The Often Overbearing, But Otherwise Ordinary Offensive Line

[Cearbhall]

5 minutes ago, JDBrocks said:

To say that they aren't addressing the offensive line is just plain not true. Do they have a lot of work to do? Yes. Does that mean it can't or isn't likely to improve at all? No.

 

The team has addressed offensive line but they have not effectively addressed it to solve the problem.

The '18 offensive line is more likely to be worse than the '17 offensive line than show improvement IMO. There is a variety of reasons for that. One of them is the transition from Case Keenum to Kirk Cousins. Cousins hasn't been real good throughout his career with bailing out his offensive line. Another reason is the loss of Berger. Another is the injuries that Elflein and Easton are coming back from.

[swede700]

1 minute ago, Cearbhall said:

The team has addressed offensive line but they have not effectively addressed it to solve the problem.

The '18 offensive line is more likely to be worse than the '17 offensive line than show improvement IMO. There is a variety of reasons for that. One of them is the transition from Case Keenum to Kirk Cousins. Cousins hasn't been real good throughout his career with bailing out his offensive line. Another reason is the loss of Berger. Another is the injuries that Elflein and Easton are coming back from.

1

It will have been 8 months since they suffered their injuries...and offensive linemen don't do any significant contact until training camp anyway, so I'm not sure why the concern.

[JDBrocks]

Just now, Cearbhall said:

The team has addressed offensive line but they have not effectively addressed it to solve the problem.

The '18 offensive line is more likely to be worse than the '17 offensive line than show improvement IMO. There is a variety of reasons for that. One of them is the transition from Case Keenum to Kirk Cousins. Cousins hasn't been real good throughout his career with bailing out his offensive line. Another reason is the loss of Berger. Another is the injuries that Elflein and Easton are coming back from.

Do you solve that problem at the expense of retaining your homegrown, known quantity talent? or at the expense of upgrading the most important position on the team? Bringing in another FA OL at top dollar almost certainly means saying goodbye to one of Barr, Hunter, or Diggs.

Who was it that the Vikings should have signed this year?

[VikeManDan]

11 hours ago, whitehops said:

i'm just asking because i know traditionally the RE/LT were athletic pass rushers/ pass protectors and the LE/RT were more involved in the run game but there are quite a few dominant pass rushers on the left side now. 

I don't have anything to back this up but it seems to be you need athletic tackles at both spots now due to the pass rushers being much more athletic. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, SemperFeist said:

It takes two teams to make a trade, and if it’s was a “generational” round for the IOL (which we also heard said about the 2013 class), then why would a team in need of IOL themeselves pass on an IOL and trade down?

Would you be willing to give up next year’s first?

I would've been...yes.

[SemperFeist]

13 minutes ago, Virginia Viking said:

I would've been...yes.

Until next year, when they don’t have one. Right?

This team is going to have the vast majority of it’s cap space tied up in contract extensions, hopefully. That means that draft assets will be even more important. 

Trading away an asset like a future 1st for a player that you likely were expecting to be available at your pick just doesn’t come across as a good way to manage your assets. 

Edited May 1, 2018 by SemperFeist

[RpMc]

Generational IOL class also would generally mean that "good" talent was pushed down the board at the position - maybe we got that in Gossett

[Krauser]

I watched some of Gossett's tape last night and I have to say I like him a lot more than Isidora. 

He's a really good zone run blocker on the move: 

He's a nasty finisher.

He reminds me a lot of Joe Berger, similar height and build. Some of the scouting reports describe him as "heavy footed" or whatever, but it looks like he moves better than all of the Vikings guards except Easton.

The major downside I see on his tape is that he sometimes gets caught leaning or lunging at the point of attack. If he can play with better balance and coordinate his hands with his feet, he could be a starter. 

Very good pick, would've been happy to land him even in the 4th or 5th round.

 

[SemperFeist]

1 hour ago, Krauser said:

Some of the scouting reports describe him as "heavy footed" or whatever

These were the same scouting reports that said he is best suited for a zone scheme. Which just seems contradictory, IMO.

I found two Appalachian State games on YouTube, against #15 Georgia and Idaho. I can’t say he looks “heavy footed”. 

Gossett looks like the typical prospect that was affected by the school he went to. Can’t help but think that if he went to a bigger program, and everything else was the same, he’d have been drafted a round or two higher. 

Edited May 1, 2018 by SemperFeist

[Klomp]

Spielman sounds excited about Isidora's development. 

I think we shouldn't forget about Josh Andrews, the guy we signed off the Eagles practice squad. Listening to Spielman, he was a target even before we hired DeFilippo. Backup IOL likely.

[Kparty15]

Looking at Colby Gossett’s measureables and results from the combine compared to Alex Cappa’s, Gossett looks like the better prospect.  Cappa can play OT and is an inch taller, but Gossett is heavier with longer arms and bigger hands, and he performed better than Cappa at just about every event.

[SemperFeist]

 

[VikeManDan]

Any interest? I believe some were fans of his last year.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/05/11/report-patriots-cutting-antonio-garcia/

*Assuming he is cleared by Vikes doctors.

Edited May 11, 2018 by VikeManDan
*

[SemperFeist]

I’d pass. If the Patriots, a team with questions along their o-line, have released him, it’s likely the end for him. Which is a shame. 

[Krauser]

If Elflein was healthy, expect Reiff/Easton/Elflein/Compton/Remmers would be the starting 5 right now.

Wonder if O'Neill, Hill, Gossett, Collins or Andrews will get any work with the first team. 

In terms of possible additions to the OL, Richie Incognito was released by the Bills this week. But then he threw a dumbbell at someone and got placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold: https://deadspin.com/report-richie-incognito-placed-on-involuntary-psychiat-1826266134 .

Courtney Cronin on Purple Podcast said this week there was some interest in the Vikings front office in pursuing Incognito, but I can't imagine that continues  given that he's having psychiatric / behavioural problems.