Bratkowski's Last year?

[HoosierCat]

Quit overrating this o-line! They are very average!

IMHO, It's a bit better than average, which is an accomplishment considering the lack of attention the bengals have traditionally paid the o-line. Looking at the draft historically (using the figures over at drafthistory.com), NFL teams have used about 26% of their picks on offensive linemen (G, T, C). Of their 523 draft picks, the Bengals have used 84 on o-linemen, or only about 16%. The Bengals have made up for that by taking more offensive linemen early. About 24% of their o-line choices have been made on day 1, versus about 15% leaguewide.

Since Alexander has been o-line coach, the Bengals have taken 17 offensive linemen (including this year's draft): 2 centers, 5 guards and 10 tackles. Of them, 7 have been day 1 picks, 2 first round selections.

The 2 first-round picks, Willie and Levi, are here and doing fine. So score this much for Alexander: he hasn't had a first-round bust. The only second-round pick is also here and doing fine, Steinbach. The other four are all third-round picks, Payne, Goff, Blackman, and Tuten, of which Goff is still going elsewhere.

Of the remaining 10 picks he's had to work with, four are on the roster: Ghaicuic, Kieft, Andrews, and Kooistra. Of the other six, I think Leyva is the only active one left.

So that's 7 out of 17 in starting or backup roles (including 3 of 3 1st and 2nd rounders), 2 more still going elsewhere, and 8 (of whom only 3 were day 1 picks) gone, across an 11-year period.

I think that's about par for the course. No, he hasn't developed any "mid-round linemen" -- but then, the Bengals don't take many mid-round linemen. They typically draft high (where Alexander hasn't had any busts) or low, and most of those low-round picks have come in the no-scouts-on-staff pre-Marvin era, when Alexander was getting who knows what to work with.

[jditty47]

Paul Alexander - Offensive Line D

Give me a break. The only offensive linemen he has made good with were guys that were high picks. Guys picked in later rounds that needed to be coached up have been utter failures.

Amen. Screw the Alexander man love the others are confessing for him - name ONE SINGLE mid-round lineman that has developed properly here or has been worth noting? Not a single freakin' one and Alexander was LAUGHED AT by players when he was first here for a few years due to his incompetence...that doesn't mean he hasn't adjusted and gotten better...but none of his draft picks have yet to play to their potential - including Levi (who is swinging door half the time and a bit overrated).

Jim Anderson has a lot to do with the running game - when you have Dillon and Rudi and some great WR's in a 3-step drop offense that is all about timing and getting rid of the ball quickly it protects your QB from getting hammered. Palmer didn't get banged up last year because he had such great protection and Rudi barely had any holes to run through.

The man love for Alexander must stop! Quit overrating this o-line! They are very average!

ya f**kin right its overrated. if anythings overrated its rudi's running BEHIND the oline.