Our OL in a nutshell

[RoyleRedlegs]

(09-16-2017, 02:17 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Yeah, but it does seem like the best OL the Bengals have had are bigger guys.

Bob Johnson: 262lbs ('68 rookie years, and the average OL in the '60s was 251lbs)
Max Montoya: 295lbs ('79 rookie year, and the average OL in the '70s was 255lbs)
Anthony Munoz: 278lbs ('80 rookie year, and the average OL in '80s was 272lbs)
Willie Anderson: 340lbs ('96 rookie year, and the average OL in the '90s was 300lbs)
Andrew Whitworth: 335lbs ('06 rookie year, and the average OL in the '00s was 313lbs)


Meanwhile the average OL in 2015 was 312lbs.
Ogbuehi: 310lbs
Fisher: 310lbs
Hopkins: 310lbs
Bodine: 308lbs
Boling: 305lbs
TJ Johnson: 295lbs


(Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-offensive-lineman-are-big-2011-10/#1990s-fletcher-cox-de-philadelphia-eagles-8)

Those were also all from a completely different era. 
310 is the general size for good OTs now. 
Especially because most guys don't play their "list" weight. 
Tyron Smith is NOT the 320 lbs NFL.com has him listed as. I've heard he plays around 290-295. 
Joe Thomas is right around that 300 mark. 



It's all about skill set not size. 
Ced wouldn't be any better if he was 325 lbs. 

Boling is a pulling guard. He's a great blocker on the move. Asking him to be a drive blocker like they have been is just poor use of his skill by the coaches (OC sets the scheme btw)
Zack Martin is by far and away the best OG in the game and he's under 310. 

There is no magic pill in terms of size for a good player. If you have shitty technique you will be a shitty NFL OL. Size can carry you through college because you will face enough bad players. But when you face good players, every snaps, you have to have the technique to match.

What separates the top list vs bottom list, is just talent. 
Bengals have a small scouting department and coaches are very involved in the process.
Coaches are not the same as scouts and the focus on very different things. 
Scouting requires  A LOT of time and effort coaches at the NFL level can't put in. 
If you want to see a big change, the Bengals NEED to expand their scouting department. 

But this is also a problem across the NFL. There's a disconnect going on and OL play is suffering more than any position.