We don't need one offensive lineman we need 3 or 4

[TheLongshot]

Well, first off, we've already signed two OL this offseason (Lictensteiger and Hicks). Second, we have plenty of young OL on the roster who we haven't reached their potential yet.

There is only one real "need" area on our OL, and that is at LT. We don't have one on the roster currently. For all the other positions, we have guys who can at least make do and perhaps do more than they did previously. The talk is of RT, but we could find out that Hicks could do better than Heyer or that with a full offseason, Mike Williams could be a solid RT. While neither are long-term options, you don't necessarily need to find that guy this year.

Those who do the best in the draft take what the draft gives them. If it happens that multiple OL make sense, then we do it. But, we shouldn't do it just because there is a perceived need. That leads to bad draft picks.

[dfbovey]

While Shanny was HC in Denver from 1995-2008 he drafted 19 oline guys and only 2 of them were in the first round.

Of 19 drafted they were:

6 tackles

6 guards

7 yes 7 centers

and the breakdown is:

1st = 2

2nd = 1

3rd = 2

4th = 4

5th = 2

6th = 4

7th = 4

It's interesting, because in Tampa Bay... Allen/Gruden drafted 4 starters over a 3 years span, All taken within the first 3 rounds. Only one first rounder though. And that first rounder is a pro bowl guard.

[dfbovey]

Well, first off, we've already signed two OL this offseason (Lictensteiger and Hicks). Second, we have plenty of young OL on the roster who we haven't reached their potential yet.

There is only one real "need" area on our OL, and that is at LT. We don't have one on the roster currently. For all the other positions, we have guys who can at least make do and perhaps do more than they did previously. The talk is of RT, but we could find out that Hicks could do better than Heyer or that with a full offseason, Mike Williams could be a solid RT. While neither are long-term options, you don't necessarily need to find that guy this year.

Those who do the best in the draft take what the draft gives them. If it happens that multiple OL make sense, then we do it. But, we shouldn't do it just because there is a perceived need. That leads to bad draft picks.

I don't agree that the only thing this line needs is a LT. There are huge question marks at RG and RT. Hicks might be an answer at one of those spots, but for how long and how effective will he be? He'll most likely be RG and that leaves us with Heyer at RT. Not confidence inspiring. And Casey Rabach, while serviceable... gets pushed around way too much.

I do agree that you don't need to reach for a player to fill these needs. But the needs are definitely there and the team can't continue to ignore the issue the way they did under Ceratto.

[trez]

Silly fool. Clearly we need Jimmy Clausen.

[wvtbred]

It's interesting, because in Tampa Bay... Allen/Gruden drafted 4 starters over a 3 years span, All taken within the first 3 rounds. Only one first rounder though. And that first rounder is a pro bowl guard.

Which years were those?

[dfbovey]

Which years were those?

2006

1 23 Davin Joseph G Oklahoma

2 59 Jeremy Trueblood T Boston College

2007

2 35 Arron Sears G Tennessee

2008

3 83 Jeremy Zuttah G Rutgers

[TheLongshot]

I don't agree that the only thing this line needs is a LT. There are huge question marks at RG and RT. Hicks might be an answer at one of those spots, but for how long and how effective will he be? He'll most likely be RG and that leaves us with Heyer at RT. Not confidence inspiring. And Casey Rabach, while serviceable... gets pushed around way too much.

Nor would drafting more guys necessarily answer those questions. The answer also doesn't need to come from a guy in the draft, and it isn't likely to come from the draft this year for either of those positions.

And as I said before, while you may have an answer for this year, it may not be a long-term answer. Which is why I said that you don't need to do it all THIS year.

I do agree that you don't need to reach for a player to fill these needs. But the needs are definitely there and the team can't continue to ignore the issue the way they did under Ceratto.

So, are you going to blame Allen and Shanahan if they don't find a solution to LT this year? It certainly is possible that it might not be adequately addressed this year if the draft doesn't go our way and we have to find someone else's castoff to fill in. That is what happened last year with the RT position. Sometimes, the player you need just isn't available or doesn't fit into the long-term plan. Getting players isn't just about next year, but about the future. We've had that bite us in the ass a few times.

BTW, it wasn't ignoring the position that was the problem. It was the lack of draft picks. It just happens that it is the OL where it showed up on on this team.

[Diesel Hog]

Like many here, I too want us to draft multiple O Linemen; no less than 2! I think this guy could be a good 3rd round pick for us at OG:

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=72711&draftyear=2010&genpos=OG

[wvtbred]

2006

1 23 Davin Joseph G Oklahoma

2 59 Jeremy Trueblood T Boston College

2007

2 35 Arron Sears G Tennessee

2008

3 83 Jeremy Zuttah G Rutgers

2007 they also took a T in the 7th, Chris Denman

Allen was also in TB during 2004 and 2005

He drafted:

2004

4th round Jeb Terry G

2005

4th Round Chris Colmer T

5th Round Dan Buenning G

[Sikbug]

Honestly, the way to solve this is to trade down in the first round. This year there should be many teams looking to trade up and grab a "franchise cornerstone". This would allow us to pick up 2-3 really good OL really quickly. For me the 'best' draft would be 1st OT, 1st-2nd OT, 2nd OT, 4th OC, 5th LB, 7th BPA.

If we did that then camp would give all of these players the chance to "fight it out" for starting spots. Okung is a very good tackle prospect, but the really startling thing is how deep the OLine class is. It is very unusual to have 10 OT being even Considered for the first two rounds.

Good post

This is what I hope happens too.

[dfbovey]

Nor would drafting more guys necessarily answer those questions. The answer also doesn't need to come from a guy in the draft, and it isn't likely to come from the draft this year for either of those positions.

Not drafting for the positions is why the team is currently in the situation it's in when it comes to the offensive line. It's been cited as a major need for some time and it's continually been pushed off. Ignoring the issue and hoping it magically fixes itself hasn't been the answer. And the situation became much more dire with Samuels forced into retirement.

So, are you going to blame Allen and Shanahan if they don't find a solution to LT this year? It certainly is possible that it might not be adequately addressed this year if the draft doesn't go our way and we have to find someone else's castoff to fill in. That is what happened last year with the RT position. Sometimes, the player you need just isn't available or doesn't fit into the long-term plan. Getting players isn't just about next year, but about the future. We've had that bite us in the ass a few times.

I will be very irritated if the Redskins don't address the LT position with either the first or second round pick. And that player should be able to start immediately. I say that given the current talent on this team and the depth of this draft.

They need at minimum one new starter from this draft. Not getting that would be inexcusable.

[TheLongshot]

Not drafting for the positions is why the team is currently in the situation it's in when it comes to the offensive line. It's been cited as a major need for some time and it's continually been pushed off. Ignoring the issue and hoping it magically fixes itself hasn't been the answer. And the situation became much more dire with Samuels forced into retirement.

And as I said above, that's more because of lack of draft picks more than anything. If they had drafted OL, the lack of draft picks would have shown up somewhere else and we would have blamed the team for "ignoring" that position.

I will be very irritated if the Redskins don't address the LT position with either the first or second round pick. And that player should be able to start immediately. I say that given the current talent on this team and the depth of this draft.

I will be irritated too like I was last year, but I can see how it could happen. (For example, if we do pick a QB in the first round and most of the good OT candidates get picked off before our pick in the 2nd round.)

They need at minimum one new starter from this draft. Not getting that would be inexcusable.

Given that we don't have a guy who would be considered a starting candidate at LT, I can understand that view. Then again, there can be other ways to get that guy. (Like trading for Gaither, if we need to.)

Again, the draft isn't just about what your needs are this year, but how you can increase the overall talent of the team and to provide more competition to raise the level of play at various positions.

[GibbsFactor]

Right now we have questions at two spots. Right Guard and Left Tackle.

Obviously left tackle is a must.

But we do have Big Mike and Rino for the the Right Guard spot. I think Hicks can play Right Tackle and Heyer can back him up.

I feel we are going to make a trade on draft day. Maybe more then one.

[Tay]

Apparently Shanny likes Rhino. We may be closer than a lot of people think. We just need a strong healthy unit, and continue to build depth. Of course LT must be addressed tho.

[skinzwiz]

Right now we have questions at two spots. Right Guard and Left Tackle.

Obviously left tackle is a must.

But we do have Big Mike and Rino for the the Right Guard spot. I think Hicks can play Right Tackle and Heyer can back him up.

I feel we are going to make a trade on draft day. Maybe more then one.

I thought Dockery and Hicks/Montgomery had the guard positions set. The question is who will play LT and RT and who will back them up.

[dfbovey]

And as I said above, that's more because of lack of draft picks more than anything. If they had drafted OL, the lack of draft picks would have shown up somewhere else and we would have blamed the team for "ignoring" that position.

From my perspective, it was most definitely ignoring the position. Seeing has how they traded those picks for something, and that something certainly wasn't offensive line help.

Given that we don't have a guy who would be considered a starting candidate at LT, I can understand that view. Then again, there can be other ways to get that guy. (Like trading for Gaither, if we need to.)

I wouldn't have an issue with that, because it would be using the draft pick on a young offensive lineman would would immediately start and fill the need.

Again, the draft isn't just about what your needs are this year, but how you can increase the overall talent of the team and to provide more competition to raise the level of play at various positions.

I agree in general. But like I said, this team hasn't taken an offensive lineman in the first two rounds of the draft since the early 90's. Chad Rhinehart is the only offensive lineman taken in the first 3 rounds in nearly two decades. If you use the draft to create competition and improve various positions team wide, when exactly do you think it would be a good idea to make up for lost time regarding the offensive line? Which part of the team needs competition and an infusion of young talent the most? I don't see any other position on this team as a group, that's in as bad a shape. Not even close.

[Veretax]

Great Thread!

IMO as long was we get at least 2 OL I'd consider that a success. But we need one of them to be an elite prospect and the only way you guarantee that is by taking one in the 1st. Then Shanny can have is QB in the 2nd and then his RB in the 4th....

1st Okung/Bugala

2nd QB McCoy/Tebow

4th RB Blount

5th OL

7th BPA

I don't think Okung will be there... I really feel Detroit is going to take him. They have to protect Stafford or what's the point. If Tebow or McCoy is gone the other guy I like in the 2nd Is LeFevour. I don't know about Blound in the 4th though. Lets see what falls through the cracks before jumping on the later round stuff.

Not drafting for the positions is why the team is currently in the situation it's in when it comes to the offensive line. ....

I will be very irritated if the Redskins don't address the LT position with either the first or second round pick. And that player should be able to start immediately. I say that given the current talent on this team and the depth of this draft.

They need at minimum one new starter from this draft. Not getting that would be inexcusable.

I agree we need a Tackle somewhere period. If we find out the guy we don't have can't play LT though, that means we have to try again next year maybe move that feller to guard and let heyer take his lumps at LT. (I know I hate that as much as everyone, but there have been a number of 1st round tackles that just weren't good enough on the left side.)

Ideally we should get 2 OL in this draft one in the 1st/2nd and the other in the 4th or 5th. I still hope they find a way to trade down and add some draft picks cause we could use some depth particularly at LB and OL. We are easily in a 2-3 year rebuilding process here, and while we might surprise people, I am willing to take the players taht fit long term and take our lumps again this year.

[The Tris]

Nor would drafting more guys necessarily answer those questions. The answer also doesn't need to come from a guy in the draft, and it isn't likely to come from the draft this year for either of those positions.

And as I said before, while you may have an answer for this year, it may not be a long-term answer. Which is why I said that you don't need to do it all THIS year.

Yeah, the OL won't be rebuilt in one season. It is going to take multiple years and good development to rebuild the line.

What we need most is an organization commitment to long term OL growth through multiple pick ups per year. Lines are not built in one season, and it is going to require significant investment over the next 3/4 years to build a solid line. The idea that if we draft 5 OL this year and we are done is stupid and is actually more a Vinny move than only taking 1 OL.

What the previous regime did was ignore problems until they became a crisis, then overcommited to fixing the problem with quantity not quality - no big WR - eff the rest of our issues we are taking 3 pass catchers.

You need to constantly stock depth every year, and not compound problems by only focusing on one issue. We need more than just OL this year, and we need to draft smart. We need a LT starter, and quality depth at some other spots, not an ejacualation of resources on the entire line. That is something Vinny would do, and then ignore our issues at RB, LB and DB among other thing, which in turn makes a problem a crisis in future years.

[redskindan07]

I would consider going OLine with both of our 1st and 2nd round picks

[JCamp4QB]

I agree. I still can not seem to understand why most fans in and around DC can not see the obvious. This team is a few OL ways from championship caliber performance. How many games did we lose last season just simply because our team gave up late. I don't blem them either. So much uncertainty and tinkering around with the offense the roster etc. I think Shanny will settle it down and give us an identity again.

I expect huge things...

HAIL

[jflow78]

Like many here, I too want us to draft multiple O Linemen; no less than 2! I think this guy could be a good 3rd round pick for us at OG:

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=72711&draftyear=2010&genpos=OG

How do you propose we end up with a 3rd round pick?

Allen has had a pretty good record picking up starting OL after the first round, so even if we don't draft one at #4, I'm okay with that.

[USS Redskins]

Skins have had good QBs in the last 17 years - - Trent Green and Brad Johnson. The Skins offense was potent at that time under Norv Turner. Don't dismiss Brad Johnson - -he had a top 5 offense in Minnesota and QBed the best Skins offense.

Agree 100%!

B Johnson was the man... but it was only a year. He was a pro bowler and I wish they would've kept him.

Trent only played in 8 games - just a blink of the eye in 17+ seasons, so I skipped him too....

[TheLongshot]

From my perspective, it was most definitely ignoring the position. Seeing has how they traded those picks for something, and that something certainly wasn't offensive line help.

They did trade for Kendall.

Personally, the time to start working on the OL was in 2007. Unfortunately, they only had one pick in the first 4 rounds because of trades. Until then, there was no reason to spend a high draft pick on the OL and plenty of other needs.

I agree in general. But like I said, this team hasn't taken an offensive lineman in the first two rounds of the draft since the early 90's. Chad Rhinehart is the only offensive lineman taken in the first 3 rounds in nearly two decades.

I think you have your dates wrong. We picked OL in the first two rounds in '99 (Jansen) and '00 (Samuels). We picked Dock in the 3rd round in 2003.

From 2003 to 2007, it was a pretty solid group, with only Rabach being the only flux in that line. There wasn't much room for a high draft pick to crack that lineup.

If you use the draft to create competition and improve various positions team wide, when exactly do you think it would be a good idea to make up for lost time regarding the offensive line? Which part of the team needs competition and an infusion of young talent the most? I don't see any other position on this team as a group, that's in as bad a shape. Not even close.

Actually, we DO have a lot of young talent. Granted, we don't know how good that young talent can be, but it is there. Chad Rinehart, Edwin Williams, Kory Lichtensteiger, Clint Oldenburg, William Robinson and Paul Fanaika. It will be interesting to see how many of these guys are worth something.

What the previous regime did was ignore problems until they became a crisis, then overcommited to fixing the problem with quantity not quality - no big WR - eff the rest of our issues we are taking 3 pass catchers.

Well, the problem for most of the past decade has been change and all the change that came on the roster. As for 2008, they were taking what the draft gave us. Considering what we have now, do you really think that taking two WRs that year really was a luxury? Not to mention that only two OL went in that round.

[s0crates]

Completely agree with the OP. OL is our biggest need, and we need to bring in several guys to address it. We need two starting caliber tackles, a guard, and some reserves. There is no way around this but to draft some fat boys this year.

People who are advocating drafting BPA or QB over OL must not have watched this team last year.

[The Tris]

Well, the problem for most of the past decade has been change and all the change that came on the roster. As for 2008, they were taking what the draft gave us. Considering what we have now, do you really think that taking two WRs that year really was a luxury? Not to mention that only two OL went in that round.

I completely agree that the constant flux has made any attempt at an organizational strategy impossible, and difficult to effectively address an aging roster.

I am not saying that we should have taken a OL over a WR or advocating any differently. I just think that instead of bombarding our biggest need with multiple picks, we should focus on quality over quantity. With the luxury of hindsight, you look back at the draft board and what has happen since then and maybe we could have gotten a CB or an OLB or a G or a DT instead of a 2nd WR that year. It didn't have to be a OT.