(04-28-2020, 03:46 PM)fredtoast Wrote: The Cowboys wanted him to return as a BACK UP, and apparently no other team was willing to pay him starter money.

I tend to think that with 32 teams bidding a player generally gets what he is worth.  So excuse me for not being thrilled about a guy we got for $2.6 million this year.  That is less than John Miller got paid, and just $500K more than we are paying Alex.  I was not a big fan of Miller, and some have said that Su'a-Filo will fit our blocking scheme better, but I sure don't see him as a big upgrade.

I am sure Su'a-filo will get a chance to compete for a starting job, but I hope to hell are coaches don't already have him written is as first string.

And I am not pimping Redmond for the starting spot.  I am just remining people that he is an option.  I rarely see his name mentioned when talking about potential starters at OG.

So for $500k more, we got a guy with fewer penalties and more yards than the guy we already had. Good job team!

(04-28-2020, 06:03 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Some quality competition for starting spots is just what the doctor ordered for this team.  I'm really starting to believe the things I hear and read, things like "All spots on the OL are up for competition, we want to put the best 5 out there".

With what may be a shortened offseason to prepare, they better figure it out quickly. Can’t afford to have Burrow behind a line playing musical chairs.

(04-28-2020, 09:27 PM)thompson19osu Wrote: With what may be a shortened offseason to prepare, they better figure it out quickly. Can’t afford to have Burrow behind a line playing musical chairs.

So, what would you propose as an alternative?  You think they should just pick a random 5, throw them together and hope they work out?

(04-28-2020, 09:27 PM)thompson19osu Wrote: With what may be a shortened offseason to prepare, they better figure it out quickly. Can’t afford to have Burrow behind a line playing musical chairs.

So, what would you propose as an alternative?  You think they should just pick a random 5, throw them together and hope they work out?

(04-28-2020, 09:40 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: So, what would you propose as an alternative?  You think they should just pick a random 5, throw them together and hope they work out?

No I’m just saying I hope a unit can declare themselves the best lineup in a quick amount of time. It would not be good to be 5-6 games into the season and continue to rotate the line because they are not “gelling” or have not built the “chemistry” yet, or whatever same excuse Hobson would draw up for a struggling o-line.

(04-28-2020, 09:53 PM)thompson19osu Wrote: No I’m just saying I hope a unit can declare themselves the best lineup in a quick amount of time. It would not be good to be 5-6 games into the season and continue to rotate the line because they are not “gelling” or have not built the “chemistry” yet, or whatever same excuse Hobson would draw up for a struggling o-line.

The competition happens during camp.  The opening day starting 5 are the ones deemed to be the best we can field at that moment.

They have first pick of the waiver wire until the 3rd week of the season.

I expect there will be some turnover leading to spirited competition among the OL throughout the pre-season.

(04-28-2020, 03:15 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Don't forget about Redmond at RG

When John Miller was out with injury last year Alex Redmond was the new starter, but then he also got injured and missed most of the second half of the season.  Earlier this month the Bengals re-signed him for $2.1 million.

Considering the current competition it could be the Bengals see Redmond as the starting RG again.

And here I was trying to forget that he ever played for the Bengals and you go and remind me.

 

(04-28-2020, 05:35 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Doesn't Xavier play mostly on the left side of the line? Not saying he won't play right side, but he may take the starting LG position.

XSF has almost 4,000 career snaps between offense and ST. If I remember correctly, less than 70 of those snaps were at RG, everything else is LG.

(04-29-2020, 12:59 AM)Bengal Dude Wrote: XSF has almost 4,000 career snaps between offense and ST. If I remember correctly, less than 70 of those snaps were at RG, everything else is LG.

That's what I thought. They may like Jordan, but XFS may take the spot from him.

(04-28-2020, 05:40 PM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: Fred's starting at RT, bank on it.

I assume you mean Johnson and not Toast....

I have been debating this a lot in my head.  Hart could go from starting RT to a cap casualty.  He could also be the starting RT, continue to ascend, and end up being a solid RT for many years to come.  Why do I think that is not going to happen?  Although he is just 25 years old, he has been in the league for five years.  I can't help but think that regardless of his age, after 5 years in the league we probably know what he is...and what he isn't.  Johnson is a full two inches taller than Hart, and they ironically had the same exact grade at the combine.  I can't see a 6'7" starting at RG.  I almost think it is Hart that should be the RG and Johnson the RT.  Johnson's length allowed him to punch guys wide at LT.  I think the coaching staff will surely go with the best player and contracts won't likely fit in to the equation.  

One thing I will say for Hart is that he has been pretty durable.  And I don't think he has ever played with a very good RG next to him here, at least not yet.  The way Dalton always seemed to roll to his right probably didn't help Hart's cause, either.

I don't know.  Maybe a rookie like Adeniji comes in and wins the RG spot.  It should be interesting.  

(04-28-2020, 05:35 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Doesn't Xavier play mostly on the left side of the line? Not saying he won't play right side, but he may take the starting LG position.

I believe so.

I also think Michael Jordan's first season at Ohio State he played right guard, before switching to LG and then C. Can any Buckeyes confirm?

If that is the case then I wonder if they are considering putting XSF at LG? Remember XSF is their most experienced O-lineman and last year they moved their most experienced starter, Cordy Glenn, to be a veteran presence inside Jonah Williams. XSF is another who was a team captain and the type of individual they are targeting https://www.espn.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/55776/uclas-xavier-sua-filo-quietly-a-pac-12-force

I also wonder if Bobby Hart will get snaps inside at RG in OTAs. If Fred Johnson beats him out at RT (which is what Zac's apparent optimism about the O-line surely suggests they expect to happen), then Bobby Hart may be our best RG option.

I asked this question during the draft but now seems a good time to ask again.

What would our current strongest O-Line be in your opinion? How would you grade each player in the o-line in the positions you’ve put them?

(04-29-2020, 09:29 AM)YorkshireBengal Wrote: I asked this question during the draft but now seems a good time to ask again.

What would our current strongest O-Line be in your opinion? How would you grade each player in the o-line in the positions you’ve put them?

Impossible to grade them yet, or even say what the strongest unit will be, but what i hope it is...

Jonah -Jordan-Hopkins-XSF-Johnson

If they want to kick Hart inside to one of the OG spots ok, but I really hope he’s not our starting RT.

(04-29-2020, 10:05 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Impossible to grade them yet, or even say what the strongest unit will be, but what i hope it is...

Jonah -Jordan-Hopkins-XSF-Johnson

If they want to kick Hart inside to one of the OG spots ok, but I really hope he’s not our starting RT.

So we have Akeniji, Hart, Price and Redmond for depth? Who is the cover at tackle?

(04-29-2020, 10:47 AM)YorkshireBengal Wrote: So we have Akeniji, Hart, Price and Redmond for depth? Who is the cover at tackle?

The loser of the Hart/Johnson battle at RT.

Then it's Prince, Dugas, Adeniji and maybe XSF, who played LT in College.

(04-29-2020, 09:29 AM)TJHoushmandzadeh Wrote: I believe so.

I also think Michael Jordan's first season at Ohio State he played right guard, before switching to LG and then C. Can any Buckeyes confirm?

If that is the case then I wonder if they are considering putting XSF at LG? Remember XSF is their most experienced O-lineman and last year they moved their most experienced starter, Cordy Glenn, to be a veteran presence inside Jonah Williams. XSF is another who was a team captain and the type of individual they are targeting https://www.espn.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/55776/uclas-xavier-sua-filo-quietly-a-pac-12-force

I also wonder if Bobby Hart will get snaps inside at RG in OTAs. If Fred Johnson beats him out at RT (which is what Zac's apparent optimism about the O-line surely suggests they expect to happen), then Bobby Hart may be our best RG option.

I believe he played LG and Price was the RG

(04-29-2020, 10:05 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Impossible to grade them yet, or even say what the strongest unit will be, but what i hope it is...

Jonah -Jordan-Hopkins-XSF-Johnson

If they want to kick Hart inside to one of the OG spots ok, but I really hope he’s not our starting RT.

I'm just going to tweak that a little for my pick.....

Jonah-XFS-Hopkins-Jordan-Johnson

Was Redmond's problem just strictly false start penalties or was he also giving up a lot pressures to the QB?

I honestly think that Johnson at RT and Redmond at RG could be a very mauler type duo in the run game on that right side.
I think Redmond has a little bit of nasty in him. When Dalton got stopped on that 4th down out of the shotgun, to me, he got
manhandled a little bit and none of the lineman came to his defense. I want to see some mean streak in the OL.

(04-29-2020, 10:05 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Impossible to grade them yet, or even say what the strongest unit will be, but what i hope it is...

Jonah -Jordan-Hopkins-XSF-Johnson

If they want to kick Hart inside to one of the OG spots ok, but I really hope he’s not our starting RT.

Indeed; that's my thought on the best line as well.

(04-29-2020, 12:31 PM)BacknDaDey Wrote: Was Redmond's problem just strictly false start penalties or was he also giving up a lot pressures to the QB?

I honestly think that Johnson at RT and Redmond at RG could be a very mauler type duo in the run game on that right side.
I think Redmond has a little bit of nasty in him. When Dalton got stopped on that 4th down out of the shotgun, to me, he got
manhandled a little bit and none of the lineman came to his defense. I want to see some mean streak in the OL.

Sheerhan on CJ did a bunch of film study on Redmond, back in 2018.

Basically, Redmond was ok in the run game and fine in pass protection when he didn't reach... but he reached literally on ALL of his pass pro snaps.

Instead of trying to engage and punching in the chest, Redmond would stick out his arms and reach; if a DT had leverage or impeccable smarts, Redmond lost the rep EVERY TIME.

Thus, he's got strength and bulk, but either very little smarts or just horrible technique and can't improve.

Then, you have his penalties...