The (New) Offensive Line Thread

[Warhead36]

6 hours ago, PlayAction said:

What a difference it makes when the team changes out both the left guard and the center.  Larsen and Paul make a more potent duo.  I'm not going to fault Paul too much for the two false starts.  Rookies make mistakes on their first start. Why wasn't this change made earlier??  

The scheme was a lot better too though. Much more quick passes. 

 

There was absolutely no reason to not start Larsen from day one though. He was rock solid for us last year and its not like Gates is some perennial All Pro, he was basically a career backup type that we forced into a starting role to justify signing him as a FA. 

[MrJL]

10 minutes ago, Warhead36 said:

The scheme was a lot better too though. Much more quick passes. 

 

There was absolutely no reason to not start Larsen from day one though. He was rock solid for us last year and its not like Gates is some perennial All Pro, he was basically a career backup type that we forced into a starting role to justify signing him as a FA. 

he's not an all pro but generally he's a starter when he plays. he started all 16 games in 2020, was a starter in 2021 but broke his leg in only the second game and started 8 of the 10 games he played in last year after coming back from the injury

[Ball Security]

For the first time in a long time I watched the game at a bar with a buddy who was focusing on watching another game. So I definitely missed something. Tischler and Finlay said in their podcast that Stromberg got hurt. Is that true or did I mishear something? Was he playing on teams?

[KillBill26]

12 minutes ago, Ball Security said:

For the first time in a long time I watched the game at a bar with a buddy who was focusing on watching another game. So I definitely missed something. Tischler and Finlay said in their podcast that Stromberg got hurt. Is that true or did I mishear something? Was he playing on teams?

OL Ricky Stromberg (knee) is awaiting results from an MRI.

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/commanders/news/washington-commanders-curtis-samuel-ricky-stromberg-philadelphia-eagles-injury

 

Don't know when it occured.

 

[StuckinIA]

I think he was injured during the extra point following the first TD.

[Skinsinparadise]

I listened to the full conference.  He suggested Larsen brought a calmness and better communcation to the process.  Definitely felt like a shot at Gates.

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2023 by Skinsinparadise

[Redwards]

3 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

I listened to the full conference.  He suggested Larsen brough a calmness to the process.  Definitely felt like a shot at Gates.

 

 

 

Ahh...and I distinctly remember when Ron brought in Gates and, despite drafting a great Center prospect in Stromberg, immediately declared Gates the starting Center, despite him being a Guard with the Giants and sans competition.   Ron's incredible talent-evaluating skills and how best to deploy acquired "talent" on full display.  

Edited November 2, 2023 by Redwards

[skinzplay]

Preach, Reverend!

[Warhead36]

Larsen should have started from day one.

[Koolblue13]

I'm curious who our next OL coach will be.

[Darrell Green Fan]

The signings of Gates and Wylie is just so frustrating to me. I knew nothing of Gates but I did know the Giants OL has sucked and he was a cast off. We all knew Wyle's best position is guard yet he played RT just as many of us expected him to play RT.  

 

I can't wait to get this clown show out of here. I liked RR, I really did. But I am so done with is act and excuses.  

Edited November 2, 2023 by Darrell Green Fan

[RVAskins]

7 minutes ago, Darrell Green Fan said:

The signings of Gates and Wylie is just so frustrating to me. I knew nothing of Gates but I did know the Giants OL has sucked and he was a cast off. We all knew Wyle's best position is guard yet he played RT just as many of us expected him to play RT.  

 

I can't wait to get this clown show out of here. I liked RR, I really did. But I am so done with is act and excuses.  

RR is just not very good at personnel decisions.

 

[skinzplay]

58 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

I'm curious who our next OL coach will be.

It sure as hell won't be Wharton

[Koolblue13]

1 minute ago, skinzplay said:

It sure as hell won't be Wharton

Probably not. He got a very late start with the team. Hard to judge him. Also, EB deciding who to play didn't help. Matsko is still out there I believe.

[skinzplay]

Matsko was vehemently against elevating Wharton, among other things he advised RR against on that line.

[Chris 44]

26 minutes ago, skinzplay said:

Matsko was vehemently against elevating Wharton, among other things he advised RR against on that line.

Coaching, or lack there of, has been the biggest issue with the line this year. Not that the talent is that great either.

Edited November 2, 2023 by Chris 44

[NewCliche21]

46 minutes ago, Chris 44 said:

Coaching, or lack there of, has been the biggest issue with the line this year. Not that the talent is that great either.

 

Good coaching makes people play way better (Gibbs with, well, everyone)

**** coaching makes people play way worse (JDR with, well, everyone)

 

It's NFL-level talent, and it can be serviceable if, like you said, the coaching isn't ass.

[Koolblue13]

5 minutes ago, NewCliche21 said:

 

Good coaching makes people play way better (Gibbs with, well, everyone)

**** coaching makes people play way worse (JDR with, well, everyone)

 

It's NFL-level talent, and it can be serviceable if, like you said, the coaching isn't ass.

When I was young my Dad told me that good sex is a small part of a good relationship. Bad sex is a large part of a bad relationship.

 

I think it's the same with NFL talent. A guy like Jerry Rice would be great anywhere, but a well coached teams can still have a 1,500 yard WR.

[Ball Security]

3 hours ago, Koolblue13 said:

I'm curious who our next OL coach will be.

Fraley when he comes over with Johnson.

[DWinzit]

The OL has clearly been stronger with Larsen at C and Gates on the bench sucking up CAP space.

 

They are still playing very weak and inconsistent, especially at RT and LG.

 

I know he mainly has been a pretty decent G over his career. Any chance Wylie could hold up at LG?

 

Then place Lucas at RT so you have:

Leno - Wylie - Larsen - Cosmi - Lucas

[Voice_of_Reason]

10 hours ago, DWinzit said:

The OL has clearly been stronger with Larsen at C and Gates on the bench sucking up CAP space.

 

They are still playing very weak and inconsistent, especially at RT and LG.

 

I know he mainly has been a pretty decent G over his career. Any chance Wylie could hold up at LG?

 

Then place Lucas at RT so you have:

Leno - Wylie - Larsen - Cosmi - Lucas

I don’t think you want Wylie trying to play a new position at this point.  
 

I’d just bench Wylie and play Lucas and see if that fixes a spot for now.  

[DWinzit]

2 hours ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

I don’t think you want Wylie trying to play a new position at this point.  
 

I’d just bench Wylie and play Lucas and see if that fixes a spot for now.  

I understand the Wylie concern. Is it him playing a new position or is it him playing a position he is more and always has been more comfortable at than RT?

 

Either way give Lucas a shot at RT

[HigSkin]

 

[Going Commando]

14 hours ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

I don’t think you want Wylie trying to play a new position at this point.  
 

I’d just bench Wylie and play Lucas and see if that fixes a spot for now.  

 

Wylie at RT isn't the problem with our line.  It's the interior.  Larsen, Charles, Gates, and Paul have all sucked, and the scheme has been doing them no favors.  Cosmi has been a lot better than them, but he too has struggled with stunts and blitzes.

[Going Commando]

12 hours ago, DWinzit said:

I understand the Wylie concern. Is it him playing a new position or is it him playing a position he is more and always has been more comfortable at than RT?

 

Either way give Lucas a shot at RT

 

You could upgrade LG by moving Wylie there, and Lucas is better than the collection of players we have at LG.  But if you do that, you've juggled Wylie (never good for the player midseason), cut off any path to development for Charles/Paul, used up your tackle depth which used to be a strength, and abandoned what little continuity/chemistry Wylie and Cosmi were able to build with each other.

 

This line really suffers from bad center play and a lack of development from our left guards.  We'd actually be in a good place with the OL if we'd been able to hit on one of our LGs and/or still had a reliable center like we had with Roullier before he started getting injured.  I wish we had picked Tyler Linderbaum so bad.  That choice was teed up for us.  We traded back and got into the perfect range for him.  He's probably going to spend 15 years in Baltimore and go down as one of their best OLs in franchise history.