2016 OL...

[tynimiller]

I was thinking the other day and honestly I am beginning to think some of us in our rush to worrying about 2017...have overlooked the OL of 2016. Not many years in my recent memory have we entered the season with a better top to bottom OL in both experience and potential.

We have arguably one of the best guard tandems in the league when healthy, one of the best young Centers in the game, and two tackles both with years of experience now and considered above average at worst.

Then you slide to the bench and you have Tretter, whom proved last year in a pinch can truly push through even LT despite being a Center at heart. You have a rookie LT, which may be one of the most athletic LTs to come out of the draft in some time and ceiling which some argue is the highest of those drafted this year. You also have another rookie starting LT from a school which saw solid competition...Murphy is a brawler OL, something which could lend him well at this level.

Throw in Taylor and Rotheram and seriously....is this one of the better OL we've entered a season with in say the last 5? I think that argument could be made.

Sure we all wish Bahk was maybe a touch more solid on the left side, or that the guards wouldn't have nagging injury issues which could flare up...but step back and look at it as a whole. If they stay healthy (I know I know)....this group of OL Ted and crew has us entering the season with is solid.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I was thinking the other day and honestly I am beginning to think some of us in our rush to worrying about 2017...have overlooked the OL of 2016. Not many years in my recent memory have we entered the season with a better top to bottom OL in both experience and potential.

We have arguably one of the best guard tandems in the league when healthy, one of the best young Centers in the game, and two tackles both with years of experience now and considered above average at worst.

Then you slide to the bench and you have Tretter, whom proved last year in a pinch can truly push through even LT despite being a Center at heart. You have a rookie LT, which may be one of the most athletic LTs to come out of the draft in some time and ceiling which some argue is the highest of those drafted this year. You also have another rookie starting LT from a school which saw solid competition...Murphy is a brawler OL, something which could lend him well at this level.

Throw in Taylor and Rotheram and seriously....is this one of the better OL we've entered a season with in say the last 5? I think that argument could be made.

Sure we all wish Bahk was maybe a touch more solid on the left side, or that the guards wouldn't have nagging injury issues which could flare up...but step back and look at it as a whole. If they stay healthy (I know I know)....this group of OL Ted and crew has us entering the season with is solid.

There´s no denying the starting offensive line excels in pass protection but partly struggles blocking for the run. If both Spriggs and Murphy play up to their potential the depth on the unit should be significantly improved over last season.

 

[Mondio]

This line never seems to stay healthy, so we'll see. It's pretty much the same group that i thought sucked *** most of last year. Some young guys are a bit more experienced and some older guys are older. Will they avoid injury better as they age? The OL continues to be a big question mark for me. Always seems to have potential and the bodies, but more often than not the seem to have more low lights than solid performances.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

This line never seems to stay healthy, so we'll see. It's pretty much the same group that i thought sucked *** most of last year.

The offensive line struggled mightily once the team had to play backups at the tackle positions. With Spriggs and Murphy hopefully providing significant improvement I don´t see that happening again.

 

[tynimiller]

This line never seems to stay healthy, so we'll see. It's pretty much the same group that i thought sucked *** most of last year. Some young guys are a bit more experienced and some older guys are older. Will they avoid injury better as they age? The OL continues to be a big question mark for me. Always seems to have potential and the bodies, but more often than not the seem to have more low lights than solid performances.

No line from beginning to end typically stays healthy anymore...nature of the trenches. However, I love that off our bench we have NFL experience guys or a guy like Spriggs or even the brawler type Murphy.

 

[El Guapo]

Exactly. We've had only one relatively healthy year in recent history on our OL, which was 2014. The modus operandi for these guys has been nagging injuries for Sitton and Lang, with more serious ones that pull Bulaga out of the lineup for several games. There is no reason to dream about another healthy season - it's a mirage. The key is quality backups which I hope that we have, but it's tough to count on that coming from rookies.

 

[tynimiller]

Our reserves are leaps and bounds more prepared or better than years previous no doubt though. **Here's to hoping this is a unicorn type year and they aren't needed

 

[bigbubbatd]

Along with what captain said it would be great to see this line improve running blocking especially in obvious running situations. I feel good about the line if it is healthy. And for the first time in quite some time I feel good about the depth