Rupert
The Long Wind
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2005
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First, let's start the whole thing with a caveat: the majority of this line is returning from last season, a season in which it did fairly well. Rumors are that line coach Jim Colletto changed the line scheme in the off-season to a zone blocking scheme. So who can tell how much of the change in the line has to do with the supposed change of scheme? Right now, there's nothing else to blame the radical drop in production on. Other than that, here we go.
LT - Barry Sims 31 6-5 300lbs: Sims is the classic overachiever. Not really big guy he's done a really good job at LT since breaking the starting lineup in 1999. He's been part of lines that led the league in rushing and passing. So what happened? Did he wake up old? Not really. Over the last 4 seasons Sims has shown signs of susceptibility to speed rushers. He did a great job of minimizing that last year, but he's going sour again.
LG: Okay, this has been a revolving door. Let's start with the opening day starter. Langston Walker 26 6-8 345lbs began his career as the right tackle when Lincoln Kennedy got injured. In a very Sims-like manner he showed signs of weakness against the speed rush. He went on to start last season at RT before being replaced by Gallery (more on him later) after showing signs of slow feet. To give him time to develop he was moved in to LG this season. He was showing signs of development when he went down with a mysterious injury causing internal bleeding. A little surgery and a lost season later and he's was IR'ed. Brad Badger 30 6-4 320lbs has had stints starting inside and outside in his career. As a Raider, he has been a valuable backup, but he took over at LG when Walker went down. He's starter quality, but nothing special (at least not this season). He played like an exact mirror of Stone at RG (read on). Jake Grove took over for Badger when he got injured (more on him later) after playing RG last season and starting at center this season. He had good and bad plays.
C: The Raiders flipped on starting center mid-way through the 2005 campaign, and here's why. Jake Grove 25 6-4 300lbs started the season at center but he demonstrated difficulty keeping everyone in order. Maybe it was the "new scheme", but the real problems were in pass protection, where someone was often seen running free at the QB while one of the middle three stood there holding his dick (sorry, is this a family channel?). In came deposed starter Adam Treu 31 6-5 300lbs who instantly slowed down the tide of pass rushers, but Treu couldn't get to the second level in the running game to save his scrotum. So one guy can run block, the other guy can pass block, great.
RG - Ron Stone 34 6-5 325lbs: Stone is an aging veteran who does everything okay. I've heard conflicting reports on what he's good at, but my own observations say he's okay at everything. And that's his problem, he's just okay. It looks like he's suffering from age. He doesn't hold up forever in pass protection and is often seen letting his man go late in protection. As the game wears on he wears down. Good luck if we want to run the clock out late in a game. Good luck if we need to come from behind.
RT - Robert Gallery 25 6-7 325lbs: he is the Raiders' biggest enigma. Drafted #2 after being a bigtime LT after being moved from RT after being recruited by Iowa as a TE. Okay, so this guy is supposed to be a punishing run blocker and a shutdown pass protector. None of that has come to pass. he's an average run blocker and pass protector. Gallery's problem has been that he reaches a little too much and moves his feet too little. He's been slowly improving all season, but too slowly for my taste.
Reserves. G - Corey Husley 28 6-4 325lbs has seen time as the third TE and done a pretty good job. I can't say that I remember T - Chad Slaughter 27 6-8 340lbs seeing any time on the field, but considering how poorly the current squad has performed, I worry that he's less capable than what's already out there.
I really wonder how this group could get so bad so quickly. Maybe I'm struck with paralysis by analysis. I can pin Stone's problems on his age. I can point to Sims's problem with speed rushers, and I can say Grove suffers in pass protection and Treu in run blocking. Walker was learning a new position, and Badger had to be a jack of all trades and mastered of none.
So what needs to be done?
Simple. If there's any value left in Sims, it's at guard, left guard. People have wanted to move him inside since Gallery arrived.
As for Walker, tough call, he had enough problems with speed rushers at RT, but Lincoln Kennedy says don't give up on the guy yet. Okay Linc, it's hard to argue with your success, but you spent a couple years inside honing your skills and some time on the pine. I'll suggest Walker should hang inside for now, but shift over to RG so he can keep his footwork similar to RT if he ever hopes to move back.
Grove is the future at center. Kick (almost said bust) his ass in the off-season and get him in shape to start next season.
Stone, sorry guy, but see ya. With Walker moving here there's no room for you.
Gallery doesn't seem to have the strength to move out the traditional LDE's and seems a little flat-footed against the traditional LDE bull rush. So everyone says he should move to his "natural position" (like there's something natural about being an offensive lineman) of LT. I'm not sure he'll be any better than Sims at handling the speed rush, but he should be better at run blocking and handling the bull rush of traditional RDE's.
So what does that leave? RT is empty. Maybe Walker can handle it. If so we need a RG. Maybe Badger can handle it. Maybe Badger can handle RT. Maybe Slaughter or Hulsey can handle one of the positions. But for my money, if we can draft a lockdown tackle in the 1st round, I jump at it. I draft him twice, or clone him. But we need someone to start, we need someone with a mean streak. We need a Wisnewski or Shell. Someone who blocks from snap to the end of the whistle (not first sound).
What else? I'd give Colletto the old tomato (ultimatum) either install a nasty, ass-kicking scheme, or hit the bricks and I'll find someone who will. If he soft-shoes his answer or draws circles in the dirt with his toe, he's so gone it's ridiculous. Okay, I waffled, send him packing.
LT - Barry Sims 31 6-5 300lbs: Sims is the classic overachiever. Not really big guy he's done a really good job at LT since breaking the starting lineup in 1999. He's been part of lines that led the league in rushing and passing. So what happened? Did he wake up old? Not really. Over the last 4 seasons Sims has shown signs of susceptibility to speed rushers. He did a great job of minimizing that last year, but he's going sour again.
LG: Okay, this has been a revolving door. Let's start with the opening day starter. Langston Walker 26 6-8 345lbs began his career as the right tackle when Lincoln Kennedy got injured. In a very Sims-like manner he showed signs of weakness against the speed rush. He went on to start last season at RT before being replaced by Gallery (more on him later) after showing signs of slow feet. To give him time to develop he was moved in to LG this season. He was showing signs of development when he went down with a mysterious injury causing internal bleeding. A little surgery and a lost season later and he's was IR'ed. Brad Badger 30 6-4 320lbs has had stints starting inside and outside in his career. As a Raider, he has been a valuable backup, but he took over at LG when Walker went down. He's starter quality, but nothing special (at least not this season). He played like an exact mirror of Stone at RG (read on). Jake Grove took over for Badger when he got injured (more on him later) after playing RG last season and starting at center this season. He had good and bad plays.
C: The Raiders flipped on starting center mid-way through the 2005 campaign, and here's why. Jake Grove 25 6-4 300lbs started the season at center but he demonstrated difficulty keeping everyone in order. Maybe it was the "new scheme", but the real problems were in pass protection, where someone was often seen running free at the QB while one of the middle three stood there holding his dick (sorry, is this a family channel?). In came deposed starter Adam Treu 31 6-5 300lbs who instantly slowed down the tide of pass rushers, but Treu couldn't get to the second level in the running game to save his scrotum. So one guy can run block, the other guy can pass block, great.
RG - Ron Stone 34 6-5 325lbs: Stone is an aging veteran who does everything okay. I've heard conflicting reports on what he's good at, but my own observations say he's okay at everything. And that's his problem, he's just okay. It looks like he's suffering from age. He doesn't hold up forever in pass protection and is often seen letting his man go late in protection. As the game wears on he wears down. Good luck if we want to run the clock out late in a game. Good luck if we need to come from behind.
RT - Robert Gallery 25 6-7 325lbs: he is the Raiders' biggest enigma. Drafted #2 after being a bigtime LT after being moved from RT after being recruited by Iowa as a TE. Okay, so this guy is supposed to be a punishing run blocker and a shutdown pass protector. None of that has come to pass. he's an average run blocker and pass protector. Gallery's problem has been that he reaches a little too much and moves his feet too little. He's been slowly improving all season, but too slowly for my taste.
Reserves. G - Corey Husley 28 6-4 325lbs has seen time as the third TE and done a pretty good job. I can't say that I remember T - Chad Slaughter 27 6-8 340lbs seeing any time on the field, but considering how poorly the current squad has performed, I worry that he's less capable than what's already out there.
I really wonder how this group could get so bad so quickly. Maybe I'm struck with paralysis by analysis. I can pin Stone's problems on his age. I can point to Sims's problem with speed rushers, and I can say Grove suffers in pass protection and Treu in run blocking. Walker was learning a new position, and Badger had to be a jack of all trades and mastered of none.
So what needs to be done?
Simple. If there's any value left in Sims, it's at guard, left guard. People have wanted to move him inside since Gallery arrived.
As for Walker, tough call, he had enough problems with speed rushers at RT, but Lincoln Kennedy says don't give up on the guy yet. Okay Linc, it's hard to argue with your success, but you spent a couple years inside honing your skills and some time on the pine. I'll suggest Walker should hang inside for now, but shift over to RG so he can keep his footwork similar to RT if he ever hopes to move back.
Grove is the future at center. Kick (almost said bust) his ass in the off-season and get him in shape to start next season.
Stone, sorry guy, but see ya. With Walker moving here there's no room for you.
Gallery doesn't seem to have the strength to move out the traditional LDE's and seems a little flat-footed against the traditional LDE bull rush. So everyone says he should move to his "natural position" (like there's something natural about being an offensive lineman) of LT. I'm not sure he'll be any better than Sims at handling the speed rush, but he should be better at run blocking and handling the bull rush of traditional RDE's.
So what does that leave? RT is empty. Maybe Walker can handle it. If so we need a RG. Maybe Badger can handle it. Maybe Badger can handle RT. Maybe Slaughter or Hulsey can handle one of the positions. But for my money, if we can draft a lockdown tackle in the 1st round, I jump at it. I draft him twice, or clone him. But we need someone to start, we need someone with a mean streak. We need a Wisnewski or Shell. Someone who blocks from snap to the end of the whistle (not first sound).
What else? I'd give Colletto the old tomato (ultimatum) either install a nasty, ass-kicking scheme, or hit the bricks and I'll find someone who will. If he soft-shoes his answer or draws circles in the dirt with his toe, he's so gone it's ridiculous. Okay, I waffled, send him packing.
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