Our OL next year...

[Langlier]

We all know we need a change here... or a lot of development...

That said with Gallery possibly gone for the year we'll get an extended audition of Chad Slaughter as one of the possible development answers... that said I'm thumbing through our lineman and thinking where I see them

Gallery - LT - Starting - bad as hes been it hes still been one of our better linemen... probably #2 to Boothe of all people.

Boothe - RT - Starting - I like this guys mobility for his size and think we move him one spot out to RT.

Walker - RT/G - Backup - the turnstyle on the outside gets moved to being a key reserve.

McQuistan - RG - Starting - After a year on the bench he gets another shot at starting

Grove - C - Starting - Only because I'm not comfortable with Treu or Hulsey there... I think we see Grove beef up this offseason to do it though.

Hulsey - C/G - Primary interior backup - Backs up all interior spots as the main backup.

Slaughter - T - backup - same ol same ol... but deserves to come back

Sims - Cut - has played OK... but not worth his contract

Badger - G/T - backup - good depth and I want him back if he takes a paycut... but it needs to be a significant paycut.

Adam Treu - C/LS - primary LS - Good enough depth and unless we draft another project C or Morris looks good in TC hes back again

notice theres no new starting LG? Thats because I want...

Eric Steinbach - LG - Starting - adds a veteran presence to the line and should immediately help his former Iowa mate on that side.

 

[Crow]

Boothe has been getting torched lately. I can't imagine him playing outside.


Robert Gallery
Leonard Davis
Jake Grove
Chad Slaughter
Paul McQuistan


Slaughter is a big guy who can move people, but struggles against speed. Move his ass inside and give him as many reps as it takes to get him up to speed.

McQuistan, rightly or wrongly, was a high pick, so we have little choice but to make every effort to get some sort of return out of him. Langston Walker has let me down, so let's give the ugly white guy a shot.

I think there's a 50/50 chance that we let Sims go. I'd rather not, but with guys like Davis and Slaughter at guard, Sims' lightweight ass sees his value fall off just a bit. Primary backup at LT/LG if he's retained.

At center, a lack of realistic alternatives keeps Grove at the pivot.


Hell, I guess I could do it this way...


LT - Robert Gallery, Barry Sims, Langston Walker
LG - Leonard Davis, Barry Sims, Corey Hulsey
C - Jake Grove, Corey Hulsey, Adam Treu
RG - Chad Slaughter, Kevin Boothe, Brad Badger
RT - Paul McQuistan, Barry Sims, Langston Walker

 

[Banter]

I'm pretty sure Walker has one of those voidable 6th year contracts. Like Tui had only he couldn't void cause he didn't play enough in the previous 5 years.

I'm also guessing Sims has a 4 to 6 million dollar roster or option bonus due next offseason. Cause it doesn't make sense that his salary next year is 1 million when he's been raking in roughly 5 million the past couple years.

I'd let Walker walk. Also, cut Sims using one of those designations that you can use for 2 players that let you take the cap hit the following year.

Go hard after Steinbach or Vince Manuwai to give us a young vet with a lot of starts under their belt to man LG.

Stacy Andrews is a RFA. If the Bengals use the low tender on him I'd consider signing him (cost us our 4th rounder) to play RT.

 

[jatfly]

I'm pretty sure Walker has one of those voidable 6th year contracts. Like Tui had only he couldn't void cause he didn't play enough in the previous 5 years.

I'm also guessing Sims has a 4 to 6 million dollar roster or option bonus due next offseason. Cause it doesn't make sense that his salary next year is 1 million when he's been raking in roughly 5 million the past couple years.

I'd let Walker walk. Also, cut Sims using one of those designations that you can use for 2 players that let you take the cap hit the following year.

Go hard after Steinbach or Vince Manuwai to give us a young vet with a lot of starts under their belt to man LG.

Stacy Andrews is a RFA. If the Bengals use the low tender on him I'd consider signing him (cost us our 4th rounder) to play RT.

Unbelieveable someone actually making sence and not using Madden 07 as their platform to fix the team?

We need GUARDS,,,,,,I thnk we have at least two guys that somehow can figure out to shore up the T spots, and I would give Grove another shot as well....

 

[Banter]

Sounds like the Eagles could be cleaning house.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15805492/

Among the Eagles players gone after this season are Mike Bartrum, Tre Thomas, Jon Runyan, Darwin Walker, Dhani Jones and Michael Lewis

 

[brick]

The Oline is in shambles, the players are not performing and the scheme sucks.

Gallery's injury may have thrown a wrench into next years plans as well. This is his 2nd major injury to his elbow (although it may have been his other arm his rookie year). If he cannot get back full extension in his arm then his days at LT are over.

Boothe looks to be getting run down by the long NFL grind. His performance the last two weeks has not been where it was earlier.

Huesly has not been perfroming well in Pass-pro. Not that Sims was either.

Grove has not improved this year.

Walker is showing why the Raiders tried him at guard.

Slaughter keeps impressing me with his limited time. Part of this is that I don't expect as much because he doesn't get as much time with the 1's so my expectations are lower.

Next year:

RT ??? Slaughter? McQ? FA?
RG Boothe, McQ?
C Grove, Moore
LG ??? Huesly? Gallery (if the injury is serious) FA?
LT Gallery?? FA?

With the picks that have been expended on the Oline this many question marks is pathetic. However I put alot of the blame on the coaching. Shell hasn't coached Oline in years, the other Oline coaches are coaching the position for the 1st time ( I don't care about what they did as players, great players don't always make good coaches)

The biggest problem here is the blocking scheme. The Raiders keep switching schemes from year to year. And this years scheme either hasn't been fully implimented or it is a joke. The players regularly are confused by simple defensive schemes and there is almost no adjustment at the line to what the D is doing. How many times have we seen the T or G double a man while another goes unblocked. How many times has the T gone inside with nobody going outside.

This is Line blocking 101, and the Raiders are failing. The entire offensive staff needs Bill Parcells coaching tapes sent to them for Christmas.

Hopefuly Shell, Slater and Eatman get up to speed this offseason, or the Raiders need to bring in an Oline coach who has a clue. Teams like NE, NO and SD show how with proper schemes you can produce with lines full of rejects and late round picks.

 

[Madturk]

I think HB was pimping Runyon during the offseason. Even if he's got a year or maybe two left in the tank, he'd definitely be an upgrade.

If we could get Steinbach or Ryan Lilja to man the LG position, sign LDavis or Runyan to play RT then draft Kyle Young C from Fresno State and as backup to Gallery, I think our OL will be vastly improved.

LT Gallery/Slaughter
LG Steinbach or Lilja/Hulsey
C Grove/Young
RG Boothe/McNasty
RT Leonard Davis/Walker

 

[Madturk]

Gallery's injury may have thrown a wrench into next years plans as well. This is his 2nd major injury to his elbow (although it may have been his other arm his rookie year). If he cannot get back full extension in his arm then his days at LT are over.

Aside from his mediocre play, his durability seems to be an issue. I think part of it has to do with his strength and conditioning. Yesterday's injury for example. He flat out got knocked on his ass by one of the KC DLinemen.

 

[brick]

I think HB was pimping Runyon during the offseason. Even if he's got a year or maybe two left in the tank, he'd definitely be an upgrade.

If we could get Steinbach or Ryan Lilja to man the LG position, sign LDavis or Runyan to play RT then draft Kyle Young C from Fresno State and as backup to Gallery, I think our OL will be vastly improved.

LT Gallery/Slaughter
LG Steinbach or Lilja/Hulsey
C Grove/Young
RG Boothe/McNasty
RT Leonard Davis/Walker

I have a small mancrush on Young. I hope that somehow he falls to the 3rd round so that the Raiders can take him. He could play at any position on the Oline at the next level. Gallery can't cut it at LT, plug in Young and play Gallery at LG. Can't get a viable LG in FA, plug in Young, Grove takes a step back, plug in Young.

I don't like Davis at RT, or any T for that matter. He seems to me like he would fit in at a Guard. But I think his price tag will be too high and he wants to go back to texas.

I think Runyan's best days are behind him and he would be a 1 year stop gap. Not that this team doesn't need to fill some holes, but I'de rather see someone get the spot that we can count on for 3-5 years and stop the revolving door madnessn on the Oline.

 

[Madturk]

I think Runyan's best days are behind him and he would be a 1 year stop gap. Not that this team doesn't need to fill some holes, but I'de rather see someone get the spot that we can count on for 3-5 years and stop the revolving door madnessn on the Oline.

Well I hope Mcnasty can step up into that role and Boothe and him can man the right side of the line for years to come like Grove and Gallery were supposed to.

 

[hawaiianboy]

I think Runyan's best days are behind him and he would be a 1 year stop gap. Not that this team doesn't need to fill some holes, but I'de rather see someone get the spot that we can count on for 3-5 years and stop the revolving door madnessn on the Oline.

I'd still like to pick up Runyan if he becomes available... What our line has been missing for a few years now is a lunch pail vet the rest of the guys can look to as an on field leader... A tough guy that will set the tone with a nasty streak and get in some people's faces when they are not up to speed... Runyan is still a nasty run blocker and I think he's going on his 11th year now having never lost a game to injury... He's a guy that we can stick there at RT for a year or so while developing a young draftee... If a guy like McQuistan or Chad Slaughter prove themselves able, you can easily slide Runyan inside to guard and extend his career 2-3 years ala Larry Allen...

Runyan got a mere $1.5 Mill last offseason as a signing bonus from Philly.... so he shouldn't be a guy that breaks the bank, though we would have to overpay him to come to aboard much the way we'll have to overpay everyone else....

Frankly, I wouldn't be opposed to signing Runyan to start at LG... Aside from the fact I love big mauling guards, he'd help Gallery out tremendously IMO...

 

[Rupert]

I agree, but I'm concerned. Every team needs the hard-working vets to tutor the young punks. Someone needs to show them how it's done, and get in their faces when they slack off. But it's tough for a guy who isn't in the upper tier to tutor guys with more talent than he has.

How does a guy who can no longer muscle a DL onto his ass demonstrate the technique to a guy who should be able to muscle a DL onto his ass? Does he bring in a TE and then ask the kid to do it to a DT? The kid might not think it's possible, or might not think the guy's technique is the right way to do it.