08-03-2015, 05:13 PM
(08-03-2015, 03:54 PM)RoyleRedlegs Wrote: You completely ignore what happened in the that 8th season.
Levi Jones, franchise LT got hurt.
Eric Steinbach, all pro LG got hurt.
Willie Anderson, all pro RT got old.
Bobbie Williams, top 10 RG got old.
Then you factor the Palmer injury, Palmer was a statue for awhile after the knee. He couldn't avoid anything.
He had to completely rebuild the OL.
Great OL don't grow on trees. The OL from 2004-2006 was good. Then injuries and age happened.
They stopped giving him draft picks to work with.
Between 2004 and 2008 (5 drafts) we spent 1 draft pick on OL above the 4th round (Andrew Whitworth, 2nd round 2006)
Then we didn't do it again until 2009 with Andre in the first.
2012 with Zeitler.
If he were as great a coach as some think, he should've been able to work through some adversity and develop some guys who weren't top picks. It's not like the cupboard was bare, especially in recent years. From 2011-13, the team finished 27th, 20th and 28th in yards per carry.
They've been solid in pass protection with the exception of 2012, when coaches were pressuring Dalton to hold the ball longer and make more "unscripted plays". That resulted in 46 sacks for the year, which makes you wonder if the quick snap-to-throw times really do reduce the sacks and pressures.
I think most o-line coaches could "rebuild" a line with a pair of 1st round picks, a 2nd rounder, and multiple mid-round choices. Even with all that top talent, they've struggled running the ball with the exception of last year. I agree with you about other coaches (Hayes, Zampese) being more worthy of criticism, but there's plenty of arguments to be made against Paul despite last year's success.
The training, nutrition, medicine, fitness, playbooks and rules evolve. The athlete does not.
