Bengals have agreed to terms with offensive lineman Xavier Su'a-Filo for a three-year deal worth $10 million, per source.

— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) March 18, 2020

(03-18-2020, 05:19 PM)Bengalholic Wrote:

Bengals have agreed to terms with offensive lineman Xavier Su'a-Filo for a three-year deal worth $10 million, per source.

— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) March 18, 2020

Anyone familiar with this player?

He’s a marginal upgrade to Miller at a decent price. Not doing back flips for it but seems like more of a scheme move over a straight talent improvement.

2nd round pick of the Texans in 2014. He started 41 games for them, then signed with Dallas, where he started 12 games over the last 2 years.

He's played mostly at left Guard.

Anyone have his PFF grades?

He's coming off IR after breaking his leg  Cowboy fans are saying positive things about him.  When he played in 2018, he supposedly stabilized the line which allowed Zeke to take off

Career left guard.  Jordan moves to right side?

I remember the name. He was a 2nd round pick in 2014. It looks like his career has been one of bouncing between starting and backup guard on the teams he's been on.

It seems like good competition for a starting guard spot and comes at a pretty cheap price.

Not against this, though I too feel it is more of a lateral move.

Still, it help saved costs and he's NOT a BAD OG.

Finally a Samoan on the OL!

Not sure I understand it. A 2.5 year older, less durable John Miller who is coming off a fractured fibula?

I wasn't a big John Miller fan, but this doesn't seem an improvement.

(03-18-2020, 05:26 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Not sure I understand it. A 2.5 year older, less durable John Miller who is coming off a fractured fibula?

I wasn't a big John Miller fan, but this doesn't seem an improvement.

Miller came from a power running scheme, Xavier has come up in a outside zone blocking scheme at both stops. This tells me Miller just wasn’t a fit in how they wanted to block the run.

Well, I think he has positional flexibility in that he can play guard or center.

My first thought was maybe this enables a Billy Price trade (BP has never been a good center for us).

I don't know anything about this guy, but will trust what Tobin/Zac are doing in the "draft Burrow" year.

Look for new OG Xavier Sua-Filo to step in as the starter at right guard where John Miller vacated. #Bengals like him as a pass protector and see a big, athletic player who should be an upgrade.

And @Ben_Baby first with the news.

— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) March 18, 2020

Xavier Sua-Filo isn't going to make you think life will be dramatically better up front for the #Bengals. Perhaps opportunity, health, system fit get the most out of him. I'd say the door is still open to draft a guy, develop/compete, but this provides stability.

— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) March 18, 2020

(03-18-2020, 05:34 PM)Bengalholic Wrote:

Look for new OG Xavier Sua-Filo to step in as the starter at right guard where John Miller vacated. #Bengals like him as a pass protector and see a big, athletic player who should be an upgrade.

And @Ben_Baby first with the news.

— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) March 18, 2020

Fills the typical Bengals "at least 2" Samoans on the roster....lol

(03-18-2020, 05:24 PM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: Not against this, though I too feel it is more of a lateral move.

Still, it help saved costs and he's NOT a BAD OG.

Finally a Samoan on the OL!

Agree. Seems like same player.

I can't verify but I believe this guy was picking the second round number 33. Some cowboy fans are saying that when he stepped in for Connor Williams Elliott looked better.

Ezekiel Elliot (2018):

With Connor Williams at LG (eight games): 149 carries, 680 yards, 4.56 YPC, 3 touchdowns

With Xavier Su’a-Filo at LG (seven games): 155 carries, 754 yards, 4.86 YPC, 3 touchdowns

Interesting.

I am not a big fan of PFF ratings but here they are for 2019

Miller...…... 58.6 total.... 58.2 pass.... 55.3 run
Su'a-Filo.... 60.1 total.... 77.7 pass.... 48.6 run

(03-18-2020, 05:22 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: 2nd round pick of the Texans in 2014. He started 41 games for them, then signed with Dallas, where he started 12 games over the last 2 years.

He's played mostly at left Guard.

Anyone have his PFF  grades?

Apparently he's had 4 years with 250+ snaps pass blocking.

2015: 49.8
2016: 65.7
2017: 56.7
2018: 48.7
https://twitter.com/emcphil/status/1240377784683372545

Definitely doesn't sound like a world beater/mauler. Kinda meh. Okay. We'll see. Def. hoping the young guards develop and they add another young guard into the mix in the draft.

(03-18-2020, 05:48 PM)fredtoast Wrote: So we are going to abandon the scheme that worked so well over the final 8 games and go back to the scheme from the first half of the season when we were on pace to be one of the worst rushing teams in NFL history?

Well if you get the right players, either scheme is effective.