Welcome to the Bolts, OL Austin Deculus

[jaguarmanftype]

I don't see Joe Hortiz as a guy who'd waste future 7th round pick on a guy that he thinks has a next-to-zero chance of being useful.

Joe has also shown the ability to identify particular traits in players that allow them to be good at the kinds of things the Bolts do scheme-wise.

So I'm inclined to believe that the acquisition of Deculus is a better move than it appears to be on the surface. We'll certainly find out soon enough.

If he becomes a surprise contributor in some way, we should be trading 7th round picks every year for diamond in the rough types on other rosters given the success of this strategy instead of drafting a likely cut candidate.

[powderblueboy]

There were guys on waivers with better careers and numbers Deculus

the question was who specifically?

[DerwinBosa]

the question was who?

The 5-11, 280-pound Willie Lampkin.

We make a trade for a lineman, and he automatically sucks. The Eagles take a chance on an undersized lineman who went undrafted and was released by the Rams, and it's a brilliant move.

Gotta love some of the comments on this. Lol.

[CanadianBoltFan]

The 5-11, 280-pound Willie Lampkin.

We make a trade for a lineman, and he automatically sucks. The Eagles take a chance on an undersized lineman who went undrafted and was released by the Rams, and it's a brilliant move.

Gotta love some of the comments on this. Lol.

You are questioning Howie Roseman and how the Eagles handle OL? Not me

Aside from Lampkin, he traded for and brought back Fred Johnson, one of the better swing tackles when he already has the best OL in the NFL. Our guy doesnt "automaticlly suck" you just have to wonder why he could barely get off the Texans PS when they have one of the worst o lines in football

[CanadianBoltFan]

the question was who specifically?

Dan Skipper, Tyre Phillips off the top of my head

[Steve]

There were guys on waivers with better careers and numbers Deculus

Did you mean?

"There were guys on waivers with better careers and numbers THAN Deculus" ??

or

"There were guys on waivers with better careers and numbers LIKE Deculus" ??

The point I was trying to make is there aren't any quality players available. Deculus has 78 career snaps over 2 seasons. That is a bit more than 1 average game worth. People are drooling over his pass protection grade (76.9) from this past season, but it was 12 snaps. 11 of which were against Tenn in week 18, and 1 vs KC in the playoffs (his snaps vs us and KC were at TE, not OL).

He has the one thing Hortiz and Harbaugh covet. He is big and powerful. Whether he has any skill or not is another thing.

His college highlights aren't great, but they do suggest why we wanted him. He is not super athletic, but he played in a gap scheme at LSU. Houston plays a lot of zone blocking, which requires the OL to be more athletic than anything. Deculus is not a great athlete. He is a bit slow footed. But he shows that he can get out and pull or lead a play. So it requires a RB to be patient if he is leading the play. If guys try to take on his blocks directly, he engulfs them. He is a $50 dollar cab ride to get around. But people can slip his blocks or get past him with speed.

[CanadianBoltFan]

Did you mean?

"There were guys on waivers with better careers and numbers THAN Deculus" ??

or

"There were guys on waivers with better careers and numbers LIKE Deculus" ??

The point I was trying to make is there aren't any quality players available. Deculus has 78 career snaps over 2 seasons. That is a bit more than 1 average game worth. People are drooling over his pass protection grade (76.9) from this past season, but it was 12 snaps. 11 of which were against Tenn in week 18, and 1 vs KC in the playoffs (his snaps vs us and KC were at TE, not OL).

He has the one thing Hortiz and Harbaugh covet. He is big and powerful. Whether he has any skill or not is another thing.

His college highlights aren't great, but they do suggest why we wanted him. He is not super athletic, but he played in a gap scheme at LSU. Houston plays a lot of zone blocking, which requires the OL to be more athletic than anything. Deculus is not a great athlete. He is a bit slow footed. But he shows that he can get out and pull or lead a play. So it requires a RB to be patient if he is leading the play. If guys try to take on his blocks directly, he engulfs them. He is a $50 dollar cab ride to get around. But people can slip his blocks or get past him with speed.

I wanted the Chargers to go after Dan Skipper. Dertoit fans were choked he was cut. Decent experienced swing tackle. 6'10' 334 That big enough?

Deculus in 3 years playing for a bad o line managed to earn a total of 68 snaps. Skipper playing for a good Lion offense and o line played 334 snaps last year alone.

[Steve]

Skipper is a similar sort of player. Not very good. He played a fair bit the last few years, but 2 and 3 years in, he had even fewer snaps than Deculus.

Now, he can play goalline TE, and has actually been used as a receiver (https://www.tiktok.com/@nfl/video/7507717391535574315).

My point is that they are both similar in that they are the best of a bad lot. There is just a shortage of decent OL.

[CanadianBoltFan]

Skipper is a similar sort of player. Not very good. He played a fair bit the last few years, but 2 and 3 years in, he had even fewer snaps than Deculus.

Now, he can play goalline TE, and has actually been used as a receiver (https://www.tiktok.com/@nfl/video/7507717391535574315).

My point is that they are both similar in that they are the best of a bad lot. There is just a shortage of decent OL.

Yes that's true, not many tackle options. Guard better. Dalton Risner has been there for the signing, but I guess he wanted to start which he will be doing in Cincinnati

[Boltnut]

I wanted the Chargers to go after Dan Skipper. Dertoit fans were choked he was cut. Decent experienced swing tackle. 6'10' 334 That big enough?

Deculus in 3 years playing for a bad o line managed to earn a total of 68 snaps. Skipper playing for a good Lion offense and o line played 334 snaps last year alone.

I actually watched several Dan Skipper college tapes back in the day. I don't remember him pulling much at all. Roman requires his OT's to pull and lead through the gap more than most OC's (power/gap/counter). I don't think he fits Roman's scheme at all. His run block grade of 49.5 must have scared us away. It probably scared the Lions away, too.

As for the Texans "bad OL". Maybe that was the IOL...? Because they had pretty good tackles (Tunsil and Howard) when Dedulus was there. They had 2nd rounder Blake Fisher as their swing tackle in 2024. They had veterans Gerone Christian (3rd) and Charlie Heck (4th) to beat out in 2022 and 2023 at swing tackle.

I say we give Dedulus a chance. At least he has college tape that shows he can pull in a power/gap/counter system...

[CanadianBoltFan]

I actually watched several Dan Skipper college tapes back in the day. I don't remember him pulling much at all. Roman requires his OT's to pull and lead through the gap more than most OC's (power/gap/counter). I don't think he fits Roman's scheme at all. His run block grade of 49.5 must have scared us away. It probably scared the Lions away, too.

As for the Texans "bad OL". Maybe that was the IOL...? Because they had pretty good tackles (Tunsil and Howard) when Dedulus was there. They had 2nd rounder Blake Fisher as their swing tackle in 2024. They had veterans Gerone Christian (3rd) and Charlie Heck (4th) to beat out in 2022 and 2023 at swing tackle.

I say we give Dedulus a chance. At least he has college tape that shows he can pull in a power/gap/counter system...

Fair enough, i will lay off the poor bastard. He deserves a chance . Not laying off Sharpe though

[Topcat]

Fair enough, i will lay off the poor bastard. He deserves a chance . Not laying off Sharpe though

Sharpe had trouble blocking 2nd and 3rd rate pass rushers...imagine how he'd do vs. even average 1st stringers...ugh...