jlfin said:I posted this on an earlier thread, but I'll say it again. O-lineman, more than any other position, usually need a few years to develop. Many of the linemen on this roster are very young. Much of the problems last year were mental (Wade Smith whiffing on numerous plays during the Cincy game) in which our linemen didn't even engage the opponent. I place a lot of blame on Wise and on DW and Spielman for making such a wholesale change in one offseason.
Clearly, they were not ready for the season. For that matter, they weren't ready for the first 8 games.
With proper coaching and development I think they could actually become a strength on this team. Those of you who are bashing Carey or calling him a bust after one season obviously haven't been watching NFL football for too long.
Your points are well taken. A massive overhaul at offensive line is the worst possible place for that. For every one time it meshes quickly, like San Diego, you'll probably have 3 or 4 examples it flops. Several of my Las Vegas friends bet under on Miami's season wins last year, long before Ricky retired, because of our offensive line situation.
I have no quarrel with Carey. He was similar with the Canes, a blue chip prep who took years to develop in college. Carey has the athletic skills I covet. My beef is with persistent draft picks like McKinney and Whitley, cumbersome athletes at best. I don't want technicians. I want quick footed and explosive guys who can get the immediate edge on the defensive lineman, or adjust on the fly if they don't. We have too many guys who simply can't recover. Even Jeno James is like that to some degree, especially on pass blocking.