AFC West OL

[richpjr]

Possible.

Maybe you guys remember - I don't. Were we better up the middle when Watt was at center as opposed to when he wasn't the center? It's not like the other centers got to play with better guards.

Doesn't matter what we remember his play being like. The team thinks so highly of him that they penciled him in as the starting center, brought in no veteran linemen and did not draft a center.

[Lightningwill_420]

Doesn't matter what we remember his play being like. The team thinks so highly of him that they penciled him in as the starting center, brought in no veteran linemen and did not draft a center.

Well, yea. I know what we think doesn't matter. But we all say what we think anyway.
Would be cool if our opinions did matter. What the team's been doing since the mid 60s has garnered zero championships. We fans couldn't have done any worse than zero.

[richpjr]

Well, yea. I know what we think doesn't matter. But we all say what we think anyway.
Would be cool if our opinions did matter. What the team's been doing since the mid 60s has garnered zero championships. We fans couldn't have done any worse than zero.

The point was, we saw a guy who had never played center before thrust in a role he had not practiced much in. Whatever the coaching staff and front office saw, it obviously impressed them a lot to the point they didn't look elsewhere. So whether we saw anything in his few games he played, they feel he is the long term answer.

[Lightningwill_420]

The point was, we saw a guy who had never played center before thrust in a role he had not practiced much in. Whatever the coaching staff and front office saw, it obviously impressed them a lot to the point they didn't look elsewhere. So whether we saw anything in his few games he played, they feel he is the long term answer.

The team hasn't shown they are looking to replace Porkchops either. I'm hoping something happens before the season and we get a more proven center and guard.

That being said, I honestly don't know if Watt is better than the other centers we used last year. Hence my question - did the middle of the line look better with Watt at center or without Watt at center last year?

[Steve]

So you don't think Watt is going to get better? In almost any activity a human being can do, you will get better the more times you do it. Watt was being eased into action at C slowly and was forced to play after we had 3 or 4 other C go down. But considering that C is far more mental then physical, the fact that he was still getting up to speed with the NFL and the rest of the OL.

The other issue is that he and Porkchop had not worked together very much. That happens with 2 guy who play the same position, you replace each other in the lineup, you don't spend much time getting to work next to each other. So, not only did moving Watt over make us weaker at C (because he was not fimilar with the position), but then we got weaker in the coordination between the RG and C, because they had not worked together much.

Watt looked very good to me physically. The problem, IMHO, was he was having trouble in the line call area. Either how he was making the calls and the people around him were not getting the right guys, or he wasn't coordinating the people around him very well (the primary job of any C).

At some point, we have to stop being gutless and start letting our young players develop. We are going to continue to get stuck in these pathetic loops of being mediocer until we can find and develop talent better. No matter what approach a team takes, you have to draft better then we have over the long term. TT has done a good job of finding talent, now we need to take the next step and get them ready to be good players. But if we are going to keep going and looking for FA (a mistake IMHO) then we need some cheap players to offset the balance sheet. And if we don't use FA, then developing talent is the name of the game. Either way we have to do better long term.

The problem short term is that we keep losing old bodies as fast or faster then we can bring in new ones. At this point, you have to figure there aren't any more proven C out there, unless we go for guys like Ohrnberger.

[Ebenezer]

So you don't think Watt is going to get better? In almost any activity a human being can do, you will get better the more times you do it. Watt was being eased into action at C slowly and was forced to play after we had 3 or 4 other C go down. But considering that C is far more mental then physical, the fact that he was still getting up to speed with the NFL and the rest of the OL.

The other issue is that he and Porkchop had not worked together very much. That happens with 2 guy who play the same position, you replace each other in the lineup, you don't spend much time getting to work next to each other. So, not only did moving Watt over make us weaker at C (because he was not fimilar with the position), but then we got weaker in the coordination between the RG and C, because they had not worked together much.

Watt looked very good to me physically. The problem, IMHO, was he was having trouble in the line call area. Either how he was making the calls and the people around him were not getting the right guys, or he wasn't coordinating the people around him very well (the primary job of any C).

At some point, we have to stop being gutless and start letting our young players develop. We are going to continue to get stuck in these pathetic loops of being mediocer until we can find and develop talent better. No matter what approach a team takes, you have to draft better then we have over the long term. TT has done a good job of finding talent, now we need to take the next step and get them ready to be good players. But if we are going to keep going and looking for FA (a mistake IMHO) then we need some cheap players to offset the balance sheet. And if we don't use FA, then developing talent is the name of the game. Either way we have to do better long term.

The problem short term is that we keep losing old bodies as fast or faster then we can bring in new ones. At this point, you have to figure there aren't any more proven C out there, unless we go for guys like Ohrnberger.

The other thing I'd add here is that Watt wasn't only being eased in to the higher level of competition in the NFL, but was also making a position switch. To my eye, despite all of that, he looked the best out of the Ohrnberger, Robinson, Legursky mish-mash.

[KNSD]

Watt didn't show me anything last season that suggests he'll be a decent OL in the NFL. That doesn't mean he won't be a good OC, just that there's not much IN GAME evidence backing up the claim that he will. Hope the Chargers are right on this one.

[Lightningwill_420]

So you don't think Watt is going to get better? In almost any activity a human being can do, you will get better the more times you do it. Watt was being eased into action at C slowly and was forced to play after we had 3 or 4 other C go down. But considering that C is far more mental then physical, the fact that he was still getting up to speed with the NFL and the rest of the OL.

The other issue is that he and Porkchop had not worked together very much. That happens with 2 guy who play the same position, you replace each other in the lineup, you don't spend much time getting to work next to each other. So, not only did moving Watt over make us weaker at C (because he was not fimilar with the position), but then we got weaker in the coordination between the RG and C, because they had not worked together much.

Watt looked very good to me physically. The problem, IMHO, was he was having trouble in the line call area. Either how he was making the calls and the people around him were not getting the right guys, or he wasn't coordinating the people around him very well (the primary job of any C).

At some point, we have to stop being gutless and start letting our young players develop. We are going to continue to get stuck in these pathetic loops of being mediocer until we can find and develop talent better. No matter what approach a team takes, you have to draft better then we have over the long term. TT has done a good job of finding talent, now we need to take the next step and get them ready to be good players. But if we are going to keep going and looking for FA (a mistake IMHO) then we need some cheap players to offset the balance sheet. And if we don't use FA, then developing talent is the name of the game. Either way we have to do better long term.

The problem short term is that we keep losing old bodies as fast or faster then we can bring in new ones. At this point, you have to figure there aren't any more proven C out there, unless we go for guys like Ohrnberger.

How would I know? Not everybody gets better. Some do. Some don't.

As far as the theme of your message goes - with Rivers getting older and the team threatening to ditch us, I'm no longer interested in the future. Win now.

Thanks for the information about how Watt played last year. That's what I rely on you for. You see stuff like that that I can't see.

[Mister Hoarse]

#stevelikeabilities

[Lightningwill_420]

#stevelikeabilities

Mister-Hoarse-like abilities. Can one describe them in 10 syllables or less?

From what I've read here, if we were to pick the best from every offensive line in the AFC West, we still wouldn't be looking at anything great.

[RTPbolt]

Watt was a ROOKIE forced to start in the NFL at a position he hasnt played. Do I expect him to struggle? You betcha. I think the coaches think he has the smarts and physical tool to be a solid center....he just needs practice and game reps. Having two decent guards beside him will do wonders too. I think he will improve over his trial by fire last year...knowing hes the center means he will be ready come camp with the line calls and can practice, practice , practice with Rivers.

Im actually excited about our line after the Barksdale addition. We MIGHT just have something here if it gels and injuries are minimal (normal) this year. Throw in MGIII and it might just thrive like when Mathews stayed healthy to clse the 2013 season....a good running game makes everybody look better...including the defense.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Over the last three years the Oline has been shuffled more than a deck of cards in a poker tournament! The 3 card Molly Oline is more like it.

Due to all the injuries we have essentially had a new Oline each of the last three years between the two tackles. The interior oline is back to the drawing board again but with better players between the tackles. I think it will take a few games into the regular season before we start to see cohesion.