Difference of Opinion

[CrashDavisSports]

Boy, this guy took a long winded approach at absolutely crushing the organization with his opinion of the draft, what they should have done, etc. Not sure if he is Penei Sewell's agent or what, but damn.

Nevermind. Can't provide Bleacher Report links on this site. So if you are interested, it is on Bleacher Report and below is the details to find it:

Article Author: Brent Sobleski
Article Title: How the Bengals Failed Joe Burrow for the Second Straight Offseason
Article date is: May 5th, 2020

 

[DanBengalfan]

The Cincinnati Bengals got it wrong with this year's fifth overall pick.

Ja'Marr Chase is an exceptional talent. He was clearly WR1 heading into the 2021 NFL draft. But Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell should have been the selection to protect quarterback Joe Burrow.

The decision became an extension of last offseason's missteps.

Following the 2020 NFL draft, I wrote of the Bengals' class other than their No. 1 overall pick: "Previous ills can be forgiven with a smart approach. With Burrow already in tow, the Bengals should have done everything in their power to properly protect the quarterback. They didn't."


Cincinnati then made no significant investments in its offensive line in free agency or the draft. The team moved forward with the likes of Michael Jordan, Billy Price, Alex Redmond, Fred Johnson, Xavier Su'a-Filo and Bobby Hart.

It continues to repeat its mistakes.

A year later with the opportunity to finally make a statement in the draft, the Bengals chose a lesser talent at a lesser position at less of a need in the context of what was available to them.

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Some will argue Chase was the better overall prospect, though Bleacher Report's scouting department graded Sewell as the fourth-best talent in the class and noted his All-Pro potential. In comparison, Chase ranked 10th with a grade that fell one tier below.

Some within the NFL viewed Sewell even more favorably.

"If I could pick one player in this draft who's got the best chance to go to the Hall of Fame, it's Penei Sewell," one coach told NBC Sports' Peter King.

An NFL head coach told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the 2019 Outland Trophy winner is the "one surefire Hall of Famer in this draft class." Another told ESPN's Dianna Russini the same.

Pro Football Focus graded Sewell as the best overall offensive tackle prospect since the site began doing so for collegiate players seven years ago.

To be clear, Sewell may not ultimately fall into the same category as all-time greats like Jonathan Ogden, Orlando Pace and Walter Jones. He does need to refine his technique. Because of his age, 20, and his decision to opt out of last season, his floor is much lower than a typical top tackle's would be.


Still, he warranted being the first offensive tackle selected in a good offensive line class and probably would have been last year if eligible.

Ron Jenkins/Associated Press
"You'd be really happy with having Sewell," an executive told The Athletic's Bob McGinn. "He will trend toward being a Pro Bowl-level player if not competing to be one of the best tackles in the league."

Granted, grades vary by team. But no one can deny Sewell's ability any more than they can Chase's.

To be completely fair, another evaluator called Chase the "best wide receiver prospect since Julio [Jones]," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. And that's fair. After all, the short list of top-five wide receivers selected since 2012 includes Corey Davis, Amari Cooper, Sammy Watkins and Justin Blackmon.

Then again, being the best since Jones doesn't mean Chase is the same caliber of prospect the future Hall of Fame receiver was at the time. It simply means he's the next best.

Coincidentally, Cooper is the last wide receiver, among those to come off the board first, to surpass 1,000 yards as a rookie since the Bengals chose A.J. Green over Jones 10 years ago.

Which way will Chase lean? It's interesting because, typically, the top prospects at the position haven't done well in recent years. The following is a list of the first wide receiver prospects chosen first in their respective classes since Green and Jones came into the league:

 

[DanBengalfan]

Rookie Production from Top WR prospects (2012-20)
Year	Player	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns
2020	Henry Ruggs III	26	452	2
2019	Marquise Brown	46	584	7
2018	DJ Moore	55	788	2
2017	Corey Davis	34	375	0
2016	Corey Coleman	33	413	3
2015	Amari Cooper	72	1,070	6
2014	Sammy Watkins	65	982	6
2013	Tavon Austin	40	418	4
2012	Justin Blackmon	64	865	5
	Average:	48.3	660.8	3.9
NFL.com

Situations differ, and those previous numbers don't necessarily reflect what Chase can eventually do in the Bengals offense alongside Burrow. But a history exists that says top wide receiver prospects don't generally produce at the highest level at the onset.


Knowing the hit rate of that group, understanding where Chase stands among the hierarchy that followed Jones and then factoring in the value of his position, the Bengals chose not to build their roster properly.

Generally speaking, offensive tackle is considered a premium position, while wide receiver isn't.

Yes, today's NFL is wide-open and a pass-first league. Offenses must create explosive plays. At the same time, the wide receiver position has had two consecutive historically good classes from a depth perspective. When both tackle and receiver present quality depth—and both did this year—the logical approach is to select the premium prospect first, especially when it's an area of need.

The Bengals offensive line ranked among the league's worst last season. They finished among the bottom three in overall performance, according to PFF. Injuries played a role, but Cincinnati never featured a complete front five and the unit lacked quality depth. Defenders hit, hurried or sacked Burrow more than the vast majority of quarterbacks.

Ultimately, Burrow suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Going into this offseason, the Bengals had two competent-to-good starting options already in place. Jonah Williams, whom the team selected 11th overall two years ago, should be fine at left tackle. Trey Hopkins is another solid performer at center. From there, a lot of work needed to be done and didn't exactly happen.

Frank Pollack's rehiring as offensive line coach after spending the last two seasons with the New York Jets is a definite step in the right direction, but he's still reliant on the talent available to him. In terms of free agency, the Bengals signed nine-year veteran Riley Reiff. That's it.



Reiff, who's expected to play right tackle, agreed to a one-year, $7.5 million contract. Due to his age (32) and contractual status, his presence should have had no bearing whatsoever on Cincinnati's initial draft selection. If anything, Sewell's potential selection could have created a positive ripple effect throughout the unit. The rookie could have slid into either tackle spot and improved the tandem overall. From there, Reiff could have moved to guard, which was a possibility dating back to his days with the Minnesota Vikings.

Instead, the Bengals waited to address their biggest weakness and went with another need. Make no mistake, wide receiver became a significant area of concern after Green left in free agency. The team needed someone who can be an X-receiver and create separation to make life easier on last year's No. 1 overall pick.

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press
Nevertheless, the roster already featured Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Furthermore, the offensive line didn't necessarily get significantly better with the draft additions of Jackson Carman, Trey Hill and D'Ante Smith. Each has potential, and Carman will likely take over one of the guard spots. But they're significant downgrades from what the team could have added up front.

Some will undoubtedly argue Cincinnati could have selected Oklahoma State's Teven Jenkins, Notre Dame's Liam Eichenberg or Stanford's Walker Little in the second round and been much better off. Maybe, but the Bengals didn't go that route. The front office chose to trade down and ultimately select a local product, whereas nine more wide receivers came off the board before the end of the draft's second day. Bleacher Report's scouting staff had seven available receivers who still graded higher than Carman, and some of them significantly so.


Issues with Cincinnati's choices are based on a macro point of view with regard to how an organization should prioritize building around an elite, young quarterback prospect.

Their AFC North counterpart, the Cleveland Browns, tried the Bengals' approach two years ago. The Browns chose Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick in the 2018 draft. Then-general manager John Dorsey acquired star wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. in back-to-back offseasons. The team improved, but it didn't start to reach its full potential until last season after current general manager Andrew Berry committed to improving the offensive line. He went out and signed the best available free-agent tackle in Jack Conklin and then doubled down by selecting Jedrick Wills Jr. with the 10th overall pick.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers did an exemplary job of rebuilding the entirety of their offensive lines in one offseason.

The Chiefs signed Joe Thuney, Kyle Long and Austin Blythe in free agency, traded for Orlando Brown Jr. and drafted Creed Humphrey in this year's second round. The Chargers, meanwhile, signed All-Pro center Corey Linsley and guards Matt Feiler and Oday Aboushi before drafting tackle Rashawn Slater with the 13th overall pick.

Sure, they already had weapons in place, but they also had needs elsewhere. Those two franchises prioritized their fronts to protect their exciting young quarterbacks.

Steve Luciano/Associated Press
Even the Miami Dolphins, who picked a wide receiver directly behind the Bengals with the sixth overall selection, waited a year before doing so. In 2020, the organization committed to rebuilding its offensive front to protect incoming rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa by selecting left tackle Austin Jackson in the first round, right tackle/guard Robert Hunt in the second and guard Solomon Kindley near the top of the fourth.


Despite likely playing behind another middling-to-bad offensive front, Burrow is excited to play with Chase. He should be. The two made magic together at LSU, and every quarterback would be pumped to have his favorite target along for the ride.

Instead of trying to make their quarterback happy by adding an offensive weapon, the Bengals should have done right by him. Hopefully, everyone gets to see the best version of Burrow post huge numbers while throwing to Chase. Unfortunately, Cincinnati's lack of commitment toward protecting its franchise investment casts doubt on whether the quarterback will ever realize his full potential.



Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.

 

[DanBengalfan]

above is article by Brent Sobleski, and not my vetted opinion.

I'll make my judgement after I see these guys play pro ball.

 

[DanBengalfan]

My feeling is that Burrow must have been asked his opinion privately and he was ok with the improvement of the line.

If Sewell goes down, you've got a ton of money invested in the OL on the Injury list. if Chase goes down, hopefully you still have boyd and higgins and the offense will still thrive. Chase just takes it to another level, provided the OL stays relatively healthy.

on the other hand, we we can build a great wall of Bengal around Joe Burrow to allow him minutes to throw, that would be great too. my guess is the bengals really miss what they had with aj green

 

[CrashDavisSports]

My feeling is that Burrow must have been asked his opinion privately and he was ok with the improvement of the line.

If Sewell goes down, you've got a ton of money invested in the OL on the Injury list. if Chase goes down, hopefully you still have boyd and higgins and the offense will still thrive. Chase just takes it to another level, provided the OL stays relatively healthy.

on the other hand, we we can build a great wall of Bengal around Joe Burrow to allow him minutes to throw, that would be great too. my guess is the bengals really miss what they had with aj green

The greatest offensive line ever assembled will still only be able to block these freaks on defenses for so long still. Protection starts with getting rid of the ball faster. If the QB is holding on to the ball, it is because his WR's can't beat man coverage and have no idea how to sit in a zone. I am sorry, if this is happening, doesn't matter how good your offensive line is. You scheme with playmakers that can beat their man. You get the ball in and out of Burrow's hands and let him be the point guard distributing the ball. Andy Dalton's best seasons was when he was in the top 5 QB's getting rid of the ball. Those WCO's are designed to move guys around in space and create mismatches on the line of scrimmage. The question is, is your QB smart enough to read the defense and make a quick decision on where the ball should be going. My hope is, Burrow has so much talent going out for passes, that defenses aren't deep enough to cover that much talent and someone is running free for Burrow to releasing the ball by the time he hits his drop back.

My guess is though, he will be running a crap ton of plays out of a wide open offense from the shotgun in order to keep him from using his legs so much in a drop back, it gives him depth from the oline to read the defense and he is already far enough away from the center stepping on his foot during a drop back.

I fully expect to see Burrow in the shotgun on at least 70% of his passes. 30% just to keep the defense honest on run plays and from selling out. I expect to see Mixon getting a lot of shotgun draws during those shotgun formations too.

In and out, and you just need guys up front to delay the penetration.

 

[Cincyfan78]

Again - I will point out - I feel many pundits miss the mark with the Bengals passing up Sewell....

Too many are taking the lazy approach that the OL sucked and they needed the best OT on the board - they didn't really look into the line and how it is set up going forward to realize that Sewell may not have been a great fit - and really may not have had the overall impact they desired. It came down to the Bengals not feeling that Williams or Reiff were likely to move to OG and do well - and Sewell is a pure OT - so...???? You draft Sewell and someone else is sitting - and your OL hasn't improved. It becomes a 1 for 1 addition/subtraction. With Chase and Carman you hit two positions of need and increased the talent of the OL by simply adding Carman to RG and immediately that is an upgrade.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Again - I will point out - I feel many pundits miss the mark with the Bengals passing up Sewell....

Too many are taking the lazy approach that the OL sucked and they needed the best OT on the board - they didn't really look into the line and how it is set up going forward to realize that Sewell may not have been a great fit - and really may not have had the overall impact they desired. It came down to the Bengals not feeling that Williams or Reiff were likely to move to OG and do well - and Sewell is a pure OT - so...???? You draft Sewell and someone else is sitting - and your OL hasn't improved. It becomes a 1 for 1 addition/subtraction. With Chase and Carman you hit two positions of need and increased the talent of the OL by simply adding Carman to RG and immediately that is an upgrade.

Reiff and Carmen on the right side versus Redmond and Hart? ALL DAY LONG!!

However, in his article, he did mention moving Reiff to guard, and Williams to RT or keep him at LT and move Sewell to RT.

I just think now you just displaced two guys, your two best lineman, and you are adding a rookie at the most important position on the line to a RH QB. That is 3 positions that now take a hit and need a learning curve. Granted, Sewell probably wouldn't have needeed a learning curve too long at LT, where his learning curve would have come in is facing AFC North pass rushers and the speed of the game at this level.

I just think what the Bengals did was much better for the current team, and improves us the most right this second. Get rid of the ball quicker to playmakers who get open fast, and you don't have to block nearly as long. Carmen has always been the best player on all the lines he has ever been on so it was natural to make him a LT. But when you look at his measureables, size, agility and mean streak...he is probably going to make one hell of a guard. We will see, only time will tell, but at 330 pounds and his ability to run block and move..I like our chances of him being a success there.

 

[cincygrad]

People spend way too much time thinking about and talking about the draft.

The Colts were routinely criticized for not protecting Andrew Luck while he was their starting quarterback. But, during his tenure they selected two linemen in the first round, two in the second, one in the third and a handful of others at other parts of the draft. Several of them didn't turn out.

You listen to the talking heads now, and the Colts are seen as having one of the better O-lines in the league. But here's the thing.... If you look at their line, they start less first and second rounders than we will when we line up this fall.

It's all well and good to talk about draft picks as if they are the reason you are good or bad at certain position groups. But, in general, the draft is an inperfect system and you have to select for your whole team. I don't feel great about our offensive line, but I can see why the Bengals think it is improved.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

People spend way too much time thinking about and talking about the draft.

The Colts were routinely criticized for not protecting Andrew Luck while he was their starting quarterback. But, during his tenure they selected two linemen in the first round, two in the second, one in the third and a handful of others at other parts of the draft. Several of them didn't turn out.

You listen to the talking heads now, and the Colts are seen as having one of the better O-lines in the league. But here's the thing.... If you look at their line, they start less first and second rounders than we will when we line up this fall.

It's all well and good to talk about draft picks as if they are the reason you are good or bad at certain position groups. But, in general, the draft is an inperfect system and you have to select for your whole team. I don't feel great about our offensive line, but I can see why the Bengals think it is improved.

I agree with you. I am in no way saying our line is now fixed. It is not ideal yet. Lot of unknown pieces in the change: Reiff, Carmen, is Hopkins going to be healthy, if not, is Price going to be ready, can Williams and Su'a-Filo/Spain stay healthy, will Pollack bring out the best in these guys, do the bengals employ more running into the offense to protect Burrow, will Chase, Boyd and Higgins be quick enough off the line to beat their guys to let Burrow get rid of the ball quicker, will we go more shotgun formations, how are we going to rotate the blitz pickups, etc. There are too many factors to say, is it just the line that needs to improve (yes they do), but there are many ways to mitigate pressure and to run that offense.

 

[Cincyfan78]

FWIW - There are still a few OG's out there that I wouldn't mind kicking the tires on, or bringing back again.

I know Easton visited, but he's still a free agent, and relatively young at 29. A good 3 year deal could help lock up the LG position, and give the Bengals a bit more flexibility to move on from someone (Spain or Su'a) or allows them to move on from a few of the younger guys while holding onto the veterans as better potential backups for depth.

Or, they could find an older guy, Turner for example, and offer him a 1 year deal to come in and compete. At best, you get a bonus year out of Turner who was one of the best, at worst - you get someone who could be a backup or cut with minimal, to no, cap hits.

 

[Cincyfan78]

Watching clips of Chase in the rookie camp, I cam away more impressed than I was originally. He's much thicker than I thought he would be. He's still not overly "tall" for a guy I'd say is a can't miss outside #1, but he is very fluid, and really gets in/out of his breaks quickly. His closing speed looks to be really good, and his ability to make contested/tough catches stands out.

I'll admit - I'm more excited about him than I was before the draft. Also, Carman and Shelvin are absolutely monstrous human beings. It's ridiculous.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Watching clips of Chase in the rookie camp, I cam away more impressed than I was originally. He's much thicker than I thought he would be. He's still not overly "tall" for a guy I'd say is a can't miss outside #1, but he is very fluid, and really gets in/out of his breaks quickly. His closing speed looks to be really good, and his ability to make contested/tough catches stands out.

I'll admit - I'm more excited about him than I was before the draft. Also, Carman and Shelvin are absolutely monstrous human beings. It's ridiculous.

Yeah.

I watched a interview last night with Joe Woodberry, and he was not a fan of the Carmen or Shelvin pick.

1) He doesn't think Carmen will be ready from day one to be a decent RG, and that could be the case. But I like that he is a very smart individual and he always prepares himself mentally for his opponents. I love his athletic ability, size and strength with a move to guard. That could be a very cunning move by the Bengals. Wasn't the most sought after tackle because of his footwork, but with a move to the inside where he can leverage his size, speed and overall agility versus what it takes to be a LT, he could be a monster.

2) He didn't like the Shelvin pick, because he felt we needed more of a 3 technique with Reader already being a true nose tackle. So he is thinking he will only even be active on sundays that project a heavy dose of running from opposing offenses. But teams who are going to stretch the field and throw a lot will wind up making him obsolete with Reader being the starter and the need to get more pass rushers on the field.

3) He did like the Ossai pick, thinking he is a Carl Lawson clone, but believes he is going to be a DE with Hubbard kicking inside to a 3 technique on his downs. That is a possibility, but I thought I heard the Bengals drafted him as a blitzing LB off the edge. Am I wrong about that? I think there is nothing wrong with depth. Rotate Hendrickson, Hubbard and Ossai every other play. That keeps them all fresh if the opposing offense isn't in a no huddle. That is 2 downs out of 3 for each player.

He also mentioned something about, while loading up on the trenches was a smart idea, he also doesn't know how the Bengals will pick their poison. Because say they went after another offensive lineman like Trai Turner, if they bring him on, and say they keep 10 guys, up from the 9 they had last year. You are now cutting possible young guys you just drafted or veteran depth you didn't want to lose.

Same goes with the defensive line. However, he did say he loved the Herbert pick in the 7th round. He said he would not have been shocked to see him drafted around the same time as Cam Sample. He thought the Bengals got a really good value pick there.

 

[Cincyfan78]

Yeah.

I watched a interview last night with Joe Woodberry, and he was not a fan of the Carmen or Shelvin pick.

1) He doesn't think Carmen will be ready from day one to be a decent RG, and that could be the case. But I like that he is a very smart individual and he always prepares himself mentally for his opponents. I love his athletic ability, size and strength with a move to guard. That could be a very cunning move by the Bengals. Wasn't the most sought after tackle because of his footwork, but with a move to the inside where he can leverage his size, speed and overall agility versus what it takes to be a LT, he could be a monster.

2) He didn't like the Shelvin pick, because he felt we needed more of a 3 technique with Reader already being a true nose tackle. So he is thinking he will only even be active on sundays that project a heavy dose of running from opposing offenses. But teams who are going to stretch the field and throw a lot will wind up making him obsolete with Reader being the starter and the need to get more pass rushers on the field.

3) He did like the Ossai pick, thinking he is a Carl Lawson clone, but believes he is going to be a DE with Hubbard kicking inside to a 3 technique on his downs. That is a possibility, but I thought I heard the Bengals drafted him as a blitzing LB off the edge. Am I wrong about that? I think there is nothing wrong with depth. Rotate Hendrickson, Hubbard and Ossai every other play. That keeps them all fresh if the opposing offense isn't in a no huddle. That is 2 downs out of 3 for each player.

He also mentioned something about, while loading up on the trenches was a smart idea, he also doesn't know how the Bengals will pick their poison. Because say they went after another offensive lineman like Trai Turner, if they bring him on, and say they keep 10 guys, up from the 9 they had last year. You are now cutting possible young guys you just drafted or veteran depth you didn't want to lose.

Same goes with the defensive line. However, he did say he loved the Herbert pick in the 7th round. He said he would not have been shocked to see him drafted around the same time as Cam Sample. He thought the Bengals got a really good value pick there.

1 - I think it's fair to be a bit concerned moving him from LT to RG, but I think it's also fair to point out that his biggest weakness has been pure rushers in space, and his biggest strength is his size and power. At least on paper, the move to RG makes some sense IF the Bengals feel he can handle it mentally, which I think they do - and so does Willie Anderson and others who have worked with him and all comment on his mental preparedness for the game. This isn't a guy living on his athletic ability alone, but is big into film prep and really studying the game. Those are positives for the move.

2 - I'll disagree because I don't care what "technique" you are - if you can pair two guys at DT that combine for nearly 700lbs of power/strength/size - you are going to prevent a lot of teams for running right up the gut and also will afford a ton more opportunities for the DE's and LB's to work in space and more 1 on 1. I don't see any reason why they can't play together on 4-3 looks, and even move Reader to the strong side at DE in a 3-4 rush look, and moving guys like Ossai, Sample, Hendrickson and Hubbard to OLB/End as rushers.

3 - I think Ossai is a player that can offer versatility to be either a DE rush or OLB rush. We'll see how they use him.

They can sign Turner and Cut price tomorrow. They can Sign Turner and cut Su'a or Spain. They can sign Turner and probably should have already cut Jordan. Let's not act like the guys hanging around, while young, are the best of the best. If the Bengals could sign a guy like Turner for a year, it offers them another chance to get into a draft and location a higher end option and solidify the OL. Rome wasn't built in a day, and this OL is going to continue to be a work in progress.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

1 - I think it's fair to be a bit concerned moving him from LT to RG, but I think it's also fair to point out that his biggest weakness has been pure rushers in space, and his biggest strength is his size and power. At least on paper, the move to RG makes some sense IF the Bengals feel he can handle it mentally, which I think they do - and so does Willie Anderson and others who have worked with him and all comment on his mental preparedness for the game. This isn't a guy living on his athletic ability alone, but is big into film prep and really studying the game. Those are positives for the move.

2 - I'll disagree because I don't care what "technique" you are - if you can pair two guys at DT that combine for nearly 700lbs of power/strength/size - you are going to prevent a lot of teams for running right up the gut and also will afford a ton more opportunities for the DE's and LB's to work in space and more 1 on 1. I don't see any reason why they can't play together on 4-3 looks, and even move Reader to the strong side at DE in a 3-4 rush look, and moving guys like Ossai, Sample, Hendrickson and Hubbard to OLB/End as rushers.

3 - I think Ossai is a player that can offer versatility to be either a DE rush or OLB rush. We'll see how they use him.

They can sign Turner and Cut price tomorrow. They can Sign Turner and cut Su'a or Spain. They can sign Turner and probably should have already cut Jordan. Let's not act like the guys hanging around, while young, are the best of the best. If the Bengals could sign a guy like Turner for a year, it offers them another chance to get into a draft and location a higher end option and solidify the OL. Rome wasn't built in a day, and this OL is going to continue to be a work in progress.

Some insight into Jackson Carmen with analysis:

Film Room: Jackson Carman is a massive upgrade to the Bengals’ offensive line

Guard your grill.

www.cincyjungle.com

 

[Cincyfan78]

Some insight into Jackson Carmen with analysis:

Film Room: Jackson Carman is a massive upgrade to the Bengals’ offensive line

Guard your grill.

www.cincyjungle.com

Yes, I saw this as well.

He's got the dedication to study film and recognize plays, and seems to have the mental acuity that is required to play multiple positions and understand each position. I think that is the biggest take-away for me with him changing positions. As I said, he's not just relying on his skill to get by - he's constantly learning and watching film on how to do things better, and understands what needs to be done. I think that portion, plus allowing him to play at RG for a year (or a few years) before maybe looking at RT is a great way to take advantage of his strengths while limiting his weaknesses and allowing him to develop in those areas.

 

[jbuck]

best off season in years. this guy doesn't know squat

 

[cincygrad]

Yes, I saw this as well.

He's got the dedication to study film and recognize plays, and seems to have the mental acuity that is required to play multiple positions and understand each position. I think that is the biggest take-away for me with him changing positions. As I said, he's not just relying on his skill to get by - he's constantly learning and watching film on how to do things better, and understands what needs to be done. I think that portion, plus allowing him to play at RG for a year (or a few years) before maybe looking at RT is a great way to take advantage of his strengths while limiting his weaknesses and allowing him to develop in those areas.

It's easy to get a Andrew Whitworth vibe with this guy..... Left tackle on a major college powerhouse. Scouts called him limited in key areas..... Now, if he shows the versatility and half the dedication that made Whitorth who he is then we'll have hit on something.

 

[DanBengalfan]

so he is Hulk, not Loki?

ok good.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

so he is Hulk, not Loki?

ok good.

I am pretty sure that is a penalty. Not 100% if that would be classified holding or a personal foul. Both?