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

[The Tris]

It may boil down to what we get in at the T position. I like the idea of Hicks at T. I think he's an outside shout for LT depending on the draft strategy. But we must get a couple more in. I hope we can draft a T within our first 2 picks & pick up a solid vet along the way.

I think Hicks ceiling is at RT. I don't think he has ever played LT actually.

I am a major draft a QB backer, but I think that if we get to our 4th pick and we have not drafted a LT prospect, something had gone terribly wrong. That means either 4 or 37 or something else by trade needs to be on a LT.

[Est.1974]

I think Hicks ceiling is at RT. I don't think he has ever played LT actually.

I am a major draft a QB backer, but I think that if we get to our 4th pick and we have not drafted a LT prospect, something had gone terribly wrong. That means either 4 or 37 or something else by trade needs to be on a LT.

He might do a solid job if we end up drafting a lefty at QB :evilg:

[Xero21]

Drafting a bunch of OL in 1 draft because you need OL is a recipe for disaster.

You take the good players. If the OL available aren't very good, don't just take one because you need one.

[Skinsinparadise]

Drafting a bunch of OL in 1 draft because you need OL is a recipe for disaster.

You take the good players. If the OL available aren't very good, don't just take one because you need one.

Exactly IMO. If you want to build a team IMO you don't overreact and overcompensate for past drafts -- that's sort of the knee jerk emotional response that some accuse Snyder of doing.

Do you look to add O lineman in this draft IMO heck yes. But to go into a draft and plan to use 80% of your picks on one position is practically unheard of.

If it flows in that direction fine but if not, lets say you are in the 5th round and lets say RB Ben Tate is there and you have him ranked at 80, and the best O lineman on the board lets say is Sam Young and you have him rated a 65 -- IMO you take Tate, as opposed to be in locked in with Young because you decided in advance that you are taking O lineman all the way no matter what.

[Skins Fan 2932]

@MoveTheSticks

Half the teams I've talked to have faith in Bulaga as a LT and the other half believe he will end up at RT 12:54 AM Mar 24th via TweetDeck

That right there scares the crap out of me, we don't need to be drafting a short armed RT with the four pick. Bulaga seems to just be the favorite name of the draft OL with no exceptions camp, which is the worst possible philosophy.

I will be interested to see if we trade back into the first with Tebow and/or McCoy possibly sneaking into the bottom of that round.

I haven't read any of your other posts so excuse me if I miss characterize you. It sounds to me that Tebow and/or McCoy seem to just be the favorite names of the draft a QB with no exceptions camp, which is the worst possible philosophy.:insane: I wouldn't touch Tebow until the 3rd at the earliest due to his learning curve and we don't have a 3rd. McCoy will go in the 2nd but I don't have enough confidence in him to draft him over a Tackle. My feeling is that he has the same potential as Colt Brennen so why draft what we already have? And really, only Shanny really has any clue as to whether either can play in our new system as a future starter.

As far as Bulaga is concerned, I feel more comfortable with him than I do with any other OT in this draft. You speak of arm length like it is the end-all-beat-all for the position. We aren't playing touch football where that extra 2" is going to matter. In order to block you have to bend your elbows to apply pressure on the other guy. Technique, ability and heart matter more than arm length!!! You talk as if Bulaga has mutantly short arms. His arms are 33 1/4". Other than Charles Brown, Campbell, and Okung, everyone else has about the same arm length as Bulaga. Bulaga not only pass blocks well, he also run blocks well. If you take a look at Iowa's schedule this year, Bulaga had to block against 4 players that will be drafted in the first 3 rounds, (Derrick Morgan GT, Brandon Graham MI, Corey Wooten NW, Alex Carrington ARK St). Before O'Brien Schofield hurt himself at the Senior Bowl, he would make it 5. Bulaga held his own against these guys and his supposedly short arms didn't hinder him. On top of that, he has already played in a zone blocking system so his learning curve to the NFL will be shorter. Collectively I like Bulaga because at worst he will be a great RT. I believe that he has the potential to be a great LT as well. If we draft another player that can play LT or RT like Saffold in the 2nd, we will increase our chances of at least getting the blindside covered and possibly some much needed help on the strong side of the line as well.

[Capt Rich Fla]

Okung must be our first pick. It's the second most important position on the field. We must!

[Ryko]

Tebow probably won't last until the 3rd round, someone is going to snatch him up in the second. I agree with Capt Rich, the first round Needs to be OL or trade or both!

[Skins Fan 2932]

Tebow probably won't last until the 3rd round, someone is going to snatch him up in the second. I agree with Capt Rich, the first round Needs to be OL or trade or both!

As a Skins fan I said I wouldn't pick him until the 3rd since our 2nd is so high. I actually agree that someone will take their chances in the mid to late 2nd. That team will need to have an established QB that will allow for at least two years for Tebow to learn how to be a NFL QB. I can see New England using one of their three 2nd rounders. Even though he is no longer the coach, Dungee loves Tebow. Indy might be an option in the 2nd. I could even see Jacksonville trading up into the 2nd if they want him bad enough. I could see Carolina taking a short as well.

[bedlamVR]

duplicate post

[Est.1974]

I think Hicks ceiling is at RT. I don't think he has ever played LT actually.

Hicks had 4 starts at LT for the Vikings in 2008. Until we get someone else signed, I think he's the best we have for LT.

[bedlamVR]

I think it has become rather difficult to develop late round OL from the nature of the position. Often, you need guys who can step in when guys go down, but it is hard for these young guys to get the experience they need to develop into solid OL. You almost have to show something immediately to stick around in this league.

A situation like ours is a good one for a young lineman if he can pull things together enough to impress the coaches.

It is true it is difficult to develop young talent on the OL but that is true for any position where you are changing coaching staff position coaches and philosophies every 2 years on average .

In fairness I was simply poking fun at Zoony with the idea we need 3-4 OL in this draft but we do need help . I think we have the bodies to compete and put together a decent interior (LG-C-RG) and I would much rather BMW works this season on being an exceptional G than an average T . I know there is some snobbery about the position but the last thing we need to be doing is shifting people around and around rather than installing the necessary depth so in case of injury the next man can step in .

I think we could competition

LOT - Draft pick - Heyer, Oldenberg

LG - Dokery, Fanika, Williams

C - Rabach, E Williams.Montgomery, Lichtensteiger

RG - Hicks, Rineheart, M Williams

RT- Hicks err Robinson ..

The edges need work and new bodies . Spending 3-4 picks from 5 selections may seem crazy but we are at that point now something needs to be done and this draft is deep for OT but not top heavy as we saw last season .

Okung may not be in Samuels or the Pace/Ogden level yet but he is the best pass protector available in the draft . He is a little like Ryan Clady and he seems to be working out okay ...

At RT we could wait until the 4th though is Duccas is sat around our second pick then that could potentially sure up the tackles for 10 years . And how extravagant is it to have a 1st and 2nd round pick on the line . We have had that for years with little detriment and it certianally didn't stop us selecting 7 Qbs in that time span including 2 in the 1st round .

Fix the OL and whoever is your QB they get better . As a bonus the running game improves as holes are opened up for runners to exploit . Argue all you want about the OL makes the QB or the QB makes the OL, last season our OL was inconsistant (at best) at both .

A good running game helps a young QB no end . A good OL helps a good running game .

Look at the "sucessful" QBs taken in the last few drafts .

Sanchez led his team into the playoffs thowing for less than 3000 yards and almost twice the Ints to TDs ... (12 in total)

Ryan - Was able to lead the Falcons to the playoffs in his rookie year with the no2. running game in the country but looked more than human in his second year when the running game was not as good ...

Flacco - Had a decent second year but beat the Patriots with a massive 35 yards passing (17QBR) and passed for 0 TDs and 3 INTS in the playoffs ....also happens to have one of the top Defenses and 5th ranked running game .

These guys have talent but they are helped but the players around them . He we would be condeming any 1st round QB who we expect to start right away to bustvile .

[wvtbred]

Okung must be our first pick. It's the second most important position on the field. We must!

You can't throw all of your eggs in one basket and what happens when Okung is not there at 4 or when we step up and move to take Bradford?

[The Tris]

Collectively I like Bulaga because at worst he will be a great RT. I believe that he has the potential to be a great LT as well. If we draft another player that can play LT or RT like Saffold in the 2nd, we will increase our chances of at least getting the blindside covered and possibly some much needed help on the strong side of the line as well.

The problem is, multiple NFL teams do not view him as a LT. And drafting a RT 4th overall is only slightly better than drafting a QB that busts. At 4 we have to go BPA, and I'm not sure anyone believes that Bulaga is the 4th best prospect in this draft.

Assuming you can trade down, taking him later might be a good strategy, but as many have said, that is easier said than done.

And so you won't make the mistake of mis-characterizing me again, I think Bradford is the best prospect in this draft, and Okung the 2nd. I don't know what I would do if both are gone at 4.

[Ryko]

He might do a solid job if we end up drafting a lefty at QB :evilg:

Shanny DID say he was fond of Tebow at the personal workout...

but thats got to be AFTER we get the OL fixed up

[redskins55]

I think that this is a great thread that allows rational thinking in other threads. I am of the belief that 2 or more O-Linemen are needed. If you look at every position, offensive and defensive, while also looking at depth, we have our biggest needs on the O-Line at our Lt and Rt positions. It will be hard to throw or run without good starters in these spots.

Regardless of whether you are ok with Campbell for now or want to draft a rookie, the QB is going to need time to throw. Portis, Johnson and/or a new rookie will need running lanes and a good push from an improved O-Line. I believe we can get by with what we already have at most of our team positions but the two Tackle spots have to get better this year. We might get lucky drafting starters later in the 4th, 5th or even 7th rounds but we have a higher probability of getting starter quality guys in the 1st and 2nd. Since we need at least two, we should get those two as soon as we can. I also think that depth would be a good thing to consider on the O-Line. As we all witnessed last year, injuries happen and then the season goes in the crapper real quick. I think we should draft O-Line in the 4th or 5th maybe even both if the value is there. For those of you that want to get O-Linemen later, those guys will still be there. If they are good enough to start then great, we now have more starter quality players competing for jobs in camp.

I’m sure there will still be those that disagree about how many O-Linemen to draft, when to draft them and who to draft. For the sake of discussion, look at our projected O-Line depth chart. How does what you are suggesting pan out in game time? Someone has to block the D-Lines in our division. There aren’t any easy games there for our new O-Line. Once again I believe we need a good LT and RT (THIS YEAR)!!!!

So barring something unimaginable like Orakpo falling to us at the 13th spot like last year, or some other player that has way too much value to pass up from our 2nd rounder on, I say draft to improve our O-Line this year. I’m not for trading up this year. (This also includes trading next year’s picks for this year’s draft. Even though I would consider trading next year’s 2nd + this year’s 2nd and 4th to move into the late 1st for Bradford or Clausen. But that’s not happening now is it?)

This is what I would do if I were calling the shots. At our #4, I would take Bulaga or Okung whichever was still available and in that order. With our 2nd rounder at #37, I would take Bruce Campbell, Charles Brown, Rodger Saffold or trade down some to get more picks, whichever was still there and in that order. The idea in the 2nd is still to get a good O-Lineman. If we could trade down, I would consider Mike Johnson, John Jerry, or Jared Veldheer later in the 2nd to mid 3rd. With our 4th, I like Kyle Calloway, Ciron Black or Mitch Petrus. Throughout the draft there are clearly other guys available that I haven’t mentioned but I’m trying to realistically end up with both a starting LT and RT with a quality backup for one of the O-Line positions. From the 5th on I would go BPA with an eye still for value on the O-Line but not exclusively. I also believe these picks to be realistic in where they can be drafted but only the real draft will tell for sure. I’m sure at least one of these guys will be available where I have them…

1st @ #4 (Bulaga or Okung)

2nd @ #37 (Bruce Campbell, Charles Brown, Rodger Saffold or trade down)

in a trade down from 2nd ??? (Mike Johnson, John Jerry, or Jared Veldheer)

4th @ #104 (Kyle Calloway, Ciron Black or Mitch Petrus)

Regardless of whether we get a QB this year or next, we have to get better with our O-Line starters and backups. This is how I see our new O-Line this year if my drafts holds true.

LT: Bulaga, Saffold (Starter to be determined in camp), Hicks as short term backup

LG: Dockery, Lichtensteiger, Fanaika (Backups to be determined)

C: Rabach, Lichtensteiger, Edwin Williams, Montgomery (Starter to be determined)

RG: Hicks, Mike Williams, Rinehart, Robinson (Backups to be determined)

RT: (Loser of the LT battle), Calloway, Heyer, Oldenburg (Starter to be determined)

Our 2nd round pick should be able to play LT just in case. Clearly someone will be cut from this list.

I’d take this any day even if it meant Campbell was under center for another year. FYI: I’m actually unsure of Campbell’s ability due to coaching, lack of weapons and poor line play.

Excellent!!!!!!! :jump:

[Ashburn Dave]

Everyone knows you win games up front on both sides of the ball so the more big ugly's we can get the better off we'll be.

[MrJL]

Hicks had 4 starts at LT for the Vikings in 2008. Until we get someone else signed' date=' I think he's the best we have for LT.[/quote']

From what I read he was an LT in college

[Loco Bob]

From what I read he was an LT in college

There is no one else to "sign." You either draft a top LT, or you are stuck with Hicks.

[downbeat87]

Okung! Ftw

[redskins55]

Fix the OL and whoever is your QB they get better . As a bonus the running game improves as holes are opened up for runners to exploit . Argue all you want about the OL makes the QB or the QB makes the OL, last season our OL was inconsistant (at best) at both .

A good running game helps a young QB no end . A good OL helps a good running game .

Look at the "sucessful" QBs taken in the last few drafts .

Sanchez led his team into the playoffs thowing for less than 3000 yards and almost twice the Ints to TDs ... (12 in total)

Ryan - Was able to lead the Falcons to the playoffs in his rookie year with the no2. running game in the country but looked more than human in his second year when the running game was not as good ...

Flacco - Had a decent second year but beat the Patriots with a massive 35 yards passing (17QBR) and passed for 0 TDs and 3 INTS in the playoffs ....also happens to have one of the top Defenses and 5th ranked running game .

These guys have talent but they are helped but the players around them . He we would be condeming any 1st round QB who we expect to start right away to bustvile .

You would think people on this board could get this through their heads..

It's so easy a cave man could figure it out!

Great post

[Skins Fan 2932]

Sorry! Double post.

[Skins Fan 2932]

The problem is, multiple NFL teams do not view him as a LT. And drafting a RT 4th overall is only slightly better than drafting a QB that busts. At 4 we have to go BPA, and I'm not sure anyone believes that Bulaga is the 4th best prospect in this draft.

Assuming you can trade down, taking him later might be a good strategy, but as many have said, that is easier said than done.

And so you won't make the mistake of mis-characterizing me again, I think Bradford is the best prospect in this draft, and Okung the 2nd. I don't know what I would do if both are gone at 4.

Ultimately it doesn’t matter what other teams view him as. What matters is how Shanny sees him in his ZONE BLOCKING SYSTEM which Bulaga has already played in the last three years. We won’t know for sure unless Bulaga ends up a Skin. Some of these “multiple teams” you speak of might not like his ZBS skill set. And like in every draft, there are always misinformation campaigns and false statements to keep the other teams from picking your guy.

My statement regarding Bulaga at worst being a RT works both ways. It means he could play on either side and still start, but we at least get a starter. Not many will say that about Okung. Position flexibility is huge due to injury possibilities. I’m not saying to draft Bulaga strictly as a RT at #4. I’ll admit I don’t even think he is the 4th best player, but he isn’t that far off. Also considering our LT and RT needs and who is likely to still be there at #4, I say take him while you can. In another thread they are discussing Bulaga and trading down. There are four teams between us and the Bills that could take a Tackle. If we did trade down, we might get lucky and still see him there when we pick. But considering how he has risen up the value board, I wouldn’t count on it.

I’m guessing I touched a nerve with my mischaracterization. My bad! I actually like Bradford and Okung. I just feel O-Line is a bigger need right now than QB. There is also a value aspect to my feelings for both of the QB’s. I would take them instead of O-Line from about #8 back because I think Bulaga and Okung will be gone by then.

My preference for our 1st round is…

Bulaga

Sue ( TOO GOOD TO PASS UP)

Okung

Bradford

Clausen

Considering we will get one of them, I’ll be happy regardless. This is not how I would rank them though. What worries me is our 2nd rounder.