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Could Todd Wades height really be an issue?


AFskinsfan

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I did a search and didnt really find anything on this particular subject. I was reading in anothe post that he is progessing well, but he is too tall for that position and is working hard on his stance. Not being a tall person or a lineman for that matter I really don't know what the impact of being 6'8 would have on that position. Is there anyone out there that can shed some light on this. Do you think this could possible be an area of weakness on the line? I do however see Wade as a great pulling gaurd if needed as well as a being good in pass protection, just not sure about the trench work down the middle.

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His hieght will be combersome to him slightly. Dlinemen getting lower on him out of the blocks, getting under his shoulder pads and driving him back. If he can get an aggressive first step and stay low, he has those long arms to keep people at bay and push them around. I think he will be fine. Since we got him, the coaches have been pretty high on him. I origanally thought Pucillo would start over him, but he has secured it for himself. Im not too overly worried until i start to see Campbell on his back... then Ill wish we had splurged on someone in the offseason besides Dock.

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Campbell is 6'5" so we should concentrate on the difference. There is a 3" difference which is minimal. Look at QB's who are 6'0" and have OL that are 6'6". Wade will be more athletic and smarter.

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Im not so worried about his height blocking JC's view, Wade should be in a shorter stance anyways. I'm more worried about the short stocky D linemen and linebackers with a lower center of gravity. IE: how would he do against a rushing London Fletcher? How does he compare with the Dlineman in the NFC East? Im sure he will do OK, this is more of just an "Arsenio Hall things that make you say HMMMM"

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I believe very strongly that it is a mistake to experiment with this position and with Wade. He is very good tackle and a strong backup to Jansen. Right tackle is no problem with those 2 together. Meanwhile our backup tackle spot is now diminished with him practicing at guard instead of tackle...his NATURAL position.

No Dockery should no have been paid, but we could certainly go out in free agency after june 1st and get a solid experienced veteran or trade a draft pick for somebody because without an offensive line you have no running game, no passing game, no time of possession, and then the defense breaks down like last season.

Guard is TOO essential to the Redskins season, and yet people talk about it like it is a throwaway position. Wade is a tackle, I wish him well, but he will replaced at that spot before the season starts or the season ends because he is a tackle....NOT a guard.

yes indeed. that is my opinion but we don't have long to wait and see.

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I believe very strongly that it is a mistake to experiment with this position and with Wade. He is very good tackle and a strong backup to Jansen. Right tackle is no problem with those 2 together. Meanwhile our backup tackle spot is now diminished with him practicing at guard instead of tackle...his NATURAL position.

No Dockery should no have been paid, but we could certainly go out in free agency after june 1st and get a solid experienced veteran or trade a draft pick for somebody because without an offensive line you have no running game, no passing game, no time of possession, and then the defense breaks down like last season.

Guard is TOO essential to the Redskins season, and yet people talk about it like it is a throwaway position. Wade is a tackle, I wish him well, but he will replaced at that spot before the season starts or the season ends because he is a tackle....NOT a guard.

yes indeed. that is my opinion but we don't have long to wait and see.

We do have other options if Wade doesnt work out. Tucker, Molinaro, Whitley, Whitticker... I think we will find someone who can do the job. Just finding a body to plug in between Samuels and Rabach isnt the hardest thing in the world. But the staff believes, and with good reason I think, that Wade can be more than just a fill in.

His height may be a disadvantage for him, but Dockery was only two inches shorter. How much of a difference in two inches, really?

Personally, I think Wade will be fine. I'm really not too concerned about the offensive line.

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I think the main issue at hand is going to be the leverage issue. Football in general is a game of leverage. D-tackles play low and through the guard while D-ends play wider and a little higher. Because of his height, if a D-tackle can get low enough on him with enough of a burst, it can cause Wade to lose balance. Losing balance, even for a second, could be disastrous and blow up many plays.

I think Wade is a very good player but his height could very well get in the way. I'd like more of a security option back there if we see a lot of DTs start racking up sacks on us, because we know where those would have come from.

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He is only 2 inches taller than Dockery. I can't see that being the biggest problem. I think his adjustment overall could be the downfall here. He is playing an unfamiliar position.

Let us hope is an All-pro or at least competent.

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I believe very strongly that it is a mistake to experiment with this position and with Wade. He is very good tackle and a strong backup to Jansen. Right tackle is no problem with those 2 together. Meanwhile our backup tackle spot is now diminished with him practicing at guard instead of tackle...his NATURAL position.

No Dockery should no have been paid, but we could certainly go out in free agency after june 1st and get a solid experienced veteran or trade a draft pick for somebody because without an offensive line you have no running game, no passing game, no time of possession, and then the defense breaks down like last season.

Guard is TOO essential to the Redskins season, and yet people talk about it like it is a throwaway position. Wade is a tackle, I wish him well, but he will replaced at that spot before the season starts or the season ends because he is a tackle....NOT a guard.

yes indeed. that is my opinion but we don't have long to wait and see.

I really think you are being a little too picky by suggesting that Wade will be a hinderance as the left guard. Most of his responsibilities will be pulling and pass protection which plays into his forte. I don't see him as a liability as you do, but I do see him as someone the coaching staff thinks that he can play the position with distintion.

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Im not so worried about his height blocking JC's view, Wade should be in a shorter stance anyways. I'm more worried about the short stocky D linemen and linebackers with a lower center of gravity. IE: how would he do against a rushing London Fletcher? How does he compare with the Dlineman in the NFC East? Im sure he will do OK, this is more of just an "Arsenio Hall things that make you say HMMMM"

Exactly. Taller guys get stood up a lot easier. I used to be able to get a punch and shove on the bottom of the shoulder pads, and jam them up into the Olinemans neck area, that was it. It stands them up and when a big boy like that is verticle, and you have the momentum, he's like a revolving door. Im 5'10'' and definitely liked playing the edge against bigger guys. It was the short fire plug's that gave me a hard time. They would stay low, and impliment the same technique angainst me that i would them. Smaller guys are harder to move, or they were for me... but thats probably because i wasnt a big guy either.

I trust Buges. If he likes Wade there, he must be doing something right. The fight at the line of scrimmage is won and lost by who can get low and get momentum, its getting close.

BTW< i love the Smoot and thick skin comment. :laugh: Im glad he is back and brings that element back to the lockeroom.

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I don't imagine height is such a huge problem for the offensive line... They do know the snap count. ;) Many of the defensive lineman in this league are 6'2" to 6'7". Only issue for a tackle moving to guard is that he needs to be fast and agile in the running game to pull and flatten those linebackers and safeties... :)

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There have been a lot of guys in the history of this league that have successfully made the switch from Tackle to guard, so for anyone to say it's simply not going to work is quite presumptive and simply not grounded in fact. Dockery was a tackle in college actually, and although he certainly had some struggles in the early going they were not due to his dimensions.

From what I have seen of Wade, he is at his best as a run blocker rather than as a pass defender. He's slightly slower of foot than might be desirable at tackle sometimes, but he has great strength, good technique, and is a dominating run blocker. Those qualities would seem to lend themselves well to the switch to guard.

Where his game will be made or broken now though is how well he is able to get the jump on his opponents. You are a lot closer to your opponent pre-snap at guard than you are at tackle, so reaction time becomes much more of a factor. His long arms and strength could be a real weapon if he can beat the other guy to the punch, but if he doesn't, he could lose the leverage battle.

That will be what we should look at come real-speed games. Does he get onto his man quickly enough to keep his advantage? If he does, then he will be very successful. If he does not, then we will need to look for a replacement.

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terpfan wrote.......

"Just finding a body to plug in between Samuels and Rabach isnt the hardest thing in the world."

this is unfortunately the way the coaching staff of losing teams feel. Teams that run the ball effectively and have ground thumping bones crushing running games always take the lead in finding excellent offensive guards.

The Dallas Cowboys use to take great pride in getting interior linemen and at one point had Ray Donaldon, Larry Allen, and Nate Newton as their big 3. All of those guys made the pro bowl and the Cowboys ran over EVERYONE.

I wish the Skins would take more pride in the running game and go out and look for at least ONE pro bowl lineman for our interior. Just one would be nice. We haven't put an interior lineman in the pro bowl since....hmmm..I can't even remember.

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terpfan wrote.......

"Just finding a body to plug in between Samuels and Rabach isnt the hardest thing in the world."

this is unfortunately the way the coaching staff of losing teams feel. Teams that run the ball effectively and have ground thumping bones crushing running games always take the lead in finding excellent offensive guards.

The Dallas Cowboys use to take great pride in getting interior linemen and at one point had Ray Donaldon, Larry Allen, and Nate Newton as their big 3. All of those guys made the pro bowl and the Cowboys ran over EVERYONE.

I wish the Skins would take more pride in the running game and go out and look for at least ONE pro bowl lineman for our interior. Just one would be nice. We haven't put an interior lineman in the pro bowl since....hmmm..I can't even remember.

Relatively of course... It's easier to find than a starting QB, a pass rushing DE, or a starting cornerback, for example.

And Randy Thomas is a Pro Bowl caliber guard. He just hasnt gotten recognized yet.

Our OL is one of the strengths of this team. That's why I'm not all that worried about the LG position.

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Relatively of course... It's easier to find than a starting QB, a pass rushing DE, or a starting cornerback, for example.

And Randy Thomas is a Pro Bowl caliber guard. He just hasnt gotten recognized yet.

Our OL is one of the strengths of this team. That's why I'm not all that worried about the LG position.

OL is a strength?

When did we geta quality replacement for Samuels, Jansen and Dockery. Samuels is an average OL and Dock was not very good, Jansen is a PB player when he is not injured and we have not upgraded at any of those positions. When Jansen and Samuels get injured and Wade shows himself to be a downgrade from Dock and JC is out of the game because he got smacked to the turf too many times, do you think we might do something about the OL then? I doubt it. JG/Buges are certain that even the worst players and oft-injured players on the Skins are better than anyone else in the NFL.

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