Riley Reiff at Left Tackle

[jdwills126]

The more the LT drama dragged on leading up to the draft the more asinine I believed Jim Schwartz's handling the development of his players!

1. Jason Fox I believe is not a viable starting candidate but how would I or really anyone know since the Lions didn't give him any time last season? When the Lions fell out of it Fox and to a lesser Hilliard should have been given time for developmental assessment.

2. Reiff is a tackle the only real argument is LT or RT. I get giving him time at TE in packages. The Lions still had Gos and Backus. But you have got to know what you have in a first rounder after a year. If he is a RT then stop the BS and find a NFL quality LT before Stafford gets killed! Reiff was the 2nd OT off the board last year and I would have to think he would have been a mid 1st round pick this year! So why is their really any question over giving him the position.

Joeckel, Fisher, and Johnson are all quality picks but got huge boost in this draft because their were no playmakers available! The best QB was Ej Manuel! No Patrick Peterson, Suh, Bradford, Stafford, RG3, Cam Newton!

3. The Lions ended up 4-12 and yet the Lions really have no idea what they have in Lewis, Whithead or Austin.

I think by the end of training camp if the Lions are looking for a LT as a FA I think we have our answer about Reiff as the LT of the future. I just don't have the warm fuzzies over Schwartz's handling of player development.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Blocking as a Tight End is often more difficult than blocking as a LT

Come on Bronco -- I sure hope you don't truly believe this. Left Tackle, far and away, has the most difficult blocking assignment. Not only is the LT responsible for the blind side of the QB, but he is facing the best pass rusher 1 on 1 all game long.

If Reiff was consistently used in the TE on pass plays, I could see the argument, as they are responsible for picking up blitzing LBs, Safeties or CBs. I would be quite comfortable saying the Lions ran 80-90% of the plays with Reiff in the game though, so the complexity of his blocking assignments were minimal. He was put in the game because he was good at run blocking.

In the end -- all I am saying is -- It is going to take Reiff some time to get used to playing the LT position, if that is where he starts the season. Practice time is helpful, but actually playing a position in a real game is completely different and while getting snaps at TE got his some experience -- the one game at LT against Houston helped prepare him more than the rest of the snaps at TE.

 

[broncosmitty]

Well... When you cut my quote off like that it might not seem as accurate. But tight end blocking is definitely more complicated. You don't just see guy - block guy. You have to go and get guy. That requires athletic ability that not every RT possess. (most LTs do). TPaul referenced that high quality season Backus had last year. And I agree. But I also think he had help which had never been available to him. Reiff isn't a tight end, but he was put there and it helped. (feel free to list LeShoures avg per carry if youd like). Since that movie starring some dude named Sandra came out, people talk about and treat the LT spot like its some magical fucking spot on a roster. If you're athletic enough at 300+lbs to start as a tight, you're athletic enough to back peddle and slide step to your left in order to protect the QB. That said, I still anticipate more sacks from that side than last season. Unless that big mutherfucker from Alabama is a helluva blocker.

 

[jdwills126]

I have been thinking that Michael Williams could end up getting moved from TE to RT. If he is that good of a blocker and could add 20-25 pounds that may be the Lions thinking when they drafted him.

 

[broncosmitty]

I think so too JDW. Maybe we see him in a similar fashion to what RR did last season, this season?

 

[Rob]

I find it EXTREMELY hard to believe that a guy whose career depends on winning games, decided to sit a better player, because he was "stubborn". It didn't stop him from starting Levy as a rookie, or Delmas, or Suh, or Stafford, or LeShoure, or last year with Bentley, Jonte Green, Ryan Broyles, etc. etc.

Suh replaced Sammie Hill, a D-II 4th rounder project from the previous year.

Did Delmas replace Marvin White, Marquand Manual, or Ko Simpson?

Stafford supplanted a washed up a Dante Culpepper and never-was Drew Stanton.

Levy was somehow good enough to beat out Jordan Dizon. He split time in a rotation with Ernie Sims, whose career has been short of dazzling.

Broyles didnt "start" last year.

Bentley was better than the rest of the rookies and scrubs at the #2 CB position.

Jonte Green and Greenwood were next in line at the revolving door.

LeShoure, Joique, and Kevin Smith are interchangable. LeShoure was the flashy pick from the previous year

Point is the guys you listed didn't leap ahead of good players on the depth chart with their amazing talent. Stafford, Suh, Delmas, LeShoure, started because they filled gaping holes in the defense. There was a need for them to start immediately.

 

[themuzzer]

Blocking as a Tight End is often more difficult than blocking as a LT. You are consistantly responsible for outside rushers, middle linebackers and safeties on the same series let alone throughout the game. You can pull, chip, pass protect and lead on four consecutive plays. RR is athletic and seemingly intelligent. Had JB been back I, personally, would have been fine with him starting at RG. But that's not the case. And it seems it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Since Schwartz didn't plug him in there last season. And has repeatedly said he was drafted to play tackle.

What scared me most as I was reading your post was when I got to the "RR" and Riley Rieff wasn't the first guy I thought of....

I'll give you one guess who was.

 

[tpaulus_2]

Not only are his responsibilites completely different blocking out of the TE position, but the techniques used are completely different.

This is only kind of true. The assignments are different depending on the play call, but the techniques really aren't all that different. Both are blocking speed rushers around the edge. Both have to set up and either ride the rusher around the pocket or stone a bull rush.

Not exactly the same, but still applicable experience...

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

The assignments are different depending on the play call, but the techniques really aren't all that different. Both are blocking speed rushers around the edge. Both have to set up and either ride the rusher around the pocket or stone a bull rush.

The biggest difference is -- He isn't one on one blocking a speed rusher lined up as a TE, he is doubling the DE with the tackle.

IMO, his experience as a TE last year was nice and it got his feet wet, but his one start at LT was much more valuable in terms of experience.

I also feel as if the Lions aren't convinced he is their LT of the future and I believe they will sign a veteran to play the position before the start of the season. But I could be dead wrong -- wouldn't be the 1st time. LOL.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Since that movie starring some dude named Sandra came out, people talk about and treat the LT spot like its some magical fucking spot on a roster.

Come on now -- Left Tackle has ALWAYS been the most important spot on the offensive line. Has nothing to do with the Michael Oher movie. It is the guy who is responsible for blocking the best player on the opposing defense and keep his QB from getting killed. At all the other spots on the line -- the QB can see the pass rush coming.

 

[broncosmitty]

It's been way overblown the past five years or whatever since the Ravens RIGHT-TACKLE had a movie made about him. (also the 23rd pick). It's not necessarily the LTs job to block the best defensive player either. That may be the case sometimes. But it's a pretty vague generalization. Suh never lines up against LTs.

 

[VulturesRule]

If the Lions had been able to take Fisher or Joeckel, it would have fulfilled the BPA philosophy and we would find out through training camp which tackle earned being the Left spot. But since that didn't happen, Reiff and the coaching staff will be second guessed for everything from if he deserved to go where he did in last year's draft to just what was he being drafted for specifically.

To put it simply, he was drafted to play on the offensive line. As long as he achieves starter status, he should be considered a succesful draft pick. Really doesn't matter much after that, although the arguments can be entertaining at times.

 

[themuzzer]

After careful consideration the Lions brass start Warford at LT and Reiff at RG therefore ending the conversation.

That would just solidify what I think about the Lions scouting department.....

Who the heck is allama franics?

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

It's been way overblown the past five years or whatever since the Ravens RIGHT-TACKLE had a movie made about him. (also the 23rd pick). It's not necessarily the LTs job to block the best defensive player either. That may be the case sometimes. But it's a pretty vague generalization. Suh never lines up against LTs.

It should have said -- the LT has to block the best pass rushing specialist on the other team. My bad.

And I guess we will have to agree to disagree on the Michael Oher movie. I honestly don't see how it would affect how people feel about LT's, as the movie really had very little to do with football and more about a kid taken in and adopted by a family, who happened to play football.

 

[themuzzer]

I forget....Who did we take that year and pass on Oher.....Congrats on your SB ring Michael.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

I forget....Who did we take that year and pass on Oher

Come on now -- you are slipping. Detroit selected Brandon Pettigrew over such notable players drafted behind him like Percy Harvin, Clay Mathews, Michael Oher and Hakeem Nicks to name a couple. Detroit has no need for an OL, WR or OLB though, so no biggie.

 

[Microwahevo]

Hindsight is great isn't it?

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Hindsight is great isn't it?

Yeah. It is too bad we have to talk about hindsight after so many of the Lions draft picks though.

 

[broncosmitty]

KVB was the Lions best pass rushing specialist the last three years?

 

[themuzzer]

Doesn't foresight lend itself to hindsight......The Lions foresight drafted these guys....And in hindsight alot of them havnt been good......