why didnt we get any offensive linemen?

[SMadison29]

We probably didn't draft a center because we have/had 4 options there: McKinney, W.Smith, Hadnot, & St. Clair.

 

[finfanlover]

My absolute favorite 2006 offensive lineman are Jonathan Scott, Marcus Mcneil, and Mike Degory. I would just :drool: :drool: :drool: if we got one of those guys. Does

anyone think any quality offensive tackles could fall to the second round?

 

[so-long-Ricky]

I know that we signed Mcdougle but other than that we didnt find any players that can improve this line. Houck will help us but how much improvement can he do with a unit that flat out sucked last year? We knew coming into this season that we had weaknesses on the offensive line. Why didnt we address them! Seth Mckinney has not done a thing his whole career. What makes it possible for him to be good now from the terrible performances i have seen. A coach can only do so much. We are relying on the coaching to much. I think that this team needs to invest more on the line because our unit will not be able to do anything without a good center. Seth Mckinney is definately not the answer.

Like someone already mentioned there really wasn't many FA lineman available this year. He could have mortgaged the future and brought in someone like Verba....but that would have been unwise.

With the new players, new o-line coach, etc. it's going to take some time for Saban and Houck to evaluate the players they have. That's almost impossible to do w/just one off season. Once they have an opportunity to realize what they have (or need) they will make the appropriate changes. No reason to break the bank this year on a "possibilty"(ies). I can see Saban filtering out the **** by the next off season.

 

[VanDolPhan]

Probably not a starter ahead of McIntosh this year, but a big piece of the puzzle for '06 and beyond.

I don't know if the team wants to stick with Carey at RT next year is a very very good year for tackles. Those guys who were in the first round this year would be in the 2nd next. Unless a massive run goes on in the first I think the team could pick up a starting LT in the early 2nd next year.

 

[Bill C]

Okay, I agree, now, what do you think Saban Should've done to fix this problem? Who was availible this year that we should've picked up? Was there a better line coach that you think we should've hired other than Hudson? It's one thing to complain about something, but it is another to have a solution...

I think Houck was absolutely the best and correct hire. FA didn't have much to offer so the solution should have been a combination of coach what you have and get one in the draft. Houck is doing the first, Saban just didn't do the second.

Don't get me wrong, I think Saban had an awesome draft, but I do wish we would have gotten a C somewhere in Rds 2-4.

Houck, being as good as he is, should have been able to advise Saban that he needs at least one more talented player (not project) from this draft on the OL.

 

[grooves12]

Okay, I agree, now, what do you think Saban Should've done to fix this problem? Who was availible this year that we should've picked up? Was there a better line coach that you think we should've hired other than Hudson? It's one thing to complain about something, but it is another to have a solution...

Exactly... the stars just didn't align to make quality O-lineman available to us. Plus, I truly beleive that the coaches analyzed tape and saw talent that was being misused in a poor offensive scheme. The fact that our line improved tremendously in a one-week period once Bates took over and changed the blocking schemes just further illustrates that. I beleive the coaches understand that this is a rebuilding year, and didn't want to waste picks and money needlessly on players that wouldn't necessarilly be better than what we currently have on the roster. Once they evaluate them in a true pro blocking scheme this year, then they will better know how to plan additions for the O-line.

 

[grooves12]

I think Houck was absolutely the best and correct hire. FA didn't have much to offer so the solution should have been a combination of coach what you have and get one in the draft. Houck is doing the first, Saban just didn't do the second.

Don't get me wrong, I think Saban had an awesome draft, but I do wish we would have gotten a C somewhere in Rds 2-4.

Houck, being as good as he is, should have been able to advise Saban that he needs at least one more talented player (not project) from this draft on the OL.

O-lineman that are drafted are ALL projects. It is VERY rare for an O-lineman to step in from day one and be succesful, unless they are the rare talent that goes in the top-5. But, even if there was such a guy this year, which there wasn't, we had bigger needs and a RB was the right pick at the time. If we wanted someone to step in right away... we would have needed to sign a vet, and there wasn't a whole lot available.

 

[Wildbill3]

I think Houck was absolutely the best and correct hire. FA didn't have much to offer so the solution should have been a combination of coach what you have and get one in the draft. Houck is doing the first, Saban just didn't do the second.

Don't get me wrong, I think Saban had an awesome draft, but I do wish we would have gotten a C somewhere in Rds 2-4.

Houck, being as good as he is, should have been able to advise Saban that he needs at least one more talented player (not project) from this draft on the OL.

Okay, so now we are getting somewhere, everyone agrees that there wasn't a viable, affordable solution via FA. So that leaves us with this past draft right?

Okay which of our first 4 picks would you rather have traded for a lineman? We didn't know if Ricky was coming back or not, so we obviously would either trade down and draft the next best back availible, and maybe a lineman, but since we couldn't our first pick remains the same.

IN the second round I would've still picked the BPA, and that definately seemed to be roth.

In the Third we had Crowder, a first round talent that slipped because of injury questions, you could make an arguement for drafting a lineman here, but then Saban had the inside track info that Crowder was good to go, and I am sure there were no linemen availible in the 3rd who rated 1st round, plus Linebacker depth is a concern as much as line depth, so the third round pick stays the same.

In the fourth we pick a CB, which we needed, and because Pat had just left, and other than madison none of the other CBs had proven themselves, so again our secondary needed depth, after the injury to poole, I don't think anyone regrets this pick, but maybe a lineman in the fourth, but by this point is there a lineman that could come in and dominate enough this offseason to take a spot away from any of the current crew? Nope.


Nick and the team did everything reasonably possible this offseason to improve the line, short of giving up picks and players.

 

[PHINSfan]

We probably didn't draft a center because we have/had 4 options there: McKinney, W.Smith, Hadnot, & St. Clair.

next year: option #1 = Mike Degory (center, UF) with the 2nd rd.

 

[ChuckKLINGBEIL]

Its a case of Saban needing this 1st year to see exactly what he's got.

The Dolphins spent a 1st on Carey & signed James/McIntosh to a big money deals..

Year 2 will be more fun watching Saban's moves..

 

[BlueFin]

I know that we signed Mcdougle but other than that we didnt find any players that can improve this line. Houck will help us but how much improvement can he do with a unit that flat out sucked last year? We knew coming into this season that we had weaknesses on the offensive line. Why didnt we address them! Seth Mckinney has not done a thing his whole career. What makes it possible for him to be good now from the terrible performances i have seen. A coach can only do so much. We are relying on the coaching to much. I think that this team needs to invest more on the line because our unit will not be able to do anything without a good center. Seth Mckinney is definately not the answer.

Maybe there is more talent in our line than you realize?

You know a line has to play like a unit or it won't play well, no matter how talented it is.

Yes coaching is very important to a line, one only has to look at the dramatic turnaround San Diego's line made under Hudson Houck to realize that.

Give this line a little time, I think your gonna be surprised.

 

[LarryFinFan]

I know that we signed Mcdougle but other than that we didnt find any players that can improve this line. Houck will help us but how much improvement can he do with a unit that flat out sucked last year? We knew coming into this season that we had weaknesses on the offensive line. Why didnt we address them! Seth Mckinney has not done a thing his whole career. What makes it possible for him to be good now from the terrible performances i have seen. A coach can only do so much. We are relying on the coaching to much. I think that this team needs to invest more on the line because our unit will not be able to do anything without a good center. Seth Mckinney is definately not the answer.

HH is the best of the best on the OL in scheme and coaching. He directed the Dallas lines in the early 90's and everyone know about SD... We need to keep in mind that the worst thing about our OL last year was scheme and coaching...not necessarily talent...do we need more...yes. McK must come thru this year...simple as that...he has had excuses for 3 years now...(sitting behind Ruddy, not able to make the the line calls, etc)...McIntosh will be much better this year because he is a year removed from ankle surgery...that really cost him last year...remember, he wasn't even supposed to be ready until mid-season...but he started anyway and that held him back. Hadnot was a surprise entry last year and will only be better this year with experience and coaching...Carey, so far is showing why he was a 1st round pick...(remember he also had the "dumb-as-an-ox syndrome coming out of the U)...James had a down year as well. He was a very good lineman for the Panthers...

The bottom line is that Saban and HH looked at the guys we had and felt that they could do some things with them that wasn't done last year...The OL has not looked too bad so far, except against the Jags...

My only concern, so far, has been the shuffling of guys around that they have done...I'd like to see the same 5 guys line up and get continuity, but I have to defer to Saban and HH on that....

We just have to wait and see how they develop...the sad thing is that, IMO and as you apparently think too, the OL improvement is the KEY to success or failure this season. It's the one thing that can overcome our poor QB play which we are, I'm afraid, destined to see this year...

 

[arsenal]

first off reshuffling entire lines almost NEVER works... 2nd we have so many young lineman with just not a lot of experience and teaching... we have the talent, just have to develop them, by the end of the year we'll know where we truly stand with the oline and what needs might or mightnot need to be addressed...

 

[NorFlaFin]

Fuuny thing, Seth appears to be making progress under HH. If Seth can be a serviceable 1st team center then Saban can draft/sign talent in a different area.

 

[Fineas]

Okay, so now we are getting somewhere, everyone agrees that there wasn't a viable, affordable solution via FA. So that leaves us with this past draft right?

Okay which of our first 4 picks would you rather have traded for a lineman? We didn't know if Ricky was coming back or not, so we obviously would either trade down and draft the next best back availible, and maybe a lineman, but since we couldn't our first pick remains the same.

IN the second round I would've still picked the BPA, and that definately seemed to be roth.

In the Third we had Crowder, a first round talent that slipped because of injury questions, you could make an arguement for drafting a lineman here, but then Saban had the inside track info that Crowder was good to go, and I am sure there were no linemen availible in the 3rd who rated 1st round, plus Linebacker depth is a concern as much as line depth, so the third round pick stays the same.

In the fourth we pick a CB, which we needed, and because Pat had just left, and other than madison none of the other CBs had proven themselves, so again our secondary needed depth, after the injury to poole, I don't think anyone regrets this pick, but maybe a lineman in the fourth, but by this point is there a lineman that could come in and dominate enough this offseason to take a spot away from any of the current crew? Nope.


Nick and the team did everything reasonably possible this offseason to improve the line, short of giving up picks and players.

It's crying over spilt milk at this point, and I sure hope Brown turns out to be worthy of his draft slot (and signing bonus), but I would have traded back, several times if possible, and taken Alex Barron and the best of the available RBs or WRs with the picks obtained from trading back.

I also would have grabbed Khalif Barnes in the second and even looked real hard at Elton Brown in the 4th.