03-29-2021, 06:31 PM
(03-29-2021, 02:55 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Yeah, it’s really getting annoying. And I’ve been on the Sewell bandwagon longer than most here. But I’m open to other options. Guys like Chase and Pitts would be great additions.
As someone who is full steam ahead on the Sewell train (woot! woot!), it is not that I think Pitts and Chase (or Slater or Smith or Waddle or Parsons) are not good players who would be wonderful additions at positions where we need help. They all are.
It is that I think getting the best quality offensive line we can, as fast as we can, should be, far and away, our #1 priority. Why? Let me count the ways....
1) Joe Burrow is the franchise. Protecting the franchise is priority #1. We did not do this last year. See what happened. See also Greg Cook and Carson Palmer.
2) Even with fantastic weapons, poor protection gets you beat. See Mahommes in Super Bowl. Look at the Browns. Got OBJ, still stunk. Conklin & Willis = POs.
3) I think Sewell has a chance to be a generational player at his position. Aside from Pitts, and maybe Parsons, I don't think any of the others are.
4) I fear Burrow had a lot to do with Chase's production. Ditto Jones and the system for the Bama WRs.
5) Taking the stud OT now makes more sense in terms of team building. Why? OT is a more important position than WR/TE. More foundational. Poor line play gets you beat, period, no matter the skill guys. Great line play (with a great QB) means a contender, almost regardless of the weapons (Brady in NE).
6) I feel it is easier to get quality WRs late 1st or top 2nd than franchise OTs. Chad. CC. Pickens. Not to mention guys like Antonio Brown (6th). For LBs, or TEs, or OGs, it is even easier. Getting Reiff and Pollack will help. We'll be better next year. Meaning, picking lower. Impact WRs, OGs, LBs, DTs, we can get those later this year or next. That franchise tackle is gonna be much harder, not to mention a generational one.
7) It is not just about protecting Burrow. The best Bengals teams had stud OLs. Munoz & Montoya. Whit & Zeitler. Big Willie. This enabled us to run the ball effectively with a wide variety of RBs (Pete Johnson, Brooks, Icky, Kinnebrew, Dillon, etc). It allowed a wide array of WRs to be very successful here (CC, Chad, Eddie Brown, McGee, Pickens, Housh). It allowed good quarterbacks to be great (Anderson, Boomer, Palmer) and average ones to be very good (Dalton). Burrow will make us competitive with a mediocre line. With an average one, we're a PO team. With a good line, and a running game, Joe makes us contenders. A GREAT line....Drafting Sewell puts great line on the table. It takes mediocre off the table. Probably average too.
8) Burrow with a good (or better) line will make us a draw for FAs. On both sides of the ball. Let us make that happen. As quickly as we can.
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There are more. But that is more than enough. Again, I think Pitts, Chase, and Slater/Smith/Waddle/Parsons would all help us. We need help at those spots. But I think Sewell could transform us. And we likely will not have a shot at the transformational guy again anytime soon.
