Your Offseason Plan for the Offensive Line

[sportznutt]

Who should we sign/draft/release/trade?

Yeah I know, trade? Who would want to trade for us?

 

[conraddobler]

Who should we sign/draft/release/trade?

Yeah I know, trade? Who would want to trade for us?

First of all we need to trade in our coaching staff and GM, I don't want them within a thousand miles of any decision reguarding the O line.

Let the next group have a crack at it, it's ruined enough coaching staffs I think the next bunch will cut the dead weight, we got lucky with our QB of the future, we need the management staff of the future.

 

[vince56]

FIRE ALL 5.

Not one of them is worth keeping.

 

[CaptTurbo]

Built off of Lutui he was the man today.

 

[conraddobler]

FIRE ALL 5.

Not one of them is worth keeping.

On second thought I like your plan better.

Fire the line, remove the temptation for another new staff to think they can coach them up and then hire a new coaching staff and start over.

 

[NMCard]

I think the Cards need to get a good GM and let him make the changes he needs for the team to be succesful.

 

[sportznutt]

Dennis Green for GM?

 

[conraddobler]

Dennis Green for GM?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

or in other words.


HELLLL NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!


Wheeew, thanks I needed that.

 

[Chopper0080]

Like it or not, we are kinda married to Ross and Wells' contracts. You have to resign Leonard Davis and put him at guard because their just aren't better options that will be available this offseason (this from preliminary free agent lists). Trust me when I say that the good players that are out there will be resigned. Ross is what Ross is and that is a run blacking RT. Again I point to the lack of available players in the offseason and say that you kind of have to keep Ross. If you cut him, you take the cap hit and grab a player that will be at best AS GOOD as Ross is. Wells is the guy that I don't know what to do with and he might be our most expensive backup next year. Center and left tackle our are priorities because we are horrible at these two positions.

So, here is my plan.

Draft the best left tackle in the draft in round one. Trade up if you have to. Start him from day one and let him take his lumps.

Resign Davis and put him at left guard. His best year in Arizona was playing left guard and he will be the best option available.

Center in the mystery. You almost have to go with a vet here just to make sure that we are at least getting the line calls right. Go with someone like Mawae and draft a prospect.

RG is Lutui's (SP?) spot. Obviously you need to evaluate him over the rest of the year, but he did look good today. M Brown is depth at best from what I have seen.

RT-stay with Ross unless another VIABLE option comes up. NO point in cutting him, taking the cap hit and replacing him with a guy who is not better.

Wells, M Brown, and Leckey can stay as depth I guess. Look at Wells as a C or T though because he can't play guard.

 

[BACH]

Like it or not, we are kinda married to Ross and Wells' contracts. You have to resign Leonard Davis and put him at guard because their just aren't better options that will be available this offseason (this from preliminary free agent lists). Trust me when I say that the good players that are out there will be resigned. Ross is what Ross is and that is a run blacking RT. Again I point to the lack of available players in the offseason and say that you kind of have to keep Ross. If you cut him, you take the cap hit and grab a player that will be at best AS GOOD as Ross is. Wells is the guy that I don't know what to do with and he might be our most expensive backup next year. Center and left tackle our are priorities because we are horrible at these two positions.

So, here is my plan.

Draft the best left tackle in the draft in round one. Trade up if you have to. Start him from day one and let him take his lumps.

Resign Davis and put him at left guard. His best year in Arizona was playing left guard and he will be the best option available.

Center in the mystery. You almost have to go with a vet here just to make sure that we are at least getting the line calls right. Go with someone like Mawae and draft a prospect.

RG is Lutui's (SP?) spot. Obviously you need to evaluate him over the rest of the year, but he did look good today. M Brown is depth at best from what I have seen.

RT-stay with Ross unless another VIABLE option comes up. NO point in cutting him, taking the cap hit and replacing him with a guy who is not better.

Wells, M Brown, and Leckey can stay as depth I guess. Look at Wells as a C or T though because he can't play guard.

Ehh....

Leinart is a lefty!

 

[cardsunsfan]

Ehh....

Leinart is a lefty!

Exactly Ross is now our left takle perse

 

[BigRedArk]

RG is Lutui's (SP?) spot. Obviously you need to evaluate him over the rest of the year, but he did look good today. M Brown is depth at best from what I have seen.

RT-stay with Ross unless another VIABLE option comes up. NO point in cutting him, taking the cap hit and replacing him with a guy who is not better.

Wells, M Brown, and Leckey can stay as depth I guess. Look at Wells as a C or T though because he can't play guard.

According to Joeschmo it won't cost us that much to cut Ross. Also i believe Deuce is really a LG.

 

[Chopper0080]

I thought that the bonus was still getting paid out for Ross, but if not then we will see what we can do to improve the position. Again, I haven't seen a whole lot on the free agent list that looks better than Ross and that will be available.

As far as the left handed/right handed arguement, I am not sure that it really holds water anymore. It used to be that teams would put their speed rushers on the right side because that was a right handed QB's blind side. It was for that reason that the left tackle position developed into a more athletic position to negate these speed rushers. Unfortunately this theory has kind of became outdated.

Most teams in today's NFL employ rush defensive ends on both ends because the game has become more pass oriented. Obvious examples are the Chiefs and the Cardinals. Both teams employ defensive end tandems that are smaller and faster. One could say that because Berry is better at point of attack than Okeafer, he should play on the left side because he would hold up against the run blocking right tackle better than Okeafer. This would play into the old theory that your best run stopping defensive end would go up against the run blocking right tackle. But in today's NFL defensive ends switch sides from play to play, the best are matched aganist the left tackle or are just set where they are most comfortable. Which hand the QB throws with doesn't enter into the arguement.

What is a true fact in today's NFL is that you put your best offensive at the position that he fits best at. Generally the best offensive linemen in college are put at the left tackle position. Because of this most of the best offensive linemen in the NFL play left tackle. Not because they are protecting the QB's blind side, but because it is the position that they are most comfortable at and have the most experience playing.

Washington didn't flip Chris Samuals from game to game when they were alternating between Brunell and Ramsey. Neither were defenses going to switch their alignments up front because one or the other was in. Washington's offense didn't flip because the lefty or the righty was playing other than roll out plays rolled out to the opposite side. Guys...neither will we.

 

[BigRedArk]

I meant according to joeschmo we can cut him and his bonus really doesn't hurt us that much. If I understood him correctly his bonus wasn't all that high. Also what I meant about Lutui is that I don't think he has played much RG in his career so if you are gonna move him to RG maybe the offseason would be better. I could be completely wrong too. What happened to Elton Brown??

 

[sportznutt]

Why not Green for GM? He's done a fantastic job of getting the players here.......just getting them to their potential isn't working.

 

[Shane]

Why not Green for GM? He's done a fantastic job of getting the players here.......just getting them to their potential isn't working.

because "his players" leave a lot to be desired.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Why not Green for GM? He's done a fantastic job of getting the players here.......just getting them to their potential isn't working.

yeah, he's done an amazing job on the O--line alone! Those four guys that he's brought in have been awesome!

 

[sportznutt]

Dansby, Dockett, Rolle, Fitzgerald, Leinart, Edge

 

[Cheesebeef]

Dansby, Dockett, Rolle, Fitzgerald, Leinart, Edge

Edge, Leinart and Fitz were NO BRAINERS - Rolle has proved NOTHING at this point and Dansby and Dockett are full of talent with questionable motivation problems - yeah!

if the talent was sooooo much better, this team wouldn't STILL be a laughingstock - and they are. The only win they have is against the Niners and they tried their best to give that game away also. Alternately, if the talent IS soooo much better, then DG is a complete idiot as coach for still havign us be a laughingstock.

Leinart, Q and Fitz deserve better than to have DG ruin their careers.

 

[Shane]

Leinart, Q and Fitz deserve better than to have DG ruin their careers.

 

[Duckjake]

Edge, Leinart and Fitz were NO BRAINERS - Rolle has proved NOTHING at this point and Dansby and Dockett are full of talent with questionable motivation problems - yeah!

if the talent was sooooo much better, this team wouldn't STILL be a laughingstock - and they are. The only win they have is against the Niners and they tried their best to give that game away also. Alternately, if the talent IS soooo much better, then DG is a complete idiot as coach for still havign us be a laughingstock.

Leinart, Q and Fitz deserve better than to have DG ruin their careers.

The really troubling thing for me is that other than Darling no one is injured and the Cards are getting the exact same results as last year when 16 guys ended up on injured reserve.

Special teams are still weak and they still can't run the ball.

 

[Mitch]

1. Re-sign Leonard Davis to play LG. Start him there NOW and keep him there.

2. At RG...Duece Lutui is the answer, short and long term.

3. Add the best free agent T available.

4. Draft a T to challenge Oliver Ross.

5. See what the team has in Nick Leckey at center. I have always liked him and thought he was an upgrade when he was inserted into the starting lineup last year. Draft another center in the first 4 picks, regardless.

Next year's draft:

1. T Sam Baker (6-5, 305), USC. Elite junior who will probably enter the draft.

2. C Kyle Young (6-5, 330), Fresno St. Big and nasty...and remarkably athletic for his size.

3. DE Daniel Bazuin (6-3, 269), Western Michigan. An all-out player who changes games creating tackles for losses, sacks and turnovers.

4. FB Brian Leonard (6-2, 235), Rutgers. One of the major reasons why Rutgers has risen from the ashes into the top 25. Leonard is a tough nosed player who can block and run (Note: next year's coach will want a good, strong versatile FB in the system).

5. T Mike Otto (6-5, 304), Purdue. The best Purdue T since Matt Light...and has been flying under the radar.

6. TE Matt Spaeth (6-6, 268), Minnesota. Outstanding blocker...real key to their running game.

 

[Duckjake]

Here's my solution:

 

[jefftheshark]

I would bench Leonard Davis this year and let him leave in FA next year - addition by subtraction. Yesterday was a first for me - I actually heard multiple boos for an offensive lineman from the club section (who generally only boo poor waitress service).

Wells replaces him at LT this year and Lutui goes in at LG.

We stumble through this year with Step and make replacing him the biggest offseason FA priority. Trade if we have to.

Draft a Tackle on the first day.

Get a Ron Dayne/Brandon Jacobs type RB who can pick up a tough yard when we really need it. Send Shipp to dry-dock.

The Shark