quote:
How much do we ask our center to do in blocking? It really seems like ours are expected to make a clean snap, and get in the way of nose tackles and middle linebacker blitzes. Just clog things up. I

Some of you guys.

Yes, all we ask our OL to do is get in the way of defenders.

Some teams are known to have heavy focus on the interior line, Steelers come to mind, and Panthers more recently.
Or take Shanahan's schemes in Denver- you could argue the O-line was the emphasis, and the reason so many different backs were able to get 1000 yd seasons.
Saints under Payton, that's never been the emphasis. We have a complex passing scheme and a simplified offensive line design, the key is to buy Brees just enough time to hit his receiver. The focus has been to get specific skill players; linemen have been plug-and-play.

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Posted by bonethug0108

Avondale

Member since Mar 2013

12690 posts

Posted on 5/16/14 at 6:06 pm to Scoob

Why do so many people love to think that we purposely ignore the line or the tackles or the center?

And are we really now saying that we've been focusing on skill players when we've never gotten that "true #1" receiver or that workload running back?

Fact is we had 2 good/great tackles in Stinchcomb and Jammal Brown and a good guard in Nesbit(also had Holland who was decent) when Payton got here and we lucked into Evans being so good and signed Faine.

We've been trying to find another LT since we traded J. Brown and another C since Goodwin left(after Faine left).

We had Bushrod at LT(who was decent) and drafted Charlie Brown to replace him but he was a bust. We finally hit on Armstead.

At RT we went from Stinchcomb to Strief.

At C we drafted Tennant but he was so bad we had to bring in Kreutz, who was so bad a journeyman player beat him out. Payton obviously saw last year that he wasn't cutting it and let him go.

At RG we still have Evans from when Payton started here and at LG we went from Nesbit(who was good) to Nicks to Grubbs.

So it's not like we just plug and play these guys. We get them in and develop the ones we can and release the ones we can't(and there has been quite a few).

Edit:
And you have to remember we've been tight on the cap so we couldn't go get a LT or afford to keep a mediocre at the price Bushrod got. We've been having the same problem at C since we let Goodwin go after SF overpaid for him.

This post was edited on 5/16/14 at 6:13 pm

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