Housh gets it

[Whatever]

(02-21-2021, 02:45 AM)Murdock2420 Wrote: Look around the free agency piles out there right now.

What is easier to find, a starting #3 WR that can outproduce Tate or a starting Tackle that can keep Burrow safe? 

Answer... plenty of high quality options at WR and zero real options at tackle.

Draft O-line, go get a #3 in free agency or later in the draft.

There is no excuse to use the first round on a skill position when your QB is constantly under siege and coming off rehab.

As to the pressures allowed. I would be willing to take a bet that Sewell will give up less sacks next season then Bobby Hart no matter what teams they are on. 

There's plenty of starter quality T's set to be FA's in 2021 and not a lot of teams that will be able to pay market value for them.  Trent Williams, Russell Okung, Alejandro Villeneuva, Ricky Wagner, Daryl Williams, Taylor Moton, etc.  

Problem is, Hart was our second best OL last year.  Our IOL was a total disaster.  The focus should be fixing the IOL.  We need to sign at least 2 quality starters on the IOL.  It boggles my mind when people are saying OT only at 5, but I'm cool if they bring Quentin Spain's scrub ass back.  Is it about protecting Burrow, or is it just John Ross PTSD, because when people say we may only need 1 G if we resign Spain, it seems like the latter.

Even then, if you are just absolutely dead set on replacing Hart, you're ideally better of getting your T in FA and your WR in the draft.  First, T's are still a little cheaper than an equivalent WR.  Second, T's are now routinely playing at a high level into their mid 30's, while WR's start hitting the wall at age 29.  T's are safer bets to give big FA contracts to because of that longevity.  Third, in today's NFL, the learning curve is a lot bigger for a T vs a WR.  It's a lot easier for a WR to come in and hit the ground running and play at a high level vs an OT.  Vet T/rookie WR is cheaper and has a high probability of outproducing rookie T/vet WR.

I made these points in another thread, but I'll repeat them here.  No OL can block forever and the defense can always decide to blitz more guys than you can block if it doesn't respect your skill players.  How many hits and sacks did Burrow take last year trying to buy time because nobody was open?  A bunch.  Getting him skill guys that can get open and back the defense out of blitzing so much also helps protect Joe Burrow.  He is holding the ball too long because his receivers aren't getting open.  21.5% of his passes were to targets with a defender within a yard of them.  15% is about average and nobody won a playoff game with an average over 14.8%.

I can only put the facts out there.  If you think Sewell will give up less sacks than Hart, it's your opinion, but it's statistically improbable.