Grade The Draft

[Whatever]

(04-30-2023, 07:01 PM)TheFan Wrote: Of the three teams you mentioned only 2 even had a QB and he had 0 weapons which lead to him wanting to leave. Obviously an OL isn't the only factor but it helps. We were as close to losing to Huntley as you can get and thats mostly because of the OL. 

You don't hear coaches say that about other positions. You hear them say it about OL and DL. Again, I don't dislike the draft and gave it a B,but no OL or TE, which were two areas of need, is a negative by everyone pre-draft is a negative. I'm not going to give them an A just because the Bengals drafted the players. 

Almost never does an OL make it through an entire season.

Two had MVP QB's, actually.  Everything helps.  Nobody is saying the OL isn't important, but you can't dump all of your resources there either.  We almost lost to a division rival that played their backups against us the week before to scout us in what for us was a must win game for us.  And we were down, what, 3 starters on the OL during that game?

I hear coaches say it about pass rushers and corners, specifically.  I've never heard one say it about offensive linemen.  Perhaps since you asked me to name some teams that had top OL's that weren't contenders, maybe you could list some NFL head coaches who've said that?  If we hadn't added a quality starter and a depth piece in FA, you could argue it was a need.  The guy Chris Smith abused in the AFCCG probably doesn't even make the roster at this point.  

Almost never are you down three starting OL with a fourth playing hurt in the playoffs, either.