Offensive Linemen? Are they... | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Offensive Linemen? Are they...

Offensive Linemen. Are they?

  • Fat Guys

    Votes: 10 25.6%

  • Elite Athletes

    Votes: 29 74.4%
  • Total voters
    39
Lab3003

Lab3003

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I have no idea whether or not offensive lineman are athletes or not. The concept of the title, "skill position player," both labels and belittles. However, it seems at some level that it is justifiable. This poll is an attempt to gauge the opinions of Dolphin's fans so a concensus may be reached; are o-linemen merely fat guys or phat guys? Some facts to make you think:

(1) There are 18 WR's in the Hall of Fame, 5 of which were drafted in the 1st round of the NFL...

(2) The position with the most number of Hall of Famers is OL...many of whom were drafted in the 1st round...

(3) If only a select elite few can play along the OL, would that make the various positions elite?

Take a few seconds, make a decision and then vote. Thanks for participating!
 
well it makes sense that most of the hall of fame is OL. there are at least 5 starting OL on every team. But anyway, I say that OL are athletes. When you look at most top linemen, they are not fat out-of-shape guys; they are just very big strong guys. The best ones are athletic and can move around better and are faster than the average-sized man. So all in all, to be as strong and athletic as they are and be that big is amazing and they are no less of an athlete than the skill positions guys (WR, RB, CB).
 
What exactly is the point of this thread? Just seemed kind of random to me. But as far as the subject is concerned, offensive linemen are most definitely athletes. Some of them do get away with just being incredibly overweight and relatively immovable, such as our own Toniu Fonoti, but for the most part these guys are pretty athletic. You can't tell me that a guy like Walter Jones is not an incredible athlete, I read that he works out by pushing his SUV's around his driveway. To be that big and have feet that nimble definitely takes some skill. The offensive line is clearly the most important offensive unit IMO. If they don't do their job, there are no holes to run through and not enough time to pass either.
 
I think they are athletes. Most of the o-linemen actually start out as TE or LB in highschool. When they get to college they are moved because they are too big or not fast enought. So, are TE and LB athletes ?
 
If you can weigh that much, and move as fast as they do, you're an athelete to me. Those men are amazing in the things they can do.
 
I'd be willing to bet 90% of the healthy people here cant run a 5.3 in the 40 or jump as high as they do.
 
Alex44 said:
I'd be willing to bet 90% of the healthy people here cant run a 5.3 in the 40 or jump as high as they do.
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lol totally agree. Some do get away with being large and that is it, but they are usually the back ups. Did anyone see the UNC signing. Kevin Bryant, 6'7" and 372 as an OL coming out of high school and he was rated #3 at his position, good god. We need to keep an eye on him lol.
 
I'm not sure what your definition of an "elite" athlete is. I would classify an "elite" athlete is someone that excels at their particular sport AND position, so, I would not classify all OL as "elite".

So, to answer your question:

OL are athletes that are fat, kind of like sumo wrestlers.
 
VT Dolphan said:
What exactly is the point of this thread? Just seemed kind of random to me. But as far as the subject is concerned, offensive linemen are most definitely athletes. Some of them do get away with just being incredibly overweight and relatively immovable, such as our own Toniu Fonoti, but for the most part these guys are pretty athletic. You can't tell me that a guy like Walter Jones is not an incredible athlete, I read that he works out by pushing his SUV's around his driveway. To be that big and have feet that nimble definitely takes some skill. The offensive line is clearly the most important offensive unit IMO. If they don't do their job, there are no holes to run through and not enough time to pass either.
Click to expand...

My objective with this threat is to better understand why people want an OL at #9. Is it because they think OL players are difficult to find?
 
Lab3003 said:
My objective with this threat is to better understand why people want an OL at #9. Is it because they think OL players are difficult to find?
Click to expand...

Good OL players are difficult to find. You have to have a combination of feet, hands, bulk, and technique to be a good offensive lineman. Any old fat guy off the street can't come in and block Simeon Rice. They're athletes, and worth every penny.
 
Oh, rats....

Some OL are overweight, slow, whales who play mainly with bulk and BF&S (Brute force and stupidity!) There has been a lot of talk about bulk, but when all it can do is collide with the opposing player, sooner or later someone's going to figure that out and get around them.

A good number are large athletes who carry a lot of weight I am not convinced helps that much. Fat does not equal muscle. They would be better off with less girth and more strength.

Some are athletes - period, who are big but don't have most of their weight flopping around their beltline, are strong, and who also happen to play OL. I prefer the latter because they usually have the stamina to play late into the game at a high level, and take the game over in the 4th quarter, when the whales above are blowing for air by halftime.

They are all athletes by definition. Just some are better than the others. The trick is deciding how you want to build your offensive line. You have choices - Jabba the hut and Moby Dick, or The HULK and the Terminator.
 
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