Scottemojo":1q76h1hf said:
Not something I can include in a forum discussion, but if you ever see Rishaw interviewed he is the dumbest sounding person on the planet. His pass blocking doesn't look smart either. Seriously, I wonder if the guy has the brains to adjust to line calls. Does the coaching staff care? Not if a guy can play. See: Bruce Irvin. But by and large we have a articulate team. It is one of the more notable differences between the Hawks and Niners.
That's a shame. I'd put Irvin (whom I loved as a prospect), Curry, and Carpenter in that dumb as rocks category too, and they make up 3/5 of our first round draft picks since 2009. Not surprising that the two guys who give great interviews, Okung and Thomas, have been by far the best 1st rounders of that group.
I can't comment on the line calls, but then again any lineman playing against 3rd stringers in vanilla schemed preseason games tends to have very little to call/watch out for.
OL and DL are IMO two positions where IQ matters less, though center is probably an exception. Really, at those positions it is all about athleticism and nastiness with a sprinkling of technique, experience and chemistry. Alvin Bailey is brand new to tackle and already looks terrific, because he's got the most important part down- athletic talent plus (consistent) nastiness. He never takes a down off (well, other than the final garbage time drive, technically).
OL is a position that requires relative perfection to be considered average, even the worst linemen in the game probably only allow a sack 10 times a season in 500+ opportunities. The good news is, OL have a shitload of major advantages over DL: knowing the snap count, less exertion, can give ground and still win, QB play can make them look better, etc. What we are seeing with Bailey is that it doesn't take much to "win" your matchup, it's really more a question of consistency. And Bailey (so far) has looked extremely consistent. Consistency is where Giacomini, Sweezy, and Johnson struggle.
I remember being down on Anthony Davis (2010 draft) because he lacked technique, was a stiff athlete, and seemed dumb as a pile of rocks. What Davis did have was a truckload of raw power and an occasional mean streak. Davis was selected by the 49ers in the first round and has started at tackle every game since, just recently signing a big contract extension. I still think he's the same flawed guy he's always been, but in SF that team has shown the value of stockpiling road graders. It's about so much more than just running or passing the football. It's about setting the tone, establishing alpha-male status on the field and making opponents play with their tails between their legs in the 4th quarter (think 49ers-Packers in the playoffs or Seahawks-Dallas in week 2).
I see Johnson as a classic 49ers type OL. The 49ers adjusted sack rate was nearly the worst in the NFL last season, and yet the 49ers are commonly cited as the NFL's best offensive line. Their pro-bowl LG, Mike Iupati, is similar to Johnson as well. He's a mauler with issues in pass protection.
Our offense is a bit different since Wilson's performance dips when the interior of the pocket collapses, and he holds the ball longer than anyone, but it does seem like Seattle has a similar philosophy and I don't think Johnson would have too high a bar to clear to make it in pass pro (as evidenced by JR Sweezy and Breno Giacomini).
In terms of smarts, Irvin probably isn't smart enough or instinctive enough to be another Chris Clemons, but neither is Aldon Smith and the 49ers etched out a role where he could be productive. Something Carroll and Harbaugh have in common is their ability to manufacture production out of raw athletes.
I am not anti-Moffitt at all, but right now he's a limited athlete surrounded by rare athletes. He is out of place on our line. He has about as much a niche with our current OL identity as Justin Forsett had with Tom Cable's downhill smashmouth rushing attack. Forsett could have value on a team like the Jaguars (his current team) or the Titans who operate with relatively finesse rushing attacks. Similarly, I could see Moffitt having real value elsewhere on a line that doesn't put a premium on physical domination. I think Moffitt has many years left in the NFL, I just think his days are numbered with us.
