Why did we draft Pocic?

[Basis4day]

I do not buy the ‘too valuable as a back up’ talk from the coaches. If he is one of the best 5, he plays, it really is that simple. You can not afford to hold anything back in this league. We have alternatives at center, if the need were to arise.

So, to me, when they say that it just means he isn’t ready for the show. Which is disheartening to think he could possibly be worse than glow/aboushi. He has plenty of time to develop, but, can’t blame me for hoping for a starter. Dare to dream, dare to dream.

Who?

I don't really understand the logic to believe our O-Line is so awful that our backup center should be playing T/G but we have plenty of backup options at center to not worry about it.

 

[Coug_Hawk08]

I do not buy the ‘too valuable as a back up’ talk from the coaches. If he is one of the best 5, he plays, it really is that simple. You can not afford to hold anything back in this league. We have alternatives at center, if the need were to arise.

So, to me, when they say that it just means he isn’t ready for the show. Which is disheartening to think he could possibly be worse than glow/aboushi. He has plenty of time to develop, but, can’t blame me for hoping for a starter. Dare to dream, dare to dream.

Who?

Hunt is on the PS, and has been solid in pass pro from what we have seen. just bring him up and drop someone completely worthless like Glow, Roos or Battle.

Edit: saw the comment about a C as a guard/tackle. I don’t think C is necessarily his best nfl position.

 

[Basis4day]

I do not buy the ‘too valuable as a back up’ talk from the coaches. If he is one of the best 5, he plays, it really is that simple. You can not afford to hold anything back in this league. We have alternatives at center, if the need were to arise.

So, to me, when they say that it just means he isn’t ready for the show. Which is disheartening to think he could possibly be worse than glow/aboushi. He has plenty of time to develop, but, can’t blame me for hoping for a starter. Dare to dream, dare to dream.

Who?

Hunt is on the PS, and has been solid in pass pro from what we have seen. just bring him up and drop someone completely worthless like Glow, Roos or Battle.

Doesn't do much good midgame.

And they cut Hunt at the beginning of the year before adding him to the PS. Hes played one game and the offense scored 5 points against Tampa Bay. That doesn't really inspire me.

 

[Coug_Hawk08]

I do not buy the ‘too valuable as a back up’ talk from the coaches. If he is one of the best 5, he plays, it really is that simple. You can not afford to hold anything back in this league. We have alternatives at center, if the need were to arise.

So, to me, when they say that it just means he isn’t ready for the show. Which is disheartening to think he could possibly be worse than glow/aboushi. He has plenty of time to develop, but, can’t blame me for hoping for a starter. Dare to dream, dare to dream.

Who?

Hunt is on the PS, and has been solid in pass pro from what we have seen. just bring him up and drop someone completely worthless like Glow, Roos or Battle.

Doesn't do much good midgame.

And they cut Hunt at the beginning of the year before adding him to the PS. Hes played one game and the offense scored 5 points against Tampa Bay. That doesn't really inspire me.

They cut him because he plays center only. They want versatility, and yet carry players that cant play any position well. Not sure you actually watched Hunt play, but OK.

 

[Ozzy]

I'm in the versatility and give it time camp. As long as our line is showing progress as a unit, who gives a whoop.

It's been years. I'm tired of progress, it should of been fixed by now. Now I am starting to get cautiously optimistic on Ifedi. I really hope he can continue to get better. I'm also a glass half full guy but when it comes to the line I've lost faith in the whole process. The ability to self scout as coaches, scout the players, train them up etc. All of it. I do hope they prove me wrong though.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[mikeak]

They drafted him for his versatility.

Obviously they were planning on paying Britt because, well....they did. I theorize that Pocic was a hedge in case Britt wanted too much money.

He was also a hedge if Ifedi didn't work out. He was a hedge in a lot of areas....I think the coaching staff learned their lesson last year by relying on too much to go right and too many guys to develop. Pocic was polished and came from a good school.

It's also good to have quality OL depth because....injuries.

Yet they brought in star players like Tobin and Battle and have Glowinski playing. So is it really depth when they desperately are seeking serviceable alternatives???

They drafted a center and it turns out we already have one

Having as bad of a o-line as we did last year then cutting a guy that then goes and plays well for the Saints tells me they are missing the evaluation process

 

[AgentDib]

When talking Hawks OL it's critical to understand that they view themselves as a developmental coaching staff and see the main issue last season as a lack of experience. You may disagree, but the Hawks are basing their strategy on their own analysis.

They were expecting continued improvement at C and OT from Fant, Ifedi, and Britt in their second seasons of OL experience, NFL experience, and OC experience respectively. They went after veteran OG in FA and ended up with Joeckel and Aboushi. Fant-Joeckel-Britt-Aboushi-Ifedi in 2017 would have been a vastly more experienced line than any of our combinations in 2016.

A vocal minority of fans clamored for us to draft another 5 OL and start them all as rookies, but the majority understood that we were going to be hesitant about slotting any OL rookies into starting positions given the FO's concern about inexperience as Fant and Ifedi were still developing projects at OT.

Pocic was drafted to compete and eventually win a starting role, and they do like his developmental upside at four positions. However, we've played five games so far in his rookie campaign and you shouldn't be surprised that they are taking things slow with him, Roos and Battle - who have 5 combined NFL games between them. RG is probably Pocic's best chance of starting later this season but that depends a lot on Ifedi's progress, who according to many has been playing markedly better with the veteran Aboushi lining up next to him. It also depressingly depends on injury outcomes, as there's a high chance that one of our current starters will go down with 11 regular season games still to play.

Having as bad of a o-line as we did last year then cutting a guy that then goes and plays well for the Saints tells me they are missing the evaluation process

When they say they went too young last year that's one of the things they are talking about. Making room for one of their cheap young draft picks over an old expensive guy with injury problems is understandable on it's own, but decisions like that led to ending up with five OL starters with minimal NFL experience at their current position and that was a mistake in aggregate. That's exactly what they are trying to avoid this season by not immediately slotting Pocic in as a starter and letting him learn on the job.

 

[chris98251]

They have Hunt on the PS, so that's an out, yes he is a back up Center, but we have others that could snap in a pinch, may be a few butt fumbles and they may have to go under center in a specific game. But losing Britt we would be in trouble with line calls already, we have issues now.

Such as?

Roos I believe has played Center, then again you have to activate someone that can play as well.

 

[pittpnthrs]

Hated the pick and still do. Its simple, the FO cant evaluate OL talent and they whiffed again on Pocic. It makes it all the more frustrating watching the guys they passed on starting for their respected teams and being successful. I've given up hope on having any kind of a decent line as long as Carroll and Cable are here.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

Its simple, the FO cant evaluate OL talent and they whiffed again on Pocic.

Pocic is a more polished pick and possibly more starter-ready as a rookie than any of Rees, Fant, Glow, or Ifedi. That he isn't starting doesn't necessarily negate that.

 

[seahawkfreak]

Seems like all we do is draft guys for depth and versatility. Then they either get some playing time because of injuries, get cut or replace a starter who was once drafted for depth and versatility. So in the end we always end up with a young, cheap, underperforming line.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

 

[Bobblehead]

Who?

Hunt is on the PS, and has been solid in pass pro from what we have seen. just bring him up and drop someone completely worthless like Glow, Roos or Battle.

Doesn't do much good midgame.

And they cut Hunt at the beginning of the year before adding him to the PS. Hes played one game and the offense scored 5 points against Tampa Bay. That doesn't really inspire me.

They cut him because he plays center only. They want versatility, and yet carry players that cant play any position well. Not sure you actually watched Hunt play, but OK.

I'm not sure they want versatility in as much as they want someone that can actually play the position. Versatile players tend to be substitute layers who are not good enough to be in the starting lineup. Essentially, we have a offensive line of 2nd and 3rd stringers, Jacks of all trade, master of none.

 

[chris98251]

Hunt is on the PS, and has been solid in pass pro from what we have seen. just bring him up and drop someone completely worthless like Glow, Roos or Battle.

Doesn't do much good midgame.

And they cut Hunt at the beginning of the year before adding him to the PS. Hes played one game and the offense scored 5 points against Tampa Bay. That doesn't really inspire me.

They cut him because he plays center only. They want versatility, and yet carry players that cant play any position well. Not sure you actually watched Hunt play, but OK.

I'm not sure they want versatility in as much as they want someone that can actually play the position. Versatile players tend to be substitute layers who are not good enough to be in the starting lineup. Essentially, we have a offensive line of 2nd and 3rd stringers, Jacks of all trade, master of none.

Well we have players that played a primary position in college and were moved, that's not abnormal, many players at a Tackle position get drafted and are playing guard in the NFL, our problem is we keep moving them to attempt to teach them all the positions, this creates a slower player due to having to think more on every play instead of just playing down hill on the repetition over time.

 

[Mojambo]

I agree it's a bit concerning that he hasn't cracked that RG spot given how weak the competition has been there. But maybe they are trying a slower track development wise with him. It's hard to be disappointed if they're trying a different way. They way they've been doing it sucks.

Right now it feels like he's on the Glowinski development track. Which... yeah.

 

[A-Dog]

He's not good enough to displace any of the guys starting ahead of him, period. This is even after Fant and Joekel go down and Glow got benched.

HE. IS. NOT. GOOD. ENOUGH.

 

[pittpnthrs]

Its simple, the FO cant evaluate OL talent and they whiffed again on Pocic.

Pocic is a more polished pick and possibly more starter-ready as a rookie than any of Rees, Fant, Glow, or Ifedi. That he isn't starting doesn't necessarily negate that.

I'm sorry Montana, but I'm looking at it in a more black and white picture. We have an atrocious Oline and we grab a guy in the 2nd round that cant even crack the starting line-up? That's a failure. A line as bad as ours doesn't give us the luxury of drafting somebody that can sit back and learn. A 2nd rounder should have been an easy plug in and we missed yet again.

 

[chris98251]

I really don't think he is a miss, every pre season game he was playing we looked better where ever he played, once again I think there is a stubbornness who's name is Cable and Pete that is trying to say no Rookies this year.

He was touted as the most technically sound lineman in the draft, showed in pre season he was a improvement where ever he played.

 

[Seafan]

I really don't think he is a miss, every pre season game he was playing we looked better where ever he played, once again I think there is a stubbornness who's name is Cable and Pete that is trying to say no Rookies this year.

He was touted as the most technically sound lineman in the draft, showed in pre season he was a improvement where ever he played.

Agree with this. There has been a movement towards experience on the OL. Can't argue with that because they went too far the other way last season.

 

[pittpnthrs]

Sooooo, let me get this straight. Pocic looked better than the current players that are starting when he actually played, but yet, he is sitting on the bench only because the coaching staff want the other garbage players to gain some cohesion and because Pocic is a rookie.

Do I have everything covered?

 

[Maelstrom787]

Sooooo, let me get this straight. Pocic looked better than the current players that are starting when he actually played, but yet, he is sitting on the bench only because the coaching staff want the other garbage players to gain some cohesion and because Pocic is a rookie.

Do I have everything covered?

Pretty much.

They're looking to get by with an experienced, veteran unit. Fant would've helped a lot, but oh well. They're emphasizing experience over all else and letting Pocic sit and learn.

They think the mistake is that they went far too young on the line last year. They're trying to correct it.