FA O-line Ranked

[HoosierCat]

From espn’s overrated/underrated FA piece (paywalled of course):

Quote

OFFENSIVE LINE

Overrated: Joe Thuney

2020 team: Patriots | Age entering 2021 season: 28

Thuney is likely to be one of the most coveted linemen available this offseason, given the profusion of lineman-needy teams. But while he is undoubtedly a very good player, it's fair to ask whether he is a great one. Thuney has never broken a PFF grade of 80.0 for a single season, coming closest in 2019.

His run blocking has typically been solid but unspectacular, and while his pass-blocking grades had been approaching elite levels, he dropped back down to 73.1 in 2020, allowing 17 total pressures and two sacks on the season. Thuney has an extremely high floor for any prospective team, but he could earn monster money on the open market, which is hard to justify given his career thus far.

Underrated: Daryl Williams

2020 team: Bills | Age entering 2021 season: 29

You can look at Williams' NFL career and say he has just two good seasons in six years and use it as a reason to be down on his prospects, but they're also the only two full seasons he has played at right tackle.

His play was poor when he was moved to guard in 2019, surrendering 35 total pressures and 12 sacks across extensive snaps at three different positions. He earned PFF pass-blocking grades of 78.0 and 80.1 -- for two different teams -- when he was asked to play right tackle exclusively all season.

Williams is still only 28 and would upgrade several right tackle situations in the league based on what we have seen of his baseline at that position.

 

[AMPHAR]

Agree with over and under.    

Guard is so horrible with this team.  I'm not crazy about 12-15m a year for guards but won't complain if they do.  I think there's middle ground.  Don't need league high paid guards, IMO.  However that doesn't mean you throw Redmond and whoever else that simple can't play out there.

Daryl Williams is a guy they should have chased when Troy claimed "who should we pay" when defending Bobby Hart extension.  Idiot.

 

[COB]

Tobin said something like we’re not going to sit on our hands as free agency gets under way.  That is good to hear, and a couple good free agent o-line signings would be great.

[TJJackson]

I've seen very little so far to suggest that they aren't sitting on their hands

I guess the next 2 weeks will pretty much tell the tale....and I hope I am wrong about our lovely FO this year

One thing I pray they do not do:  use the tag without a firm sense that the player really wants to be here longterm, and just a little more time is required to get the contract finalized......but that said, they should have been doing this all offseason instead of sitting on their hands, so if it aint done now I dont expect it to be done by the June deadline

If they don't, no use keeping them for just this year, as we won't be winning anything anyway.....this is a rebuild year......we need good players on multiyear contracts, not single year. 

Next year, the tag might be more applicable if we make significant progress towards becoming a playoff team this year

[membengal]

11 minutes ago, TJJackson said:

I've seen very little to suggest that they aren't sitting o their hands

I guess the next 2 weeks will pretty much tell the tale....and I hope I am wrong

You are so VERY VERY weird about this. Seriously. 

[Wraith]

24 minutes ago, TJJackson said:

I've seen very little so far to suggest that they aren't sitting on their hands

I guess the next 2 weeks will pretty much tell the tale....and I hope I am wrong about our lovely FO this year

One thing I pray they do not do:  use the tag without a firm sense that the player really wants to be here longterm, and just a little more time is required to get the contract finalized......but that said, they should have been doing this all offseason instead of sitting on their hands, so if it aint done now I dont expect it to be done by the June deadline

If they don't, no use keeping them for just this year, as we won't be winning anything anyway.....this is a rebuild year......we need good players on multiyear contracts, not single year. 

Next year, the tag might be more applicable if we make significant progress towards becoming a playoff team this year

There is no possibility (IMHO) that they are not very active in this free agency.  They know that they have a limited window with Burrow, they have an advantage over most teams due to the wide spread cap hell with the rest of the league and a big pool of prospects.  If they sit on their hands in this Free Agency the blow back from fans would reach hurricane proportions.  Worse, it would signal to Burrow that they are not serious about winning and they would likely lose him forever.  Say what you want about Mike Brown, he is not stupid and it would be truly stupid not to be very active in free agency this year.

[TJJackson]

I hope you're right, Wraith

the gotta haves where the draft really wont fill the need:

1. TWO quality offensive lineman, of which one must be a tackle (preferably a RT so we dont have to move Jonah) and one must be a guard or G/C

2. ONE quality pass rushing DE if we fail to re-sign Lawson (we can get the other in the draft)

3. ONE quality man/press CB1 if we fail to re-sign WJ3

4. There are a lot of other positions where we need depth and/or a role player (like a slot corner) and won't be able to fill them all in the draft, so we'll need to sign some depth players in FA as well.  Theres some flexibility here, but failure to sign a few of these to cover at least some of our needs will force us to draft for need rather than draft BPA

One clarification: I think SoaG is smart when it comes to business in general but ***NOT*** when it comes to football, and especially player personnel

 

[AMPHAR]

End of April will tell the tale.    We all know and agree the number 1 need is O-line.   We know there are several paths to improve that group via FA and Draft.

If we are sitting with Bobby Hart penciled in at RT with Fred or Adeniji as the primary competition....well they done fucked up.

I think there will be new faces to kick around and debate the amount of improvement they'll actually provide by the end of April.

 

 

 

[Wraith]

2 hours ago, TJJackson said:

I hope you're right, Wraith

the gotta haves where the draft really wont fill the need:

1. TWO quality offensive lineman, of which one must be a tackle (preferably a RT so we dont have to move Jonah) and one must be a guard or G/C

2. ONE quality pass rushing DE if we fail to re-sign Lawson (we can get the other in the draft)

3. ONE quality man/press CB1 if we fail to re-sign WJ3

4. There are a lot of other positions where we need depth and/or a role player (like a slot corner) and won't be able to fill them all in the draft, so we'll need to sign some depth players in FA as well.  Theres some flexibility here, but failure to sign a few of these to cover at least some of our needs will force us to draft for need rather than draft BPA

One clarification: I think SoaG is smart when it comes to business in general but ***NOT*** when it comes to football, and especially player personnel

 

Not saying I have confidence they will get the right people at the right position, but they will be active.  I think they are going hard after Thuney.  I think they will land a RT (the question is will it be the right one at the right price).  I expect Frank Pollack will help tremendously, having a competent oline coach will be very useful in this rebuild.

[COB]

1 hour ago, Wraith said:

I expect Frank Pollack will help tremendously, having a competent oline coach will be very useful in this rebuild.

Dude that thinking is my biggest fear.  Like if Mike is thinking that way, that we already upgraded the o-line with our new coach.  Don’t put it past him.  

[HoosierCat]

Probably good news for us if you want Sewell at 5.

 

[HoosierCat]

 

[Wraith]

3 hours ago, COB said:

Dude that thinking is my biggest fear.  Like if Mike is thinking that way, that we already upgraded the o-line with our new coach.  Don’t put it past him.  

Not what I meant, what I meant in writing that is, because the Bengals use coaches to scout it will be useful to have a guy who knows what he is doing providing input on potential free agents.

[HoosierCat]

 

[HoosierCat]

 

[HoosierCat]

Kyle Long available.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/former-bears-offensive-lineman-kyle-long-ends-retirement-returning-to-nfl-after-one-year-hiatus/

[membengal]

 

[COB]

Eric Fisher?  WTF?

[COB]

It’s all there in front of them.  The bumper crop of available vets.  Hope the Brown family can act.

[AMPHAR]

16 minutes ago, COB said:

Eric Fisher?  WTF?

Yeah just tossed him aside like yesterday's news.   Which is surprising because the Chiefs struggled on the  right side after he got injured.  Couldn't block anybody in the Superbowl.

Fisher is probably not a realistic starting option for at least the first half of the season given how late his injury was.

 

[membengal]

45 minutes ago, COB said:

Eric Fisher?  WTF?

Torn Achilles - likely not available for 2021. It's a cold-blooded world. 

[TJJackson]

true dat, Mem

any team signing Fisher would have to assume that he comes in no earlier than midseason, and accept the risk that he might not come back for 2021 at all

Since we need OL help right now, I dont think we should sign this guy.

The team he should sign is one that has an older but good OT whose contract ends after 2021......that OT would leave after 2021 and Fisher would then step into that spot in 2022, fully healed and ready to go

we're not that team