Offensive Line Discussion

[powderblueboy]

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.

Hardwick
the 5 headed monster
Matt Slauson
Spencer Pulley
Pouncey
Quessenberry/Feeney
?

[like54ninjas]

Hardwick
the 5 headed monster
Matt Slauson
Spencer Pulley
Pouncey
Quessenberry/Feeney
?

Creed Humphrey, Luke Mathews, Orlando Umana, Josh Myers would be nice 2021 additions.

[chargeroo]

Humphrey gets my vote.

[like54ninjas]

Humphrey gets my vote.

He is my top rated center going into 2020.
Luke Mathews has good tape and great bloodlines.
Too bad Umana and Myers will not get more tape this fall. Umana is a beastly manchild with excellent movement skills and drive power. I’m very high on him.

[wu-dai clan]

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.

Good take Sir.
Good points.
Ah yes.
That magical mysterious thing called Oline chemistry.
We really do not know.
Can't you hear Lynn lighting a fire under everyone's backsides ?
What he is putting out there for public consumption must be taken with a grain of salt.
It don't mean shit.

[Guest]

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.

I think your view is exactly the kind of view that I am concerned that the team's front office may have. Yes, the OL does have some major issues. And instead of trying to find players that offer good opportunity for debate regarding whether or not they are worthy of an NFL roster spot and are good enough, my view is that we should always be trying to upgrade and build the best and deepest position group at every position. And we are nowhere close to that with respect to our OL.

Pipkins has some athleticism and did make some plays, but his performance on the whole was not good and definitely not what one would hope for out of a starting LT. Yes, he was a rookie and that gives us hope for some improvement, but the question concerns how much of an improvement he will make. It has to be a lot because he was not close to being a good starting LT last year. So, my view is that if he shows significant improvement, then we should keep him, continue to develop him, and see if he can become a good starter in year 3. But if there is little or no improvement, then I will have seen enough to move on from from him.

I have a lower opinion of Quessenberry than you do. I realize that he was drafted to play center for us, but he has never impressed me at all even to the point that I do not like him as a reserve. I think he is a reserve for a team with a bad OL--a back end of the roster player, not a starter or good reserve. I think part of the problem is that we tend to compare one of our OL players to our other OL players to see if the player is good. The problem is that none of our OL players that played the majority of the snaps for us last year were good--absolutely none of them. Last year, our starters would not even have been able to play as reserves for other teams.

I see Norton as nothing more than a camp body, a camp body on a team with weak overall OL depth. When we cut him (do we really need to say if), no NFL team will come looking for him.

Feeney has had lots of run at LG and he has failed. On a good day, he is a low average starter. But most of the time last year, he was not even that. Because Lamp has been injured so much and he seemed to have so much potential, I feel good about giving Lamp another chance. And because we have already seen what Feeney cannot do, I would like to see Lamp starting. If Lamp cannot beat out Feeney, then he is not a part of the long term solution because Feeney is another back end of the roster player on a team with a bad OL.

Lastly, the OL actually needs to be much better with Taylor at QB than Rivers. Rivers could read plays quickly and get rid of the ball for effective plays. Nobody makes anticipatory throws better than Rivers and nobody has a quicker release than Rivers. Taylor will not see the throws as quickly as Rivers did. Taylor will make more broken field escape plays with his legs, but he will also hold the ball longer and take more sacks while he is trying to figure out a safe low risk throw.

With Taylor at QB, the running game should become more of a focus, which may be what Lynn wanted all along. The OL will need to run block effectively. Taylor will not be as effective at bailing out the offense in adverse down and distance situations as Rivers was. If the OL does not run block effectively, get ready for run-run-pass-punt a whole lot this season.

[dmac_bolt]

I'm still stunned we didnt draft any OL to give competition to Tevi, Scott and Feeney.

AJ used to say "Line em up 3 deep and let em compete !!!"

AJ started that way. He inherited a solid Butler roster, had two good drafts, and Imagined he was the most brilliant GM ever. He foolishly thought his roster was so strong that adding good players to core positions was not possible and nobody could even make the roster. So he started wasting draft picks on ridiculous players and the roster declined his last 3 years accordingly. Icarus’ wings melted and he plummeted to earth.

He never valued OL investment ever. One 2nd round or higher pick his entire stewardship if I recall (and a fine one he was until neck injury led to early retirement). Instead we got Craig Fucking Buster and Antoine WhoEverTheFuck. Jacob the Tweener not good at anything Hester anyone?

[Critty]

S.Tevi in drivers seat to be starting left tackle?!

[gzubeck]

S.Tevi in drivers seat to be starting left tackle?!

Coach Campen doing miracles with Tevi?!?!?! I thought Pipkins was going to be slotted for that. Pipkins backup?

[dmac_bolt]

Coach Campen doing miracles with Tevi?!?!?! I thought Pipkins was going to be slotted for that. Pipkins backup?

Pipkins is hurt. Details not yet disclosed. “A setback”.

[PR#1]

Pipkins hurt. Tevi practicing with first team at LT. Lamp still struggling to find a position. Nice job Tommy !!!

[Formula 21]

AJ started that way. He inherited a solid Butler roster, had two good drafts, and Imagined he was the most brilliant GM ever. He foolishly thought his roster was so strong that adding good players to core positions was not possible and nobody could even make the roster. So he started wasting draft picks on ridiculous players and the roster declined his last 3 years accordingly. Icarus’ wings melted and he plummeted to earth.

He never valued OL investment ever. One 2nd round or higher pick his entire stewardship if I recall (and a fine one he was until neck injury led to early retirement). Instead we got Craig Fucking Buster and Antoine WhoEverTheFuck. Jacob the Tweener not good at anything Hester anyone?

AJ was good until he decided he was the smartest guy in the room.