04-02-2021, 09:09 PM
(04-02-2021, 01:32 PM)Whatever Wrote: Here's an interesting take from Colts OL coach Kevin Mawae about shifting guys around positions on the OL. If Mawae sounds familiar, he was an 8 time All Pro C with the Jets.
“Not specifically about this team but just in general, it’s not as easy as everybody thinks it is,” Mawae said, via Mike Chappell of WXIN. “Everybody is like, ‘Just plug them in at guard.’ Well, that just doesn’t happen like that. I think there are unique tools and attributes that a guard has to have versus a tackle and a center, and just to plug and play is not the right way to go about it. You want to put the best five guys on the field talent-wise, but also you want to put the best five combination out there.”
So drafting Sewell and pushing him, Reiff, or Jonah to G may not be as effective as we think it will be.
The thing is what Mawae says is correct to players who went through life playing nothing but tackle(like Jonah) but so many have played the guard position for a year or two before moving to the tackle position in college. Sewell played exclusively at guard his HS career and went to his first camp as a guard. It was later in camp that they got the idea that he should be their LT. Fred Johnson didn’t play tackle until late in college. He skill set is primarily at the guard position which is funny that a small sample size last year has convinced many on here that tackle is his best position. Go figure.
So most prospects have either plenty of tape showing what they can do as guard. With some, they have certain skillsets which strongly suggest guard would be more than feasible. To me, switching between right hand down to left hand down is more of a challenge.
