I know everyone is excited about the upgrades the Bengals made on the OL during FA. Not to be Debby Downer, but, can new individuals from different teams/schemes be cohesive as a unit in just the first year? The OL is a "unit" that feeds and depends off each player. The new guys are great individual players but I wonder if they can play as a solid "unit" having never played together.

Please, someone give me comfort.

The Chiefs had 5 new starters last season and had a top 5 line according to PFF

100% these guys are all veterans and professionals. They will settle in and figure it out.

(05-31-2022, 07:49 PM)pally Wrote: The Chiefs had 5 new starters last season and had a top 5 line according to PFF

Thank you!

I think this staff does an excellent job picking free agents that fit their scheme. That is how the D turned around so nicely and I expect the same with the O-line with some luck on the health front.

Chido, Hilton, Trey, BJ, DJ, Larry, Von, even Apple.

I trust their FA evaluation now.

Less Waynes I guess but if he stayed healthy he likely was a fit.

These guys are veterans,and that experience counts.They’ll figure it out.

(05-31-2022, 07:39 PM)Chezaugie Wrote: I know everyone is excited about the upgrades the Bengals made on the OL during FA. Not to be Debby Downer, but, can new individuals from different teams/schemes be cohesive as a unit in just the first year? The OL is a "unit" that feeds and depends off each player. The new guys are great individual players but I wonder if they can play as a solid "unit" having never played together.

Please, someone give me comfort.

Might take a few games and I bet they improve.

(05-31-2022, 08:37 PM)Big_Ern Wrote: I think this staff does an excellent job picking free agents that fit their scheme.  That is how the D turned around so nicely and I expect the same with the O-line with some luck on the health front.

Chido, Hilton, Trey, BJ, DJ, Larry, Von, even Apple.  

I trust their FA evaluation now.  

Less Waynes I guess but if he stayed healthy he likely was a fit.

Ya im not gonna fault them for Wayne because we really never got to see him play. 

Like other people have said, they're professionals and most of, if not all of, them have been playing football a very long time, and football is always football, even if everything isn't worded the same.

Furthermore, it doesn't take players long to build chemistry because they all know they're there for the same thing: to win games and make money.

Also, I think it was a Sports Illustrated that had an issue called "Offensive Linemen: The Smartest Men In Sports (Really!"

It might have just been football and not all sports, but you get the point.

The reasoning was because of all the blocking schemes and plays you have to know and then also how they have to identify who's who and then decide who to block based on the defense and scheme combination.

I have no doubt that they'll all be ready because I know they'll all be studying their asses off since they know they'll either be playing or have the potential to play on a Super Bowl contender!

They might have a couple issues early, but they'll get it figured out soon enough.

It is not about learning the new scheme. All these guys can do that just fine on their own. Instead it is about getting a "feeling" for each other. All of the players on the team will get better if they practice together as a team, but O-line and the defensive backfield actually have to know the strengths and weaknesses of his teammates as they hand off receivers or defenders. They have to read how the whole unit is behaving/performing in order to make the proper decisions on their own assignments.

I am sure all these new players are learning the scheme by watching a lot of film. But I would not be surprised if they were not also watching film of their new teammates to get a feel for how it will be to play next to them.

They will all have the scheme down pat, but they will still need to learn each other. It is like a horse who has ran the same course for years and a rider who has done the same. Even though they both know the course they still have to train together to get the best time.

(05-31-2022, 07:39 PM)Chezaugie Wrote: I know everyone is excited about the upgrades the Bengals made on the OL during FA. Not to be Debby Downer, but, can new individuals from different teams/schemes be cohesive as a unit in just the first year? The OL is a "unit" that feeds and depends off each player. The new guys are great individual players but I wonder if they can play as a solid "unit" having never played together.

Please, someone give me comfort.

Nope..Don't listen to these guys here.. We're doomed, but on the bright side most of the Bengals players will outlive most of us as the world crumbles into utter chaos.. 

(05-31-2022, 08:04 PM)BurrowTheGoat Wrote: 100% these guys are all veterans and professionals.  They will settle in and figure it out.

This. They are proven veterans, it would be different if we were relying on rookies. The only position on the OL of question is LG
and Carman is going into his 2nd year and we could still add a vet for competition there. Also adding Volson could really push JC,
Volson looks like one hard working mutha out there. Health is key, like others have said it might be a little rusty the first couple 
weeks with everyone trying to gain that chemistry but it should grow and we should be light years better than last season as it 
does. The run blocking should be significantly better with Karras, Cappa and Collins now here.

One thing that will help is that both tackles are familiar with what Pollack wants. Karras and Cappa are proven vets that will likely get the feel very quickly.

(05-31-2022, 07:39 PM)Chezaugie Wrote: I know everyone is excited about the upgrades the Bengals made on the OL during FA. Not to be Debby Downer, but, can new individuals from different teams/schemes be cohesive as a unit in just the first year? The OL is a "unit" that feeds and depends off each player. The new guys are great individual players but I wonder if they can play as a solid "unit" having never played together.

Please, someone give me comfort.

They may have some struggles the first handful of games but I do expect they'll start gelling in October sometime at the latest.
Hopefully too Carman (or Volson) plays solid enough to really round out the whole OL.
I have optimism Carman can now that he's had a year of experience, hopefully has his back issues behind him (ba-dum-tsh), and is playing on the side he's more comfortable with.

(06-01-2022, 04:21 PM)ochocincos Wrote: They may have some struggles the first handful of games but I do expect they'll start gelling in October sometime at the latest.
Hopefully too Carman (or Volson) plays solid enough to really round out the whole OL.
I have optimism Carman can now that he's had a year of experience, hopefully has his back issues behind him (ba-dum-tsh), and is playing on the side he's more comfortable with.

Well said Ocho and once they start to gel I could really see this Offense take off. Both in the running game and passing game.

Should be a blast to watch. Last year was a bit frustrating with the Burrow injury and the Offense being held back by poor blocking 
and some poor play calling here and there. Hard to call a game though with poor play in front of your QB and RB.

(05-31-2022, 07:39 PM)Chezaugie Wrote: I know everyone is excited about the upgrades the Bengals made on the OL during FA. Not to be Debby Downer, but, can new individuals from different teams/schemes be cohesive as a unit in just the first year? The OL is a "unit" that feeds and depends off each player. The new guys are great individual players but I wonder if they can play as a solid "unit" having never played together.

Please, someone give me comfort.

Collins discussing his comfort level and cohesiveness with Cappa & Karras, and said he met them on his visit and knew he wanted to play with them. He also discussed how he and Cappa are the same page with schemes they like and they know will work.

Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaCjge1fEYg

(Reply button not working for me, so you may have to copy and paste)

From the outside it may seem strange to other teams that we are going crazy over a group of O-line free agents without a single Pro Bowl player.  Collins is probably the only one who would be expected to even get any pro bowl consideration.  But they will be a HUGE upgrade over what we had last year.

I don't expect these guys to suddenly become an elite O-line.  But if they can just be a solid top ten unit this offense should EXPLODE.

And they’ll get better as the season goes on.

So cohesion is what teams bank on when they don't have good talent on a line.

I'd rather have a line of talented players and no experience together than guys with mediocre talent that played together for years.

Cohesion isn't useless. But it isn't everything either. It's a variable in the equation. But, I think talent, scheme, and health are the main variables.

On our line...health is the major issue. And one of the Guard spots. Collins was hurt a decent bit in Dallas and suspended. Jonah also has been hurt quite a bit. Either of those guys go down...it hurts our line A LOT.