04-30-2018, 05:54 PM
(04-30-2018, 04:59 PM)depthchart Wrote: Not on any Ledge yet, just not convinced that all is fine at RG and RT.
I wanted and expected Pollack to get to draft say a 3rd or even 4th round Guard or Tackle prospect to infuse this roster with more talent. It could turn out to be a mistake that they didn't or all is fine.
One can merely look at a team with a Top O-line, like say Dallas, to get an idea of how one is built & stays built.
While being considered to have one of the Top O-lines right now, Dallas still made an investment of this year's 2nd round pick by taking Connor Williams 50th overall.
Dallas invested 1st round picks in Travis Frederick, Zach Martin and Tyron Smith & turned out to be the team that took the risk of signing La'el Collins (a 1st round talent) who went undrafted due to legal issues.
Dallas doesn't wait and hope for Great offensive line performance, they pursue & invest in it. They make having a Great O-line a priority.
While I am happy that the Bengals finally did some very unusual things like trading down for LT Cordy Glenn and finally taking a top Center in Billy Price, I am not so happy that they took their foot off of the gas pedal during the mid rounds of the draft. Say rounds 3 through 4.
This may all work out and Pollack may turn Alexander's guys into solid starters. Hope he does. He has to or 2018 could fizzle and discussions can begin again before the 2019 Draft on the need to fix RG and RT. We can again wonder if the Bengals will invest early to mid round resources to fix it and maybe again be told to believe in what we already have on the roster one more time for 2019.
A Great O-line has to be consistently pursued and consistently maintained with Free Agent signings or trades or draft capital. The Bengals use Free Agency sparingly, making Drafts a Key way to infuse talent.
Is taking a DE, LB and RB in rounds 3 and 4 really better than getting 2 of those 3 and an Offensive line prospect to develop ?
Until all 5 positions on the O-line are set in stone solid, I think not. Especially when a starting offensive lineman will play all 3 downs and the DE, LB and 3rd RB may end up being rotational players that don't play all 3 downs.
The mid round offensive lineman we take may not end up a starter or he may end up being a starter. Similarly, the DE, LB or RB may or may not become consistently effective. Risk either direction we take.
Given the recent O-line problems that have hamstrung the Bengals in recent years, I would lean in the direction of consistently keeping our foot on the gas pedal until the O-line is fixed. I had hoped the Front Office felt the same but they stopped short after good moves with Cordy and Billy.
The right side may have to implode before they infuse serious competition there or they just get serviceable production from Westerman and Fisher and they become satisfied with serviceable.
To me this is not the way to get to an Elite status.
The Bengals took a big step off the BOTTOM O-line status level by obtaining Cordy and Billy but that may just get them say inside the top 20 offensive lines or maybe middle of the pack.
Say all is fine and they get to middle of the pack when it come to NFL O-lines.
Will they keep pushing for more, to be Elite on the O-line or do they stop short going forward ?
My guess is they would be happy with and settle for middle of the pack. Fans may too. It would be an improvement but is it the right mindset for a Front Office to have.
I say consistently pursue Greatness for the O-line. It is a Process and a mindset that requires investment & risk. Not convinced this Front Office will. I see them settling with a middle of the pack O-line and being happy with it longer term. Essentially limiting how successful Pollack could be even if he is only a player or two away from Elite or Top 5 status say in 2019.
Depthchart...I would have liked a RT high in the draft too - but if they were simply not rated high enough choosing them just for the sake of it is not the way forward.
I would challenge that the FO have 'settled' and are happy long term...the moves this season on the OL have been hugely significant.
they backed lazor up with getting rid of PA, they then let Pollack drive the glenn trade and take the #1 pick - that's progress.
this whole off season has shown to me what a crying shame & missed opportunity it has been that PA held sway for so long .
I backed him more than most but its interesting now Pollack has come in how much every player interview and bengals.com piece seems to reference his attitude already...just wonder what Pollack would have done with the top 2 ot draft choices PA had...oh well!!!
