FearTheBeard
FearTheBurke
The new GM has his work cut out for him fixing this OL, but not all is lost, there are some decent options out there. First of all, my philosophy is not overpaying OL, I don't need a $9m guy when I can have a $6m and a $3m guy. I think with our present situation, paying a premium is not the right approach and I would prefer (like with Wallace last year) to find affordable guys who will make this line good. It doesn't need to be great, it just needs to keep Tanny upright and open up holes on the inside. There's too many important positions to fill so this offseason I would be looking at affordable guys, so we can use our cap space across other positions. Tackles that protect, guards that maul, that's my philosophy for this team. I'm also assuming we stick with the ZBS.I'm also assuming that both Mathews and Robinson are drafted in the top 10 and that Alex Mack doesn't hit FA. I haven't considered moving Pouncey to guard, but it's an option, just haven't dug into it enough yet.
1. Find a LT
A. Anthony Collins, Cincy
This is the guy I'm pounding the table for, **** paying premiums. Before FA even opens I'm figuring out what he's looking for, it will be south of $6 million and I'm signing him.He's athletic at didn't allow a sack all year. We save money, get someone entering their prime with upside and we protect Tanny. As long as he doesn't get locked up before FA, he's entirely attainable. (3 years @ $15m)
B. Eugene Monroe, Baltimore / Jared Veldheer, Oakland
If I'm the new GM, and either Collins doesn't make it to FA or his demands are out of whack (unlikely), I'm praying that one of Monroe or Veldheer hits the market and I approach them day 1. Unfortunately I think both get locked up. Monroe has a much better chance at reaching the market, and if he does he will get premium tackle money, which he deserves. It's not my philosophy but if Collins isn't a possibility we need someone, even on a fat contract. Ravens only have $12m in cap space, they could cut Suggs tho and free up another $8m. End of the day, it's unlikely either of these guys see the market. (5 @ $50m / 5 @ $35m)
C. Brandon Albert, Chiefs / Roger Saffold, St. Louis
Lastly if plan A and B failed one of the oft injured guys would have to be the target. Saffold can play all over, and is probably better suited to play guard or RT, but he will come quite a bit cheaper than Albert. Albert just doesn't warrant Jake Long money, he'll get the job done but will he last 16 games? With his track record I doubt it and if I'm investing top coin I don't want to take that risk. Saffold has a laundry list of injuries that will lead to a cheaper contract, but he is talented. (4 @ $36m / 2 @ $6m)
D. Retain McKinnie, Draft: Taylor Lewan, Michigan / Antonio Richardson, Tennessee / Zack Martin, Notre Dame
This is where we're getting really desperate...if we go this route I have to believe we would retain McKinnie to man the LT spot as a stop gap. Both prospects come with issues, Richardson hasn't impressed me on film that much, I'll have to watch more but I haven't been a fan. Martin is a great guard prospect, but his build might not allow him to be a long term solution at LT. He's a great prospect tho, and could likely be atarget with our 1st to play guard. The problem with this route is we're handcuffed with a high draft pick on the OL. If we play it right we'll be able to take the BPA at 1 and infuse our roster with some talented skill position guys. Lewan is probably the highest rated guy, but he isn't the best athlete out there.
2. Find a guard
A. Jon Asamoah, KC / Zane Beadles,DEN
These are the top 2 guards for our ZBS IMO. They're both prime buy low candidates as they are coming offdown years, with Asamoah actually being benched for the dominant Schwartz this season. Most importantly I want a pair of guards that can open up holes in the run game, and Asamoah is more than capableof doing this. Beadles is also capable, but I give Asamoah the nod first because I consider him a superior run blocker. Both should be affordable, Vasquez was the top guard and made just under $6m per year. Neither of these guys are on their level, so a contract in the$3-4m range would make sense for both sides. That's the difference between signing an Albert or a Collins, a quality starting guard being added to the mix with the saved money. (2 @ $6m / 3 @ $9m)
B. Roger Saffold
Saffold would be the perfect fit if notfor his injury history. He'd bring the line flexibility and he really excelled at guard this season. His ability to play multiple positions would be a great luxury to have with so many holes across our line.His injury history is very significant tho, so it's hard to commit that much money too him, but if he comes at a rate like Asamoah or Beadles he'd be worth the risk. Anything north of $3.5-4m and I'dpass, I've definitely cooled off on my support for him now that I've looked into this history. (2 @ $6m)
C. Chad Rinehart, SD / ShelleySmith, St. Louis (RFA)
These are both lower level guys, that you would hope would be serviceable starters. I would like to have a more established guy at one spot tho. Smith is intriguing as he's coming off a solid year and is a mauler, but as an RFA we'd have to explore the tender he'd receive. If he isn't a high priority for the Rams he gets moved into the discussion as a top option. We need toa dd a guard and a LT, I don't want to enter the draft with anything less than 2 new guys and a returnee. (2 @ $3m)
3. Find a RT
A. Ryan Harris, Denver
When looking for a RT, I wanna keep it simple and cheap. I'd lean towards simply retaining Clabo, but Harris has experience as a passable starter in ZBS. That's good enough for me on a 1 year contract. (1 @ $2m)
B. Retain Tyson Clabo
WHAAAATTTTT? Tyson Clabo??? Am I an idiot?? The jury's still out. Clabo did however perform at a top 25 level since his benching, he would be affordable for between $1-2m a year and would offer a short term solution. The plan with bringing in Clabo is to draft a tackle prospect in the early-mid rounds to groom behind him. (1 @ $1.5m)
B. David Stewart, Tennesee / ZachStrief, NO
These are all guys that are worth exploring, I just think as far as cost goes that Clabo still has enough less and will come cheap. Strief is the most talented of the bunch, but I question his fit in our scheme and think he'll get more than $3m per year, which is more than I'd pay. If any of these guys make what I'm assuming Clabo will make I would consider them. Harris has experience in a ZBS and tho his body of work is underwhelming we could do worse. (3 @ $10.5m / 3 @ $12m)
4.
So that's how I would attack FA, now onto the draft. I would like to find 2 OL in the first 4 rounds, if all goes to plan we'll be in a position to add guys in rounds 2-5 and take the BPA with our first pick. I need to look past the first 3 rounds before forming an opinion on some guys.
Round 1
Zack Martin, G/T, Notre Dame: He projects more as a guard, but a damn good one. He's a likely top-20 pick and would make a lot of sense. If we have 4 spots set I'm comfortable waiting.
Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan:Might not be the best fit, or be there period but he'd bring some nastiness. Not crazy about him.
Antonio Richardson, OT,Tennesee: He hasn't impressed me, he has the ability to play LT tho and is a good athlete. I can't form a concrete opinion on him just yet.
No thank you's: Cyrus Kuondijo,OT, Alabama: Not a fan of his game at all, doubt he fits our scheme either.
Round 2
Xavier Su'a-Filo, OG,California: Probably one of the more athletic guard prospects,there's a good chance he could work himself into the 1st round conversation. If he's here you take him.
David Yankey, OG, Stanford: A plug and play at LG, a great puller who can help right away in the run game.
Billy Turner, OG, North Dakota St.: Going to be a hot commodity and one of the top small schoolers in the draft.
Round 3
Anthony Steen, OG, Alabama: Has a lot of experience in a ZBS at Bama, he'd be a great fit.
James Hurst, OT, North Carolina:Broken leg might drop him down boards a bit. Great fit.
JuWaun James, OT, Tennesee:Interesting case, will be worth watching in the predraft process.
Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia: Has ties to new OC Lazor. Might not last this long.
Joel Bitonio, OG, Nevada: Solid player on a bad team, will likely move from tackle to guard.
Round 4
Seantrel Henderson, OT, Miami(FL): Pretty much a McKinnie clone for both good and bad reasons.Major wildcard, but has a ton of talent. Might be more of a guy I'd look at if he fell to the 5th.
Michael Schofield, OT, Michigan
robably just a RT at the next level.
So if it all goes to plan what does my ideal line look like? Keep in mind I would bring back Yeatman and I think he could be in the mix as a future RT.
LT: Anthony Collins | Will Yeatman
LG: David Yankey* (2) | Dallas Thomas
C: Mike Pouncey | Nate Garner
RG: Jon Asamoah | Sam Brenner
RT: Ryan Harris | Seantrel Henderson*(5)
Anybody else I should considering? Agree with my approach? Fire away.
1. Find a LT
A. Anthony Collins, Cincy
This is the guy I'm pounding the table for, **** paying premiums. Before FA even opens I'm figuring out what he's looking for, it will be south of $6 million and I'm signing him.He's athletic at didn't allow a sack all year. We save money, get someone entering their prime with upside and we protect Tanny. As long as he doesn't get locked up before FA, he's entirely attainable. (3 years @ $15m)
B. Eugene Monroe, Baltimore / Jared Veldheer, Oakland
If I'm the new GM, and either Collins doesn't make it to FA or his demands are out of whack (unlikely), I'm praying that one of Monroe or Veldheer hits the market and I approach them day 1. Unfortunately I think both get locked up. Monroe has a much better chance at reaching the market, and if he does he will get premium tackle money, which he deserves. It's not my philosophy but if Collins isn't a possibility we need someone, even on a fat contract. Ravens only have $12m in cap space, they could cut Suggs tho and free up another $8m. End of the day, it's unlikely either of these guys see the market. (5 @ $50m / 5 @ $35m)
C. Brandon Albert, Chiefs / Roger Saffold, St. Louis
Lastly if plan A and B failed one of the oft injured guys would have to be the target. Saffold can play all over, and is probably better suited to play guard or RT, but he will come quite a bit cheaper than Albert. Albert just doesn't warrant Jake Long money, he'll get the job done but will he last 16 games? With his track record I doubt it and if I'm investing top coin I don't want to take that risk. Saffold has a laundry list of injuries that will lead to a cheaper contract, but he is talented. (4 @ $36m / 2 @ $6m)
D. Retain McKinnie, Draft: Taylor Lewan, Michigan / Antonio Richardson, Tennessee / Zack Martin, Notre Dame
This is where we're getting really desperate...if we go this route I have to believe we would retain McKinnie to man the LT spot as a stop gap. Both prospects come with issues, Richardson hasn't impressed me on film that much, I'll have to watch more but I haven't been a fan. Martin is a great guard prospect, but his build might not allow him to be a long term solution at LT. He's a great prospect tho, and could likely be atarget with our 1st to play guard. The problem with this route is we're handcuffed with a high draft pick on the OL. If we play it right we'll be able to take the BPA at 1 and infuse our roster with some talented skill position guys. Lewan is probably the highest rated guy, but he isn't the best athlete out there.
2. Find a guard
A. Jon Asamoah, KC / Zane Beadles,DEN
These are the top 2 guards for our ZBS IMO. They're both prime buy low candidates as they are coming offdown years, with Asamoah actually being benched for the dominant Schwartz this season. Most importantly I want a pair of guards that can open up holes in the run game, and Asamoah is more than capableof doing this. Beadles is also capable, but I give Asamoah the nod first because I consider him a superior run blocker. Both should be affordable, Vasquez was the top guard and made just under $6m per year. Neither of these guys are on their level, so a contract in the$3-4m range would make sense for both sides. That's the difference between signing an Albert or a Collins, a quality starting guard being added to the mix with the saved money. (2 @ $6m / 3 @ $9m)
B. Roger Saffold
Saffold would be the perfect fit if notfor his injury history. He'd bring the line flexibility and he really excelled at guard this season. His ability to play multiple positions would be a great luxury to have with so many holes across our line.His injury history is very significant tho, so it's hard to commit that much money too him, but if he comes at a rate like Asamoah or Beadles he'd be worth the risk. Anything north of $3.5-4m and I'dpass, I've definitely cooled off on my support for him now that I've looked into this history. (2 @ $6m)
C. Chad Rinehart, SD / ShelleySmith, St. Louis (RFA)
These are both lower level guys, that you would hope would be serviceable starters. I would like to have a more established guy at one spot tho. Smith is intriguing as he's coming off a solid year and is a mauler, but as an RFA we'd have to explore the tender he'd receive. If he isn't a high priority for the Rams he gets moved into the discussion as a top option. We need toa dd a guard and a LT, I don't want to enter the draft with anything less than 2 new guys and a returnee. (2 @ $3m)
3. Find a RT
A. Ryan Harris, Denver
When looking for a RT, I wanna keep it simple and cheap. I'd lean towards simply retaining Clabo, but Harris has experience as a passable starter in ZBS. That's good enough for me on a 1 year contract. (1 @ $2m)
B. Retain Tyson Clabo
WHAAAATTTTT? Tyson Clabo??? Am I an idiot?? The jury's still out. Clabo did however perform at a top 25 level since his benching, he would be affordable for between $1-2m a year and would offer a short term solution. The plan with bringing in Clabo is to draft a tackle prospect in the early-mid rounds to groom behind him. (1 @ $1.5m)
B. David Stewart, Tennesee / ZachStrief, NO
These are all guys that are worth exploring, I just think as far as cost goes that Clabo still has enough less and will come cheap. Strief is the most talented of the bunch, but I question his fit in our scheme and think he'll get more than $3m per year, which is more than I'd pay. If any of these guys make what I'm assuming Clabo will make I would consider them. Harris has experience in a ZBS and tho his body of work is underwhelming we could do worse. (3 @ $10.5m / 3 @ $12m)
4.
So that's how I would attack FA, now onto the draft. I would like to find 2 OL in the first 4 rounds, if all goes to plan we'll be in a position to add guys in rounds 2-5 and take the BPA with our first pick. I need to look past the first 3 rounds before forming an opinion on some guys.
Round 1
Zack Martin, G/T, Notre Dame: He projects more as a guard, but a damn good one. He's a likely top-20 pick and would make a lot of sense. If we have 4 spots set I'm comfortable waiting.
Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan:Might not be the best fit, or be there period but he'd bring some nastiness. Not crazy about him.
Antonio Richardson, OT,Tennesee: He hasn't impressed me, he has the ability to play LT tho and is a good athlete. I can't form a concrete opinion on him just yet.
No thank you's: Cyrus Kuondijo,OT, Alabama: Not a fan of his game at all, doubt he fits our scheme either.
Round 2
Xavier Su'a-Filo, OG,California: Probably one of the more athletic guard prospects,there's a good chance he could work himself into the 1st round conversation. If he's here you take him.
David Yankey, OG, Stanford: A plug and play at LG, a great puller who can help right away in the run game.
Billy Turner, OG, North Dakota St.: Going to be a hot commodity and one of the top small schoolers in the draft.
Round 3
Anthony Steen, OG, Alabama: Has a lot of experience in a ZBS at Bama, he'd be a great fit.
James Hurst, OT, North Carolina:Broken leg might drop him down boards a bit. Great fit.
JuWaun James, OT, Tennesee:Interesting case, will be worth watching in the predraft process.
Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia: Has ties to new OC Lazor. Might not last this long.
Joel Bitonio, OG, Nevada: Solid player on a bad team, will likely move from tackle to guard.
Round 4
Seantrel Henderson, OT, Miami(FL): Pretty much a McKinnie clone for both good and bad reasons.Major wildcard, but has a ton of talent. Might be more of a guy I'd look at if he fell to the 5th.
Michael Schofield, OT, Michigan
robably just a RT at the next level.So if it all goes to plan what does my ideal line look like? Keep in mind I would bring back Yeatman and I think he could be in the mix as a future RT.
LT: Anthony Collins | Will Yeatman
LG: David Yankey* (2) | Dallas Thomas
C: Mike Pouncey | Nate Garner
RG: Jon Asamoah | Sam Brenner
RT: Ryan Harris | Seantrel Henderson*(5)
Anybody else I should considering? Agree with my approach? Fire away.
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