(02-13-2017, 05:17 PM)Bengal Dude Wrote: I know some people are in here talking about Westerman being a 2nd-3rd round prospect. The Bengals admitted that they had him rated as a mid-4th round player. So take that for what it's worth.


Am I concerned about him taking over for Zeitler? Absolutely. He's a 5th round guy who didn't play a single snap and when Boling was injured, he didn't get a sniff at all when we tried to figure out the OL. We called up Trey Hopkins from the PS for week 17 and he saw more game time than Westerman.

To be fair Boling was a 4th round pick and it has worked out well. OL is actually a position where late picks and UDFA's somewhat commonly become starters in the NFL.

(02-14-2017, 10:51 AM)Au165 Wrote: To be fair Boling was a 4th round pick and it has worked out well. OL is actually a position where late picks and UDFA's somewhat commonly become starters in the NFL.

Bolings play was shaky his first 2-3 years here...then he stabilized.

(02-14-2017, 02:01 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Bolings play was shaky his first 2-3 years here...then he stabilized.

I think thats a fair expectation for Westerman too.

(02-14-2017, 02:01 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Bolings play was shaky his first 2-3 years here...then he stabilized.

That's expected out of a mid-round pick (at least to me). 2-3 years to groom before becoming a quality starter.
The problem is when first and second rounders are taking 2-3 years to stabilize (or worse).

(02-14-2017, 10:51 AM)Au165 Wrote: To be fair Boling was a 4th round pick and it has worked out well. OL is actually a position where late picks and UDFA's somewhat commonly become starters in the NFL.

It didn't help that the coaches didn't use Boling correctly when he first got here. They put him at RG for the first three games of 2011 and he looked atrocious. It wasn't until 2013 that we started seeing some positive things from Boling.

(02-14-2017, 04:56 PM)Bengal Dude Wrote: It didn't help that the coaches didn't use Boling correctly when he first got here. They put him at RG for the first three games of 2011 and he looked atrocious. It wasn't until 2013 that we started seeing some positive things from Boling.

This^ 

How many guards were taken before Westerman in last years draft?

(02-15-2017, 11:34 PM)SYLVIA Wrote: How many guards were taken before Westerman in last years draft?

There were 7 players who were drafted as guards taken ahead of him. I'm not counting tackles and centers that were taken and converted to guard.

Why the heck is this in FA? Westerman is on this team and was on this team last year.

Anyway, I sure would have liked to see him get some playing time last year when the OL was sucking so much. It really doesn't seem like the Bengals are expecting Zeitler back, so I think the best thing we can hope for is the kid comes out and beasts it.

Who knows, maybe he's really good and just buried on the depth chart due to crappy coaching. It wouldn't be the first time. They put Fej in briefly and he made nothing but plays before never seeing the light of day again. They put TJ Johnson and Winston in for Bodine and Ogbuehi and the Bengals went straight down the field for a TD.. and then TJ Johnson and Winston went back to the bench.

The optimist hopes it'll turn out well. The pessimist reminds me that whomever is out there, they'll be coached by Paul Alexander.

I don't get to watch any college football over here in the UK so serious question to you guys here.

Is there a pronounced jump from college football to the nfl in terms of OL and DL strength and conditioning?

(02-14-2017, 04:56 PM)Bengal Dude Wrote: It didn't help that the coaches didn't use Boling correctly when he first got here. They put him at RG for the first three games of 2011 and he looked atrocious. It wasn't until 2013 that we started seeing some positive things from Boling.

Much like Michael Johnson was a LB for his first two seasons and even prepared his third season as a LB until DE injuries forced him to be a full time DE.

He's not a great player, but he could have had a lot better Bengals career than he did if they had made him a DE from the word go and let him put on the 20lbs he needed to in order to play the position rather than flip flop him back and forth and make him keep the weight off so he could play LB.

(02-16-2017, 05:27 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Why the heck is this in FA? Westerman is on this team and was on this team last year.

Anyway, I sure would have liked to see him get some playing time last year when the OL was sucking so much. It really doesn't seem like the Bengals are expecting Zeitler back, so I think the best thing we can hope for is the kid comes out and beasts it.

Who knows, maybe he's really good and just buried on the depth chart due to crappy coaching. It wouldn't be the first time. They put Fej in briefly and he made nothing but plays before never seeing the light of day again. They put TJ Johnson and Winston in for Bodine and Ogbuehi and the Bengals went straight down the field for a TD.. and then TJ Johnson and Winston went back to the bench.

The optimist hopes it'll turn out well. The pessimist reminds me that whomever is out there, they'll be coached by Paul Alexander.

This is probably the most frustrating thing to me about these coaches.

The loyalty to the players who suck even when another player plays well in their place.

This would never happen in New England or on lots of NFL teams honestly.

Good teams anyway. Never would happen.

I liked the Westerman pick but i have no faith in PA coaching him up.

We will need to get a new O-line coach, damn broken record.

(02-16-2017, 06:06 PM)Southendbengal Wrote: I don't get to watch any college football over here in the UK so serious question to you guys here.

Is there a pronounced jump from college football to the nfl in terms of OL and DL strength and conditioning?

Yes there is a huge jump with not only strength and conditioning, but also with the speed and biggest of all work ethic.

You can still get by and succeed in college with talent alone, but if you don't have that strong work ethic, you will not last.

They typically say the NFL is the top 1% of college football players, if that helps.

(02-16-2017, 06:45 PM)bambino5130 Wrote: Yes there is a huge jump with not only strength and conditioning, but also with the speed and biggest of all work ethic.

You can still get by and succeed in college with talent alone, but if you don't have that strong work ethic, you will not last.

They typically say the NFL is the top 1% of college football players, if that helps.

Cheers bambino.

My guess is Westerman has a ways to go before he is starting material, but if he's as tough as the articles I've read he may be a starter at some point.

Just remember one thing...

The most important thing....

Westerman needs work....and you are counting on Paul Alexander to coach him up. That should terrify everyone, especially Andy Dalton.

Westerman is working with the o line guru in Phx, Az, and will un tie camp begins.

(02-16-2017, 05:27 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Who knows, maybe he's really good and just buried on the depth chart due to crappy coaching. It wouldn't be the first time. They put Fej in briefly and he made nothing but plays before never seeing the light of day again. They put TJ Johnson and Winston in for Bodine and Ogbuehi and the Bengals went straight down the field for a TD.. and then TJ Johnson and Winston went back to the bench.

Pine bench syndrome.  It's really easy to come in as a backup, with all your adrenalin pumping and show why you belong.  It's a much tougher task to be the starter, do it game in game out, not to mention the toll of the pounding of a long season. 

(02-17-2017, 09:02 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Pine bench syndrome.  It's really easy to come in as a backup, with all your adrenalin pumping and show why you belong.  It's a much tougher task to be the starter, do it game in game out, not to mention the toll of the pounding of a long season. 

Ordinarily I'd concur, but in both the case of Fej and the case of TJ Johnson they just put the same old players right back in - who promptly went right back to their poor play. Frankly I'm not seeing how letting Zeitler go helps anything - all it does is at absolute best we stand in place at RG whilst the gaping holes at RG and C are unfilled.