2 Guards who fits the bill nicely and should be around at #62:

Gabe Jackson - 6'3" 336lbs
Cyril Richardson - 6'5" 329lbs

Based on both Slauson & Ducasse being 6'5" I'd suggest Richardson would be of interest to DeGuglielmo.

Then you have this guy who fits on 2 counts:
Zach Fulton 6'5" 316lbs

Has the size AND played on an OL that Belichick has praised (Tennessee).

I've seen Cyril Richardson a couple times and at the Senior Bowl. Yikes. If we draft him Brady might as well retire right now and save himself the hospital visit. Richardson sucks badly!

And it also fills me with dread that DeGuglielmo had anything to do with the Ducasse fiasco. I pray that the Jets drafted Ducasse over Gugli's loud protestations.

 

[Big-T]

They made him start Ducasse over Slauson at one point when he didn't want that to happen.

There does seem to be a link though with size of linemen, apart from Brandon Moore all the Guards the Jets had when he was there were 6'5" and both Centers were 6'4".

Mankins & Connoly are 6'4" and Cannon is 6'5", so maybe we see some shuffling around on the OL.

 

[dryheat44]

DeGuglielmo was the Jets offensive line coach for one season. Any chance we're giving him too much credit for Jets personnel decisions? Especially for guys who were drafted before he got there?

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Xavier Sua-Filo will be around at 29 and has already stated the pats are a team he would love to play for along with baltimore and NY. This kid is a can't miss prospect.

Nobody is a cant miss prospect. NOBODY.

Dont you put that curse on anybody Ricky Bobby

 

[Big-T]

DeGuglielmo was the Jets offensive line coach for one season. Any chance we're giving him too much credit for Jets personnel decisions? Especially for guys who were drafted before he got there?

Yeah, noticed he only did 2012 earlier, thought he had been there longer.

Going back to his Dolphins days (09-11), the interior linemen on the roster changed dramatically from 09 to '10 with a number of 6'4" guards leaving and 3 6'5" Guards and the 6'3" Richie Incognito joining to replace them.

 

[Peachhead]

DeGuglielmo was the Jets offensive line coach for one season. Any chance we're giving him too much credit for Jets personnel decisions? Especially for guys who were drafted before he got there?

Ah, thanks. That makes me feel much better.

 

[Mark Morse]

I like Bitonio as the 29th pick .... however I really believe the Pats will trade this pick to a team that wants back in the 1st round for a QB. Not sure Bitonio would still be on the board when the pats pick early in the 2nd. Brandon Thomas in the 4th and Wesley Johnson in the 6th. Both Johnson and Bitonio have worked at OC.