OL: weakness to strength in 1 year?

Glad to have you aboard.

I wouldn’t say it would be a strength in 2010…we still don’t have a bright star (we think that’s Albert) and our other proven bright spot is Brian Waters, who is getting up there in age. I think this year will go a long way to show which way we’re going.

We have that covered with Albert.

At the end of the season the line was far from perfect but was coming together. Cassel looked more confident in the pocket. The last half of the season he was getting sacked far less. With new additions the line should be decent but not elite.

even if it’s not “THE strength” of this team… OL could quickly become at least NOT a “problem area”

I think they were already on track to be a solid unit last year, and that was before the Lilja/Weigmann additions… which SHOULD only help… at least in pass protection.

I would still devote 1-3 draft picks… but NOT the first round pick… IMO, you have to draft OLinemen EVERY year… just to keep building depth and replacing injured or older players as needed.

So… it will never be a “done deal”… OL will always be something to pay attention to, and add talent to… BUT, I firmly believe the Chiefs are on the right track, and I’m excited to see what they can do!

Let’s say Pioli takes Bulaga at #5 (because Okung goes #2 to Detroit and we can’t trade down). I kill the Albert is a great LT theory because, Bulaga comes in and starts at RT from year one. Why? reason one: RT is easier to come in and play year one for Bulaga as a true upgrade on the line over O’cal. Reason two: We will need a replacement for Waters eventually at LG and Albert will be able to slide down and be a probowl LG while Bulaga moves to LT. Under this principle we have built immediate depth and we plan for the future, which we failed to do when Roaf and Shields retired. Worst case scenario we end up with two great bookend tackles.

Of course if Okung goes two and Tampa takes McCoy than we have to decide on the boy named “SUH”. That’s a whole other discussion.

I mean, our line was so bad, that we hit rock bottom in my opinion. Nowhere to go but up right?

Also, i check this website so much, its ridiculous…always refreshing the page to see if anything new comes up. Glad to have yet another Chief fan here, dt.

Repore is Rapport

the offensive line is going to be a strength this year, but in relative, not absolute terms. It is looking to be the most complete position group on the team save for backs.

Weigmann is 37 and a good Center probably has 2 good yrs left. You draft a top center and he has 2 yrs to learn the ropes. I like Pouncey at pick 2a if he is still available. Others prefer another at like round 3 or 4.

We Also need a Backup RG/RT my pick for that is Ciron Black of LSU big raw talent with huge upside we can get him in the 5th round

may actually have a future are LG. But Lijla is young enough that when waters leaves he could move back to his native LG and Brown could come into the RG slot.

here is why:

1) 1 rough season of transition to the new offensive scheme (and zone blocking).
2) went through the growing pains of the implementation of more and more complicated pass protection schemes.
3) addition of weis to help the line.
4) charles as rb over johnson.
5) weis’ impact on cassel. (see cassel’s NE sack #s)
6) addition of Chambers 1/2 way thru the season.
7) addition of lilja
8) addition of weigman at C.
9) previously mentioned addition moves rudy to back up guard position. +1 for depth, + infinity for getting him out of the C position.
10) addition of Pope at TE.
11) addition of Castille over cox.

we already saw how much the line improved the second half of last season with a make shift line who isn’t FULL of standouts. those guys still were almost part of history as charles could’ve had the single game rushing record.

no to LT. not to bulaga in the 1st round. while he might be technically sound, most scouting reports i’ve heard have him as already being at his ceiling.

what is left? now we draft replacements for Waters and weigmann. this year is used to evaluate albert at LT, O’Callahan at RT, Cassel at QB, and Bowe at WR. however, i think ablert has to fail miserably at LT to be moved. it is my understanding that left side is more pass protection and right is more running. lilja is seemingly poised to be the LG when waters leaves. Albert has never played RG, which is apparently a totally different position (as is RT). I’m not going to talk hypotheticals. that is for Pioli, haley, and weis. and it is a moot point. let’s play this season and see how it goes. knowing pioli, he already has contingency plans two or three years ahead of now.

The sense seems to be that Indy mainly wanted to get bigger by letting the 292 lb Lilja go. Probably some truth to that, with Manning being slow afoot and getting slower. Being able to move the chains on the ground in more dominant fashion is good for his career, and will give him more and better opportunities to stand in the pocket and deliver.

Most fans scratch their heads, though. The Colts fans consider Lilja the 2nd-best lineman of the 5, and that Matt Light and he were the lone bright spot in the run game for the Colts.

Myself, I think this is a good move for both ballclubs. I think this is a good year for shoring up interior line, in general, and the Colts can get more size AND more mobility, if they choose wisely in this deep class, and don’t have their hearts set on a new starting left tackle. Lilja was one of their pricier linemen.

Lilja missed a fair amount of time with the Colts, most of ‘08 and I think some time in ’06, also. This means they’ve paid full freight for half-time service. But he had a pretty good season in ’09.

Myself, I’m getting Will Shields flashbacks, with a guy who’s likely to be pushed around by the bigger, bull-rushing DTs, but who will have a solid team concept for blocking, and who will be be mobile enough to pull like Shields used to.

Does anybody but me see this as a likely Waters insurance signing? Does such a move presage moving Waters somewhere else? C or RG? Is Waters moving on?