The truth about our O-line situation.

[*ochocincos*]

(08-04-2018, 03:39 PM)fredtoast Wrote: We came into this offseason with exactly ONE proven starter on our O-line (Boling).  We didn't need to patch up a weak O-line.  We needed to completely rebuild one of the worst O-lines in team history.  We had 4 holes to fill.

Glen was a great move.

Price looks like a good move, but no rookie is a sure thing.  Ogbuehi and Price were both taken with the 21st pick. I am not ripping Price.  I loved the pick.  But no rookie is a sure thing.

Even if Price works out (which I think he will) that still leaves 2 holes or 40% of the O-line with big question marks.

Redmon and Westerman look to have some potential, but combined they played less than 200 snaps last year.  But remember these....

Last two games of the '07 season rookie Chinedum Ndukwe has 2 ints against the Browns and a long fumble return for a td against the Dolphins.  bengals win both of those games to finish 7-9 (sound familiar?) and Chinny is a darling of the fanbase.  They see him as a key to the defense.  Instead he plays more like the 7th rounder he was while starting for a couple of more seasons.

How about when Vinny Rey played two great games back to back in 2013 against the Ravens and Browns where he had 27 tackles 3 sacks and an interception?  Everybody was crying about how Marvin was keeping another superstar on the bench.

In 2015 Shawn Williams made a couple of big fourth quarter interceptions against the Steelers and Forty-Niners.  Fans were thrilled by his potential.  He was "clutch".  He was a "playmaker".

So I am still a bit skeptical of Redmon and Westerman.

I gave Fisher a break after his first season because they moved him around so much.  But last year was his third, and he never did a lot to impress me.

Ogbuehi is what he is.  I have seen players make huge gains after their first and second seasons, but Cedric has also had three seasons.

Hart is a scrub.

If Trey Hopkins is healthy he is possibly the best O-lineman after Glenn, Boling, and Price.

And finally, Pollack may be a good coach, but he is not some hot shot who just got promoted to O-line coach.  He was actually let go by his previouys employer.  So while he may be good, he is not some guru with a flawless record.  Too many people around here are treating him like some kind of legend.

I believe our O-line will definitely be better with the addition of Glenn and Price, but we still have 40% of the line to replace.  If we can't shore up those two positions it will be another long season even with the upgrades.

I agree and I think fans 100% expecting a playoff berth are too optimistic. I think it could happen, but I don't have any confidence this OL would be good enough to get that elusive first playoff win in the ML era. Personally, I think RT is going to be the weakest part of the OL and none of Ogbuehi, Fisher, or Hart will be worth keeping after this season. I have confidence most in Westerman for RG but that goes back to what I saw and researched when he entered the draft. He and the rest of the RG candidates still need to become solid, dependable guys in the NFL before I feel comfortable not getting a new RG next offseason. 

I think the most important thing for this upcoming season is that a lot of the young guys (on offense especially) really come along by the end of this year and that the team can make a legit push next year. That's my expectation anyway.