Here's what scares me...what REALLY scares me...

[Ohiophinphan]

I just hope that they can settle on the starting 5 and their respective positions early in camp, and not be changing things the week before the season starts. Of course, I want the best 5 too, so if it means we have to shuffle, by all means shuffle...but that could mean that we start out rough with the OL play....

I think this is the key. We should be settled from day one on the left side with Smith, James, and McKinney. If two out of Carey, St Clair, or the others can step up early in training camp this could go from worry to exciting very quickly. And as others have pointed out, we could then have an outstanding line for 3-5 years.

 

[finfan54]

Herald.com
"Wise bridles when people low-rate his troops. ''People don't remember what the '89 Cowboys built on, when we were together, Jimmy Johnson, Dave Wannstedt, before we won three Super Bowls,'' Wise said. He reminds that offensive lines are built more on -- no, not chemistry, chemistry is a high school course -- internal dynamics and continuity than stars."

We may have a talented group on our O-line. Maybe in 2-3-4 years that group is rock solid...but as Tony Wise says, the biggest thing that makes an O-line solid is continuity even above talent. And we've got FIVE guys who have never played together. Of those five, we've got no more than a couple of seasons worth of experience. So not only do we have 5 guys that don't know each other, we don't even have veterans to help ease the process. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm NOT bashing Rick for this. I LOVE that he got rid of the old wood aqnd started fresh. I do blame Wanny, but since personell is now out of his hands, what good does it do to blame him? I just have visions of the first half of the season coming out UGLY with O-line mistakes. I'm also afraid of what some of those mistakes could cost us. Blow an assignment and Feeley might take an unblocked LB's helmet straight to his chest. Blow an assignment and Ricky might get rolled on. I'm not as concerned about this O-line costing us games as I am about them costing us players. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm still going to be sweating out the first half of the season whenever the O is on the field.

so we should bring back perry and ruddy right?

 

[finfan54]

I agree...but the biggest problem is the COMBINATION of 5 new guys AND 5 guys with little/no experience. That's what makes it really scary in my opinion. One things for sure...every Defensive coordinator we play against is going to throw every trick scheme he's ever heard of against us. I wouldn't count on our O-line facing a standard/base Defense all season.

lean left. mckinney/James/Smith then lean right as season progresses. Mckinney/Pape/Carey.
I would be worried except that Carey and Pape are pretty good athletic wise and pape is a pretty intelligent football player. who knows, Yates may end up starting. i think since there all young, that they will actually gel together better as season goes on. i would be more worried about Carey and Pape hitting the wall as rookies often do. that means play selection throwing defenses off is important.

 

[PhinPhan1227]

so we should bring back perry and ruddy right?

NO!! NONONONO!! As I said, I was happy that Rick cut out the dead wood. But fans need to be aware that we could be looking at a scary first half of the season and prepare themselves for it. I'm not *****ing a anyone except Wanny, and since he isn't handling personell anymore, there isn't even anything constructive to ***** about if I was.

 

[PhinPhan1227]

lean left. mckinney/James/Smith then lean right as season progresses. Mckinney/Pape/Carey.
I would be worried except that Carey and Pape are pretty good athletic wise and pape is a pretty intelligent football player. who knows, Yates may end up starting. i think since there all young, that they will actually gel together better as season goes on. i would be more worried about Carey and Pape hitting the wall as rookies often do. that means play selection throwing defenses off is important.

Of course they'll get better as they go on. The problem is how bad they might be at the start of the season.

 

[DeDolfan]

I agree...but the biggest problem is the COMBINATION of 5 new guys AND 5 guys with little/no experience. That's what makes it really scary in my opinion. One things for sure...every Defensive coordinator we play against is going to throw every trick scheme he's ever heard of against us. I wouldn't count on our O-line facing a standard/base Defense all season.

True indeed, but as said earlier, at least they'll all grow/learn together tho. yup, they're gonna see so many different stunts and schemes til they show they can pick it up quick.