Oh crap, we need a Center

[CJD]

(01-06-2021, 11:52 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I think you can have 1 of Hopkins/Spain/XSF starting on an OL and still have a good OL. Once you have 2 of that caliber of player, it gets real tough and not just because then you're 1 injury away from 3 (and thus the majority) of the starters being mediocre or worse players.

They're all guys you'd be okay with having as your 5th best starter, but you can't have a line built out of 5th best starter guys.

Need 3 real upgrades this offseason on the OL if they want it to be good. You have Jonah wherever you put him (though his durability is starting to be a concern) and you can probably live with a competition of XSF/Spain at RG without Hopkins.

Assuming Sewell is off the board, that means Jonah likely stays at LT. So you need legit upgrades at LG, a C, and RT. Probably 2 of those 3 in FA, and the third in the 2nd round.

I have seen some rumblings that the two OTs below Sewell, Rashawn Slater and Christian Darrisaw, may be climbing up draft boards into top 10 territory and, from my perspective, if you're good enough for top 10 I don't know how you wouldn't be good enough for top 5. 

Rashawn Slater has had the better career between the two, but he apparently has measurable issues (similar to what Jonah Williams had, to be honest), so I'm curious to see if Darrisaw can vault him and actually enter the conversation at #5.

Regardless of what the rankings are, we definitely need to upgrade at least 2 positions on the Oline, if not 3 (depending on what happens with Hopkins' recovery). If our day 1 Oline is Darrisaw/Slater - Spain/XSF  - Price - FA pick up (Thuney or Scherff ideally) - Williams, I'd be pretty comfortable with that line and especially comfortable once Hopkins comes back. The Bengals have said they plan to address the Oline in free agency, so I'm really hoping they go big at RG and maybe even RT. We'll have to see how things shake out.

If we address the Oline in free agency, that really opens up our options at #5 and we could pursue a TE like Pitts or a CB like Surtain. Maybe an edge rusher like Kwity Paye rises up the draft boards and enters the conversation as well, especially if we don't re-sign Lawson in free agency.