11-02-2020, 02:50 PM
(11-02-2020, 12:43 PM)Yojimbo Wrote: This makes no sense. Open competitions are for finding the best player regardless of any external factors.
"This player sucks but we have to hand him a starting job because the player next to him sucks, too."
No, it means that when you are constructing an O-line you don't just hand spots to which ever of the replacement level players end up sucking least in training camp but you instead identify as Plan A the players you want to build around in the draft and free agency and go out and aggressively attack the position by spending premium picks and big money free agents. They still have to earn that spot but if you are spending premium draft picks or handing out big money free agent it's not because you want them to compete for a spot but you expect them to win the spot.
Once you have cornerstones in place you can then fill out the line. Jonah is presumably one such cornerstone for the Bengals. They need to find out before they go shopping in the off-season whether Jordan can be another. If he isn't they need to spend a round 1 or 2 pick on the position/a tier 1 or tier 2 free agent on the position. Likewise the need to find out whether Johnson or Adeniji is the guy at RT before the end of the year and if not they need to spend. They are probably ok (but no more) at C with Hopkins/Price. It's only in the unlikely scenario that Williams, Spain, Hopkins/Price and Johnson/Adeniji all establish themselves as reliable by the end of the season that it makes sense to have an open competition at G between Jordan, XSF, Finney and whatever cheap FA/mid-low draft pick they pick up for the last remaining spot. Otherwise there are just too many moving parts and not enough sure things.
