Boomer, I read and respect your opinion on our Fins as I am sure most on this board do. However, I do not subscribe to your latest theory. #1, as others have mentioned in reply, no way do we start a rookie at LT and go through another season of a rookie learning curve and face the potential critical errors that happened last year all over again. All rookie lineman struggle at one time or another in their first year, they just take time to develop. With 4/5ths of the line replaced, to suggest moving the only player where we have some stability doesn’t make sense. Not to mention, the setback in Wade Smith’s development and having to learn a new position in the pro’s. The best scenario for Smith is to let him continue to improve and grow in to his permanent starting LT spot. Damion McIntosh was signed as the RT of the future. Whether it is now or next year, he will line up and start at RT, in all likelihood. He was a very solid player for the Chargers and there is no reason to think that he won’t recover from his injury and be able to contribute in the future. Sure we signed him to a low risk contract, but they also committed to him for 6 years. If he was that great of a risk why didn’t they just sign him for a year or two??? Yes he played LT, but the move from LT to RT shouldn’t be one that he can’t handle. Either way, there is not this dire need at tackle. We will probably have 4 solid players at tackle on opening day, more than in recent memory, with 1 on PUP. Smith, St. Clair, S. Page, and Jerman (G/T). When McIntosh returns, Jerman likely gets the ax. To draft a tackle with a #1,2, or 3 would be a waste of a high selection since it appears there is no need for a starter now or anywhere down the road since McIntosh and Smith are both very young and the probable bookends of the future. I believe the need on the line is at LG. There is no player, other than Billy Yates (who will not likely make the final roster), that can play LG after Jeno James. Whitley, Jerman, Shawn Andrews, and Vernon Carey are all earth moving power guys best suited to RG or RT. To draft Andrews or Carey means that they are undeniably giving up on Taylor Whitley, who now has had that year of development that most lineman need. He may or may not pan out, but at least draft a guy that has added value to the roster if in fact Whitley does start. I do agree with one aspect of what you are suggesting and that brings me to my take on this. My opinion is that the player they will draft will be a left side guy who can come in and compete with Whitley, St. Clair, Jerman, and possibly Soloman Page for the RG job. If the draft choice does not start, he will then back up at LG. Or as you have suggested, he could win the job outright at LG if they move Jeno James to RG, which I think could be great and may be part of the plan. This would then eventually allow St. Clair to be the 6th man and give them excellent depth. I think that they will look very hard at Justin Smiley, Chris Snee, and Sean Locklear. Snee would also give them another swing guy that could back up at center, which is what Yates does also. This also gives them another center if St. Clair is starting at RT, which he may be for awhile. I believe that Yates is the guy they are going to draft to replace. I think that they will try to get in to the second round to take the best available of LG prospect and take a WR with their own #1 at 20 or someone else’s, like NE, at the end of round 1. I like the idea of NE’s 32nd and 63rd picks, which would facilitate my scenario with excellent value to suit their needs. They can accomplish LG and WR with those picks. Smiley or Snee at the end of one and any number of choices at WR at the end of round two.
