NFL has an Offensive Line Crisis

[hieroglyphics]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...offensive-line-crisis/?utm_term=.ffaabe1ca43e


Great article, makes some valid arguments why the O-linemen drafted essentially come into the league a few years behind their counterparts. League rules preventing practice time to develop the unit, and their spread offense style needing to be tossed away for a pro-level style has just caused a massive problem for quality of play in the NFL and can also be contributing to the seemingly massive increase in season ending injuries the past few years.

 

[cymatica]

While the article is correct, some teams have found success with their offensive lines, and they are not always high draft picks. The practice rules suck too but some team have figured out a way to overcome this.

Here's the bottom line though. This o-line isn't just bad, it's historically bad. Just like we always hear, picture life without Wilson and Lynch. This defense would have been Greenbay'd to suck status. Or Arizona'd, that game last year wore them down a couple weeks. The eye test has always said this.

Seriously they need to admit they have a problem and find help.

 

[Seymour]

Good thing we have no rookies starting and our oline averages 3.2 years experience.

Another great advantage we should see translate to the field this season. :2thumbs:

 

[sdog1981]

Good thing we have no rookies starting and our oline averages 3.2 years experience.

Another great advantage we should see translate to the field this season. :2thumbs:

Don't forget that 4/5th the line was on the team last season.

 

[hawk45]

If the point of referencing the article is just to observe that OL play is down across the league, okay.

If the point of the league is to make excuses for our OL, it fails. A league-wide issue would not result in our OL ranking near the bottom consistently. Rankings are relative, not absolute.

 

[sdog1981]

If the point of referencing the article is just to observe that OL play is down across the league, okay.

If the point of the league is to make excuses for our OL, it fails. A league-wide issue would not result in our OL ranking near the bottom consistently. Rankings are relative, not absolute.

Also if it was true the season would be over by week 14 due to every QB being on IR. What the article is really saying is your Oline/Dline coaches are now your most important hires. Gone are the days that an Oline/Dline coach can bring in rookies bang away all spring and summer and turn them into a unit.

 

[Rocket]

I find this to be a wonderful thing, as it makes the Hawks look less bad.

 

[hawk45]

I find this to be a wonderful thing, as it makes the Hawks look less bad.

Except that it doesn't make the Hawks look less bad in the slightest.

 

[Siouxhawk]

Anyone watching this Bengals line? Atrocious.

 

[hawxfreak]

Does this mean that if we get beat terribly on the ground and then through the air by the same team in one game then we can hire their oc and oline coach and dump the ones we currently have :stirthepot:
A guy can dream right ?

 

[chris98251]

Anyone watching this Bengals line? Atrocious.

They have a plan and it will all work out I hear.

 

[Siouxhawk]

Good luck with that. Soon to be 0-3.

 

[Mad Dog]

I've been saying that for a couple years. Many lines are bad. Few are good. And probably represent a bit of statistical luck as much as good coaching. Everyone is struggling to find good prospects, a few blind squirrel GM's get it right and voila, they look like geniuses. Schneider hasn't had his OL blind squirrel moment like he has with DB's, but hopefully soon.

The problem is, every good athlete wants to be DL. Every college offence recognizes they OL prospects are slugs and designs a spread offence to manage the problem of crappy prospects. Then the scouts have no good evaluation film and recognizes lots of these guys are slugs and its hard to know which ones will work out and which ones won't. So the draft becomes a crap shoot where some teams get lucky and some don't.

 

[OpHawk]

ZOOOOOM!!!!

:|

 

[scutterhawk]

Pathetic commentaries....But, I suppose it's easier to let a few negative quitters have the stage, and just go with the flow.SMH :34853_doh:

 

[Seafan]

Yep.

 

[Ambrose83]

Good luck with that. Soon to be 0-3.

And if they had our d they would win 70 percent of the time !

 

[jammerhawk]

I've been saying that for a couple years. Many lines are bad. Few are good. And probably represent a bit of statistical luck as much as good coaching. Everyone is struggling to find good prospects, a few blind squirrel GM's get it right and voila, they look like geniuses. Schneider hasn't had his OL blind squirrel moment like he has with DB's, but hopefully soon.

The problem is, every good athlete wants to be DL. Every college offence recognizes they OL prospects are slugs and designs a spread offence to manage the problem of crappy prospects. Then the scouts have no good evaluation film and recognizes lots of these guys are slugs and its hard to know which ones will work out and which ones won't. So the draft becomes a crap shoot where some teams get lucky and some don't.

Thing is the Hawks really haven't got lucky yet with any of the 3-1st round OLine picks they've made with the present regime. In fact it seems like you could throw darts against the list of candidates and choose better in terms of retention at least. Perhaps their selection parameters need reassessment? They were patient with Britt and he seems to have rounded into a pro quality player. Regrettably some of the others look unready for prime time so far.

I suspect the honest answer is the point made clear by the league wide paucity of legitimate candidates. The college game is not producing pro ready offensive linemen. Rocks can be thrown in terms of assessment, coaching up, scheme, etc., etc.
In the end it's simply hard to make chicken salad with chicken manure.

We all need to hold our noses wait and hope the staff can fix this continuing comedy. It seems like such a waste to have quality parts to an O that aren't able to be used b/c the OLine can't pass protect.

 

[jammerhawk]

Good luck with that. Soon to be 0-3.

And if they had our d they would win 70 percent of the time !

Yet that would sadly have little to do with their ability to have a functioning O.

 

[cymatica]

I've been saying that for a couple years. Many lines are bad. Few are good. And probably represent a bit of statistical luck as much as good coaching. Everyone is struggling to find good prospects, a few blind squirrel GM's get it right and voila, they look like geniuses. Schneider hasn't had his OL blind squirrel moment like he has with DB's, but hopefully soon.

The problem is, every good athlete wants to be DL. Every college offence recognizes they OL prospects are slugs and designs a spread offence to manage the problem of crappy prospects. Then the scouts have no good evaluation film and recognizes lots of these guys are slugs and its hard to know which ones will work out and which ones won't. So the draft becomes a crap shoot where some teams get lucky and some don't.

Thing is the Hawks really haven't got lucky yet with any of the 3-1st round OLine picks they've made with the present regime. In fact it seems like you could throw darts against the list of candidates and choose better in terms of retention at least. Perhaps their selection parameters need reassessment? They were patient with Britt and he seems to have rounded into a pro quality player. Regrettably some of the others look unready for prime time so far.

I suspect the honest answer is the point made clear by the league wide paucity of legitimate candidates. The college game is not producing pro ready offensive linemen. Rocks can be thrown in terms of assessment, coaching up, scheme, etc., etc.
In the end it's simply hard to make chicken salad with chicken manure.

We all need to hold our noses wait and hope the staff can fix this continuing comedy. It seems like such a waste to have quality parts to an O that aren't able to be used b/c the OLine can't pass protect.

This could very well ruin football. We will see a handful of teams play good watchable football, while the rest of the league get's to watch the Tom Cable show.