2016 vs 2017 oline

There is no question that the 2016 o line sucked. 2017 wasn't much better. Two guys were part of both lines. Britt and Ifedi. It took Britt until his 3rd year and 3rd position change to finally be worth keeping on the roster. Most fans wanted him gone after each of his first 2 years. Maybe Ifedi will pull it together in his 3rd year at RG.

I think that the o line is in better shape heading into 2018. Brown should stabilize the LT spot and be better after time in the system. Joekel (If resigned) should be healthier and ready to go from the start. Pocic will be better. Could Pocic and Ifedi switch positions and make the the line better as a whole? Can Fant come back healthy and play well at RT?

Joekel is the only one not under contract for next year. Heading into the off-season, it looks like, on paper at least, that the o line is in better shape potentially than it was at this time last year. Most will want Ifedi gone but he's under contract so he will be back.

Other than the obvious Cable must go responses, how does everyone feel about the talent level of the o line?

LT Duane Brown
LG Jordan Roos
C Justin Britt
RG Germain Ifedi
RT George Fant
ST Ethan Pocic

I think we finally have a group that could be pretty good, at least on paper. I really liked what I saw from Roos. Ifedi is clearly better suited for guard. This line would have a nice combination of experienced veterans (Brown and Britt) and versatile athletes (Roos and Fant). Pocic is probably best at center but should be cross trained at all five positions.

Joekel can find some other team to overpay for him next year. Then he'll probably get fully healthy and make the Probowl.

Big picture- my eyes tell me there is no way the OL should be as bad as it consistently looks. It's been discussed ad nauseum, but there have got to be the worst scheme and communication issues imaginable going on for all 5 positions to look as bad as they often do.

LT- Brown
LG-Pocic/draft pick
C-Britt
RG-Ifedi/Pocic
RT-Fant

I hope we go OL early again but even if we don't this looks better but it also means new positions for Fant and Ifedi.

Can we imagine a big bad ass LG mauler on the left. I don't know what to do on the right side.

seahawkfreak":1mnc5vyw said:

Can we imagine a big bad ass LG mauler on the left. I don't know what to do on the right side.

Click to expand...

Roooooooooos

Too often this season multiple o linemen were blown up on the same play. RBs and QBs struggling to complete a handoff because defenders are actually challenging the exchange. Constant pressure from multiple locations on pass plays. Brown and Britt can stay. Pocic is still a work in progress and a depth piece on a good line. I'd like to see the team bring in some more free agent talent like Brown with the cap space saved with Graham gone, Kam and Cliff maybe retiring, etc. The "draft and develop" theory isn't working. I don't want to see Russell's prime wasted as we fiddle around with a sub standard line. Brown at LT, Fant at RT, Britt C, and two solid journeymen free agents to fill in the guard positions. Current young guys as depth / injury replacements. Coupled with a TE that can actually be physical and block. Russ should not be expected to go through another season absorbing this level of pounding. If we had a QB with avg NFL mobility, we'd have set a record for sacks allowed.

As long as Cabevell is here, significant OL improvement will not happen.

The real issue is that we roll the dice bringing guys from other positions to play OL, then put them in the ZBS - which is one of the more difficult systems to learn correctly.

Finally, after years of struggle - some of them finally get it...right about the time we let them walk.

If we had bothered to keep some of our guys we do not have this problem.

The second problem is the belief that attitude/meaness is somehow a valuable OL trait that we will take at the expense of skill. There is a belief this skill/ability can be learned later - but that just wastes time and it rarely works for us. We need lineman than play the damned position we draft, not former UPS delivery guys that are 'mean and nasty'

Our entire approach to the OL is stupid, does not work and wastes draft capital. And every year we go all in, believing THIS time it will work....whatever.

I was sounding the alarm bells for the last couple years about the tackle position and the center position before Britt.

But next year, it looks like they have potentially five good pieces who seem to fit together. Though, I'm not sure how much faith we should put in George Fant returning from injury to learn a new position or Jordan Roos (though I really like what I have seen from "Creature Man" in limited action).

renofox":1azxqbp0 said:

As long as Cabevell is here, significant OL improvement will not happen.

Click to expand...

Pretty much. They don't have talent issues on the OL it is coaching pure and simple. Everything Cable touches turns to crap, don't shake his hand.

The free agent market for OL's looks pretty thin. Wonder if someone like La'el Collins might be available? Was lurking on a Cowboys forum and it seems he's like their Germain Ifedi without the penalties. Still young with upside but has a $6.5M average cap hit the next two seasons. Can play LG and RT.

LT Brown
LG Collins / Roos
C Britt / Pocic
RG Ifedi
RT Fant

We have Brown and Britt instead of just Britt so it'll have to be better but we will still be scratching our heads at the poor start next year.

And there is zero hard evidence cable can draft and mold a tackle. Fant was awful last year and will be coming off injury.

Again we will have new players at 3 positions if we move Ifedi although I abs support moving Ifedi.

Every single year we talk about how the line will be better and every year it isn't. So no, I'm still not buying. Brown is the only real difference and he's a year older and in cable's system a year. So he will be worse.

hawknation2017":3tkrcwct said:

LT Duane Brown
LG Jordan Roos
C Justin Britt
RG Germain Ifedi
RT George Fant
ST Ethan Pocic

I think we finally have a group that could be pretty good, at least on paper. I really liked what I saw from Roos. Ifedi is clearly better suited for guard. This line would have a nice combination of experienced veterans (Brown and Britt) and versatile athletes (Roos and Fant). Pocic is probably best at center but should be cross trained at all five positions.

Click to expand...

Dude, wipe your ass with this paper, it's what any team with a semi competent D Line will do.

mrt144":38dmox6d said:

hawknation2017":38dmox6d said:

LT Duane Brown
LG Jordan Roos
C Justin Britt
RG Germain Ifedi
RT George Fant
ST Ethan Pocic

I think we finally have a group that could be pretty good, at least on paper. I really liked what I saw from Roos. Ifedi is clearly better suited for guard. This line would have a nice combination of experienced veterans (Brown and Britt) and versatile athletes (Roos and Fant). Pocic is probably best at center but should be cross trained at all five positions.

Click to expand...

Dude, wipe your ass with this paper, it's what any team with a semi competent D Line will do.

Click to expand...

LOL, I agree. Glad I don't suffer from reading all that garbage.

Not surprising at all, and spoken like a true Tom Cable disciple.

What has Jordan Roos done to get anyone excited about him? Dude couldn't even get a start on the team with a horrible OL and several injuries throughout the year. Not saying he might not be good just not counting on it.

This question is like arguing over which pile of shit stinks the least.

getnasty":94a3w0h1 said:

What has Jordan Roos done to get anyone excited about him? Dude couldn't even get a start on the team with a horrible OL and several injuries throughout the year. Not saying he might not be good just not counting on it.

Click to expand...

He's a body under team control, no more no less.

Roos looked very good to me on Sunday. Good power and moves extremely well for his size. He would be our 3rd highest graded offensive lineman (behind Brown and Britt) if he had played enough snaps.

Why didn't he play enough snaps? The team was committed to not going "too young" on the offensive line. This was basically a redshirt year for Roos.

But it is a small sample size and athleticism does not always translate in the longterm, so we will see. I would think Pocic would have the edge over Roos going into training camp. Roos would have to beat someone out.

The line actually looks decent on paper. Under a different OL coach and new scheme, I think they could be a league average line with no changes. Under Cable, however, they will continue to be a bottom 5 line regardless of talent and continuity.