Big Blue Huddle

I have to admit that moving JE to RT has made me feel lke we just made the largest upgrade possible to the OL.  With that done, i think the OL starts to come together more with Runyan and The others.  Can they fuse together?  Maybe JMS needs to ride the bench and learn.

I am probably 75%% more confident in the OL being at least average.  My only question is can they become a unit instead of 5 individuals?

I'm more optimistic that they will be better but I need to see some real games where the rubber meets the road first. Inconclusive at this point.

We've been burned so many times with so many variations of this god forsaken OL that it's hard not to be jaded. Having said that...the Raiders had a decent OL last year and the Giants now have the coach and right side of that OL.  And the one thing we think we know is Andrew Thomas is elite.  Then it comes down to Runyan and JMS.  I loved JMS coming out so was disappointed in his season but perhaps bookended by competency will make him better too and Runyan has had success in the NFL which is more than 4/5 of the OL could say last year.  Sooooo I am cautiously optimistic that the group will not be the worst in all the NFL again.  Middle of the pack seems like a reasonable and fair expectation.

I agree with you both.  Live games will prove it.  We have pieces but fusing it is a whole different level of success.

On paper, it seems to be a big improvement

Need to see it on the dirt to see if it translates

Consistency and avoiding mistakes are the hallmarks of a decent OL.

This group has a ton more experience than last year's version, so they should avoid the mistakes.

Consistency is something that takes time plus staying healthy and keeping the same group on the field.

That's going to take a while.  We'll know after game four, assuming they get that far without injuries.

And one more thing.. never forget... aged Swiss cheese is much better than ordinary Swiss.

Bob

I can't say because I am unsure who is starting the O-line.  Is Van Roten the starting center or RG?

Zero.  I will have zero confidence in any OL grouping until I see results on the field.  We've been down this road every single year.  Plus, looking at the depth chart, man it's a shallow group.   Injuries could once again decimate our OL- even minor ones.

Quote from: T200 on August 07, 2024, 08:50:14 AMI'm more optimistic that they will be better but I need to see some real games where the rubber meets the road first. Inconclusive at this point.

I agree, Tim. It is too soon to tell. Yet however higher may be their ceiling, it's hard to imagine their floor being nearly as low as it has been.

Cheers!

Quote from: Painter on August 07, 2024, 10:29:45 AMI agree, Tim. It is too soon to tell. Yet however higher may be their ceiling, it's hard to imagine their floor being nearly as low as it has been.

Cheers!

I think it also bodes well that Bricillo also has two of his guys that understand what he wants. It's a huge bonus to bring in a new OL coach and not have to worry about two of the positions... three if you figure Thomas won't have any issues.

Quote from: Painter on August 07, 2024, 10:29:45 AMI agree, Tim. It is too soon to tell. Yet however higher may be their ceiling, it's hard to imagine their floor being nearly as low as it has been.

Cheers!

Good last point Larry.

So far, so good.

Just hoping they all make it to week 1 and beyond.

Quote from: MightyGiants on August 07, 2024, 10:10:35 AMI can't say because I am unsure who is starting the O-line.  Is Van Roten the starting center or RG?

Right now I'd say center.  Not only can't Schmitz even get on the field, I'm not at all sure, after last year, that he could beat Van Roten out, since I don't see how he improves without practice, coaching, or reps.

Not very confident, largely based on past performance, the number of new additions and lack of time to gel, and the lack of depth.

The fact there are so many new additions could even out questions around past performance, but the recent terrible state of our OL has me squarely in the "prove it to me" mindset when it comes to this unit.

The impact of the number of new additions could be muted by the fact that some of them played for our new OL coach and don't have as steep a learning curve. But at the same time, a new OL coach means a learning curve for the rest.

Which directly ties to the need for time to gel. I think we all agree that Johnson was a terrible coach and we needed to wipe the slate clean. Adopting new approaches and shifting focus to new things will not happen overnight.

And if injuries happen, god help us. Granted, this can be said with really any unit, but the impact of injuries to our OL would likely derail the whole season. If AT goes down, we're screwed. If EZ is forced into extended OT play, we're screwed. If Neal sees the field, we're screwed.

One potentially optimistic point I would make is that many posters here have argued that our O line suddenly played much better last year after Jones got hurt (hence why both other QBs were more effective than Jones). So hopefully that suddenly improved level of play that happened to coincide with the period after Jones' injury playing carries over to this season and the new additions further bolster it.