(03-21-2022, 11:25 AM)Sled21 Wrote: I actually think Carman will be just fine at LG. He's one more year removed from back surgery, he knows the system, and more importanly he has strength on both sides of him now instead of weakness. He can play the left guard spot and not worry about what the Center and Right Tackle are doing. He's also back to the left side. And probably most importantly, they just added 3 Super Bowl rings to the line, and these guys are all business all the time. I think what is about to happen to the oline room can't be overstated. Just like Chase set the tone in the WR room with his downfield blocking, Karras, Cappa and Collins will set the tone in the O line room and show the new guys what it means to be a pro's pro. (still want them to sign Spain just in case)

he will need to develop or he will be a Glaring weakness on this OL

(03-21-2022, 11:50 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: he will need to develop or he will be a Glaring weakness on this OL

There's no reason to think he won't. He changed both positions and sides last season as a rookie. On the plays where he got his hands on some players, he destroyed them. He has the power, he just needs to develop into the NFL. I have total faith Pollack can get him there.

(03-21-2022, 11:50 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: he will need to develop or he will be a Glaring weakness on this OL

A good center and tackle can do a lot of covering for a guard, especially when opposite side tackle is good enough to slide protection away from.

(03-21-2022, 12:03 PM)Sled21 Wrote: There's no reason to think he won't. He changed both positions and sides last season as a rookie. On the plays where he got his hands on some players, he destroyed them. He has the power, he just needs to develop into the NFL. I have total faith Pollack can get him there.

I have no faith in pollack he has really not shown much here...  Hopefully buying him an OL will make it look better

(03-21-2022, 12:06 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: I have no faith in pollack he has really not shown much here...  Hopefully buying him an OL will make it look better

Our new stud RT does.

Oooohhhhh.

I thought it was really weird Pollack kept talking about he was looking for “ass eaters” .

It all makes sense now.

(03-21-2022, 12:11 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Our new stud RT does.

Not an argument

Plenty of players had faith in Marvin Lewis

(03-21-2022, 12:03 PM)Sled21 Wrote: There's no reason to think he won't. He changed both positions and sides last season as a rookie. On the plays where he got his hands on some players, he destroyed them. He has the power, he just needs to develop into the NFL. I have total faith Pollack can get him there.

He was awful last year, so he better improve dramatically

(03-21-2022, 12:20 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: Not an argument

Plenty of players had faith in Marvin Lewis

“bRoKeN rECorD!”

It’s not an argument, Frank. It’s pointing out that one of the best offensive lineman in the league stated Frank Pollack was a major reason he chose us over the other teams that pursued him (mainly the Patriots). I’ll put more stock into his opinion of an OL coach than random people on a message board that “aren’t impressed” with Pollack for not being able to turn guys like Adeniji and Prince into anything (he did coach Spain up to a career year however…).

(03-21-2022, 12:11 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Our new stud RT does.

I think he said It was Burrow that sealed the deal 

Collins can already play... Pollack wont have any affect on that

(03-21-2022, 12:21 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: He was awful last year, so he better improve dramatically

Awful is a bit much. He struggled. But he wasn’t Ogbuehi 2.0 out there. He didn’t look like a lost cause right off the bat. And as bad as Carman was he gave up 0 sacks, and at least showed potential.

(03-21-2022, 12:06 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: I have no faith in pollack he has really not shown much here...  Hopefully buying him an OL will make it look better

One does not completely revamp an OL to make the OL coach look good.  You do it because you had trash on your OL.  

An OL that performed less than adequately when healthy and abysmal when not.  To me this complete overhaul speak to the previous tactics and tendencies of the former coach. not the current one.  This complete revamp speaks to how truly bad they were.  How you can blame Pollack for guys who likely wouldn't otherwise have had jobs is beyond me.  Outside of Spain, the guys we didn't bring back will likely be backups at best on minimal contracts.

(03-21-2022, 12:30 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: I think he said It was Burrow that sealed the deal

Collins can already play... Pollack wont have any affect on that

He credited Pollack being here as to why it was a “perfect fit.”

"There are good fits and perfect fits," Collins said, via the team's official website. "I felt like this was the perfect fit from the jump. Obviously my history with (offensive line) coach Frank (Pollack). The type of coach he is. His standards are high. He's the best offensive line coach I've been around since I've been in the NFL, hands down. And getting back to work with him. And also the players on this team you see and look at the guys around that helped bring this team to where it is. What other team would you want to be part of?"

(03-21-2022, 12:35 PM)Stewy Wrote: One does not completely revamp an OL to make the OL coach look good.  You do it because you had trash on your OL.  

An OL that performed less than adequately when healthy and abysmal when not.  To me this complete overhaul speak to the previous tactics and tendencies of the former coach. not the current one.  This complete revamp speaks to how truly bad they were.  How you can blame Pollack for guys who likely wouldn't otherwise have had jobs is beyond me.  Outside of Spain, the guys we didn't bring back will likely be backups at best on minimal contracts.

The OL was decent before Reiff got hurt and had improved. They were exposed in the playoffs. Pollack is on the clock. He’s got his guys mostly. Of course he’s got to mold them all but the sub plots are Carman, Smith, Prince, and possibly Spain. This team had an unusually good year injury wise. It was dreadful in 2020. 2022 likely will be in between. The Bengals roster is exceedingly better but Baltimore and Tampa (receivers) and Cleveland are examples where injuries matter. Pollack has to get Carman in gear. Sounds like they’ve had a come to Jesus meeting with him. Prince, Spain, and whoever’s left is fighting for a roster spot. I said earlier before FA competition could be a huge motivator this year.

(03-21-2022, 01:24 AM)Go Cards Wrote: Kudos to the Front Office on an outstanding job !!!

     

100%!!!!   The Collins signing in particular was a true mold breaking signing.   I am impressed and delighted.  Can't wait to watch some football in 2022/ 23!!!

(03-21-2022, 11:25 AM)Sled21 Wrote: I actually think Carman will be just fine at LG. He's one more year removed from back surgery, he knows the system, and more importanly he has strength on both sides of him now instead of weakness. He can play the left guard spot and not worry about what the Center and Right Tackle are doing. He's also back to the left side. And probably most importantly, they just added 3 Super Bowl rings to the line, and these guys are all business all the time. I think what is about to happen to the oline room can't be overstated. Just like Chase set the tone in the WR room with his downfield blocking, Karras, Cappa and Collins will set the tone in the O line room and show the new guys what it means to be a pro's pro. (still want them to sign Spain just in case)

Good post.   I've had a lot of concerns about Carmen, but Pollack is singing his praises for the off season work he's doing.  If he gets his act in order we should be opening some ginormous holes  and giving the franchise time to pick folks apart.

We're going to need that with Watson going to Cleveland!

The OL was performing okay before Reiff went out. The real issues were injuries to both Spain and Carman that they tried to play through, Prince not being adequate to start at RT and Adeniji being a disaster (and his issue was not a coachable one - he simply is unable to hold the point). We went into the season gambling a bit regarding experienced depth and late in the season got exposed - it happens.

(03-20-2022, 11:53 PM)Bengalbug Wrote: I could have seen one signing as “enough” In their eyes.  We all knew better.  This could be the best line since 2005/2015, and those lines saw Palmer/Dalton as MVP candidates and opened holes in our running game.  Mixon should be as excited as burrow for next year.

We all should be excited. I don't know how this Offense can be stopped if you can't get to Burrow or stop the running game.

Pick your poison, load the box Burrow tears you up and we score lots of points with Chase and company.

Go after Burrow and don't get home and he will also shred Defenses as he is great under pressure.

Then run the ball with Mixon who will now actually have holes. All these guys are great run blockers.

This is where we upgraded immensely, people can say that Karras isn't that much of an upgrade at Center cause of the PFF 
grades but this isn't true. Karras is ten times the run blocker that Hop was, nothing against Hop, it was just his weakness.

(03-21-2022, 11:25 AM)Sled21 Wrote: I actually think Carman will be just fine at LG. He's one more year removed from back surgery, he knows the system, and more importanly he has strength on both sides of him now instead of weakness. He can play the left guard spot and not worry about what the Center and Right Tackle are doing. He's also back to the left side. And probably most importantly, they just added 3 Super Bowl rings to the line, and these guys are all business all the time. I think what is about to happen to the oline room can't be overstated. Just like Chase set the tone in the WR room with his downfield blocking, Karras, Cappa and Collins will set the tone in the O line room and show the new guys what it means to be a pro's pro. (still want them to sign Spain just in case)

Feel the same about Carman and also would like us to bring back Spain just in case the back problems come back.

Spain shouldn't be too spendy and seems optimistic about a return, he played well when not injured.

(03-21-2022, 11:25 AM)Sled21 Wrote: I actually think Carman will be just fine at LG. He's one more year removed from back surgery, he knows the system, and more importanly he has strength on both sides of him now instead of weakness. He can play the left guard spot and not worry about what the Center and Right Tackle are doing. He's also back to the left side. And probably most importantly, they just added 3 Super Bowl rings to the line, and these guys are all business all the time. I think what is about to happen to the oline room can't be overstated. Just like Chase set the tone in the WR room with his downfield blocking, Karras, Cappa and Collins will set the tone in the O line room and show the new guys what it means to be a pro's pro. (still want them to sign Spain just in case)

Agree completely, but want Spain as insurance.  I am not handing the guy the job just because he was a 2nd round pick.

Interestingly, my buddy was sitting next to Carman yesterday at Taste Of Belgium in NKY.  I jokingly told my buddy to take his pancakes and say "get in shape, fat boy" and he laughed telling me most of his meal was a huge plate of eggs.  

We need to have backups too, hopefully we still acquire 1 or 2 more just in case (via draft possibly). This team isn't going anywhere without Burrow.