Offensive Line Discussion

[Guest]

The OL was awful last year and has been awful far too often for far too long. It is frustrating that we never seem to do enough to fix the problem. IMO, Pouncey, Turner and Bulaga are capable starters. I am okay with giving Lamp and Pipkins each one more season to see what we have with each of them, but in the absence of a significantly positive showing, we can move on from them. I think Feeney can be an okay reserve maybe, but I have very mixed feelings about even that. All of our remaining OL players should be replaced and I think several may not be able to latch on anywhere else and yet those players not only have been rostered by us, they have also been allowed to start games for us. It is insane to expect positive results with that approach.

Also, we should have already drafted replacements for Bulaga and Pouncey, especially Pouncey, an injury prone player with a degenerative hip condition. And if we are going to develop or try to use Pipkins, we should have signed a functional LT to be ready in case things do not go as well as hoped for with Pipkins.

I think that even after the two upgrades that were made, the OL remains the team's greatest need and is so by a huge margin over any other position. I think we need to draft/trade for/sign players at all 5 OL positions before the 2021 season begins as we do not have a starter at LT or LG, our C and RT are aging, and we have no quality depth at RG or anywhere else on the OL for that matter.

[Maniaque 6]

I agree that some work has to be done on the OL but the situation is not so desesperated.
With a mobile QB, you don't need a first quality OL.
The succession at C is already there (QBerry).
All the Chargers need is two linemen on the left side.
Pipskin or Norton at LT. If Something go wrong, sign a FA LT or run the play to your right.
I can't believe Feeney and Lamp will fail at LG.

[sonorajim]

Let 'em play.
Different QB, OC, offensive scheme, OL coach, starting vet RG, RT, Okung replacement at LT.
This sure as hell isn't 2019.

[FoutsFan]

Looking forward to seeing TPip growth in camp this season. He is athletic with near ideal height, weight, length but need to see his strength and mental game improvements in action.

Plays like this give me optimism.....

https://gfycat.com/deliriousinbornhart

https://gfycat.com/gleefulimpeccablealligatorgar

https://gfycat.com/gravewaterloggedbrocketdeer

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/DelayedGen...onco-small.gif

https://gfycat.com/criminalordinarykoodoo

https://gfycat.com/frightenedrichayeaye

I want to say I do like Pipkns and think he has a big future. he definitely showed something last year at times, unfortunately he also showed how raw he was at times. I just want to see him take that next step in a big way in his development.

[Steve]

Pipkins is a very good athlete. However, by itself that means nothing. There have been a lot of guy who have passed through the NFL who were good to great athletes and terrible NFL players. Pipkins needs to improve his technique, like several of the players we have. Our OL is plenty athletic, they need the technique to play at a consistent level.

Scott is another guy who can bend and get low, or pull and lead when needed. But he needs to stop ducking his head because he whiffs badly when he is looking at his feet. When he starts out well vs inexpereinced guys, he tends to keep his head up, but vs quality opponents, he spends too much time watching their feet instead of their belt.

Tevi is another guy who has some athletic ability, but his technique is just not there yet. He needs to really follow what Campen is teaching him or his NFL career is going to come to a rapid end.

On every one of those links at the bottom of the last post, at least 4 of the 5 OL do a good job in pass protection. Pipkins is fine, but so is Scott in each of those. Overall ability is not necesasrily lacking, they need the down to down consistency, because so much of the rest of that game was just crap.

[like54ninjas]

Pipkins is a very good athlete. However, by itself that means nothing. There have been a lot of guy who have passed through the NFL who were good to great athletes and terrible NFL players. Pipkins needs to improve his technique, like several of the players we have. Our OL is plenty athletic, they need the technique to play at a consistent level.

Scott is another guy who can bend and get low, or pull and lead when needed. But he needs to stop ducking his head because he whiffs badly when he is looking at his feet. When he starts out well vs inexpereinced guys, he tends to keep his head up, but vs quality opponents, he spends too much time watching their feet instead of their belt.

Tevi is another guy who has some athletic ability, but his technique is just not there yet. He needs to really follow what Campen is teaching him or his NFL career is going to come to a rapid end.

On every one of those links at the bottom of the last post, at least 4 of the 5 OL do a good job in pass protection. Pipkins is fine, but so is Scott in each of those. Overall ability is not necesasrily lacking, they need the down to down consistency, because so much of the rest of that game was just crap.

Feeney has this issue as well.

Happy Campen tends to work with each individual’s skillset and maximize what they do well versus just teaching a designated set of techniques.
Core Fundamentals are always at a premium.

[Steve]

Feeney has this issue as well.

Happy Campen tends to work with each individual’s skillset and maximize what they do well versus just teaching a designated set of techniques.
Core Fundamentals are always at a premium.

I don't know what any of that means.

Campen is going to need to fix a lot of mechanical problems from the past on most of the players in camp. Using Scott as an example, the thing with ducking his head, there is no blocking technique in the world that having the player duck so the OL lets his body hunch over and lose leverage before contact. Now, I have been talking to guys I know who coach at lower levels of football (semi-pro and div 3 college) and they say the head ducking thing is usually no big deal. Of course, that is not the only thing Scott does poorly, it is just the most obvious/painful/catastrophic.

The biggest problem I have is that they just haven't had much time to work on technique. Usually, that is what teams do in the offseason. They do a lot of technique work, and they do installs. That is what this season's TC is going to be about, and they have a lot less time then usual. Now, everyone is at the same disadvantage, but we were trying to rebuild a lot of guys at the same time. I think long term we will be fine, but you have to give Campen the time to work his magic. Covid taking the practice time away is going to hurt our OL in the short term.

[chargeroo]

Several years ago I was at a Chargers practice. Sid Gilman was the HC. I was watching on the sideline with three other guys Gilman came over and talked to us for a time. One thing I remember from that conversation is; he said it takes two years of the OL playing together before they become real cohesive. I've often thought about that over the years when we are changing players in our OL over and over.

[Steve]

In today's NFL can you really expect an OL to be together for the 2 years it takes to become cohesive and then longer to take advantage of it? I don't disagree with the timeline, but it is tough to manage even under the best of circumstances.

[like54ninjas]

In today's NFL can you really expect an OL to be together for the 2 years it takes to become cohesive and then longer to take advantage of it? I don't disagree with the timeline, but it is tough to manage even under the best of circumstances.

Salary cap restrictions make it very tough.
I like what I’ve read about the way Campen coaches to each individuals strength to get his job done. I hope to see major improvements in the talent we have.

[chargeroo]

In today's NFL can you really expect an OL to be together for the 2 years it takes to become cohesive and then longer to take advantage of it? I don't disagree with the timeline, but it is tough to manage even under the best of circumstances.

and that may explain why virtually all teams are having struggles building a strong OL

[powderblueboy]

I agree that some work has to be done on the OL but the situation is not so desesperated.
With a mobile QB, you don't need a first quality OL.
The succession at C is already there (QBerry).
All the Chargers need is two linemen on the left side.
Pipskin or Norton at LT. If Something go wrong, sign a FA LT or run the play to your right.
I can't believe Feeney and Lamp will fail at LG.

Mobile quarterbacks also like to sit inside of clean pockets. With Tevi out there, Taylor is going to be constantly distracted by what's going on to his immediate left. Hard to go through your reads that way.