Next years Oline

**leachisabeast** · 12-07-2012, 05:36 AM

You will be hard pressed to argue that Oline is not the greatest need of this team. Wouldn't you love to have that Oline from 08-09 back? Remember that time when we could run the ball and the clock so effectively behind a HUGE Oline, and could out physical anybody?

I think that's one of the areas we must get back to, we need to do a better job of pounding the ball, Rice wouldn't have centers getting shoved back into his face when he's trying to cut. Flacco would have time to throw, and hopefully we get a new OC who actually calls some quick times throws.

So first of all I think we invest a first round pick into a tackle. Here are some guys to think about.

Luke Joekel (Texas A&M, 6'6 310 lbs)
Perhaps the best LT prospect in this draft. He has size, strength, the feet, and is a dancing bear. He isn't quite what last years top OT prospect was out of USC, but he's probably going to get picked in the top 10, and will be out of our range.

Jake Matthews (Texas A&M, 6'5, 305 lbs)
Played RT at A&M, but is easily a fit playing LT in the NFL. Both him and Joekel were the driving forces of a great season for A&M in their first season of SEC football. He's a little undersized for my liking to play LT, but he is bigger than Oher and would be an upgrade, likely winning the job in camp and sending Oher back to RT.

Taylor Lewan (Michigan, 6'8, 302 lbs)
Reminds me a lot of Nate Solder, big lanky frame, good in pass pro, and a decent run blocker. Again, I doubt Lewan is going to be on the board past the 15th pick, but you never know. Taylor Lewan is a natural fit on the blind side, and could step in right away for us.

Eric Fisher (Central Michigan, 6'7 305 lbs)
Easily my favorite prospect out of the bunch. He reminds me a lot of Joe Staley. He comes from a small school, so that will hopefully drive his stock down a little. Very athletic, big, and strong. This is the guy I hope we pick.

Oday Aboushi (Virginia, 6'6 310 lbs)
This would be more of a second round projection. Oday has improved his run blocking this year, which was seen as a major weakness until this season. A very decent prospect in pass pro, has excellent feet to play LT at the next level. I'm not sure if he'll be ready to start straight away however, a bit of a raw player with good upside.

With that said, hopefully we go with Eric Fisher, and here is what I hope the offensive line will be for next year if that happens.

Fisher-Reid-Yanda-KO-Oher

That line has great size and athletic ability up front. Yanda has been calling the plays this year, and has the intelligence to play center. I think we can all agree that Birk is done, and Gino is probably not going to be ready to start next year. I think Yanda could be an all pro center straight away, he's that good. KO has star potential at guard, and Reid has shown that he can hold the position down, and has potential to be a decent player there.

Maybe then we will be able to ground and pound more effectively, as well as helping our passing game too.

**Carey** · 12-07-2012, 07:24 AM

Fisher is becoming a favorite of mine as well, definitely a guy i think you will eventually be able to leave on a island. My fear with him as that thru the process he moves up out of our draft range.

**leachisabeast** · 12-07-2012, 07:28 AM

Originally Posted by Carey

Fisher is becoming a favorite of mine as well, definitely a guy i think you will eventually be able to leave on a island. My fear with him as that thru the process he moves up out of our draft range.

Yeah certainly possible given his talent and upside. Remember that draft where we missed out on Joe Staley, the FO looked PISSED.

**Paintballguy** · 12-07-2012, 07:30 AM

I don't think that you move your best offensive linemen to another position. That just seems dumb to me. I would think that they would go with Gradkowski at center next year. Also, I think KO will stay at RT. The biggest issue imo will be figuring out LT. I don't think Oher is the answer there.

**JustaslowZ06** · 12-07-2012, 07:31 AM

Honestly I don't see them moving Oher out of LT. Yanda at C sounds interesting and a maybe, but I'm guessing it will look similar to this year only with Gino instead of Birk. Dump the drunk coach and get a better coach in there and maybe it will be good enough.

**leachisabeast** · 12-07-2012, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by Paintballguy

I don't think that you move your best offensive linemen to another position. That just seems dumb to me. I would think that they would go with Gradkowski at center next year. Also, I think KO will stay at RT. The biggest issue imo will be figuring out LT. I don't think Oher is the answer there.

That's also possible, it all depends on Gino IMO.

LT is certainly a major need though. The thing is, what do you do with Oher if you keep KO at RT and draft a LT?

**leachisabeast** · 12-07-2012, 07:33 AM

Originally Posted by JustaslowZ06

Honestly I don't see them moving Oher out of LT. Yanda at C sounds interesting and a maybe, but I'm guessing it will look similar to this year only with Gino instead of Birk. Dump the drunk coach and get a better coach in there and maybe it will be good enough.

I disagree, I think the FO are done with Oher at LT. I heared reports that Oher is in extension talks for RT money, and Ozzie wants him to be the future RT not LT.

That may mean they see KO as a possible LT next year, they gave him snaps not too long ago at training at LT.

**Paintballguy** · 12-07-2012, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

I disagree, I think the FO are done with Oher at LT. I heared reports that Oher is in extension talks for RT money, and Ozzie wants him to be the future RT not LT.

That may mean they see KO as a possible LT next year, they gave him snaps not too long ago at training at LT.

I could see KO getting a chance at LT if they end up keeping Oher as putting him at RT.

**Corey** · 12-07-2012, 07:47 AM

Honestly, we don't have LT prospect on the roster. Oher's future is at RT. Which means KO is destined to be the LG. Or the other way around. We need an LT and a C.

**wickedsolo** · 12-07-2012, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by Corey

Honestly, we don't have LT prospect on the roster. Oher's future is at RT. Which means KO is destined to be the LG. Or the other way around. We need an LT and a C.

Says who? You? Other posters on this board?

We keep saying this, but not one thing the coaches have done or said has indicated that this is even remotely a possibility.

Oher may never be more than an average LT, but that's ok. I've stated this several times before: We don't NEED elite LT play to win games. We NEED a coordinator who understands the limitations of his players and puts them in position to succeed. Oher didn't look too bad when they were running the sugar huddle, did he? Secondly, it is entirely possible that they may give KO a crack at LT next year. He's got experience there, is very athletic, and unlike Oher, he has the length/size to accompany that athleticism.

Furthermore, if they were planning on KO being a guard, WHY wouldn't they have already done that? It's not like Bobbie Williams, Jah Reid, or Ramon Harewood were standout LG's for the Ravens this year. In fact, the LG position has been pretty bad.

I think that the only way the Ravens go OL in round 1 of next year's draft is if it is a guy they feel can be a guard. Look at guys like Chance Warmack, Jon Cooper, or Barrett Jones.

And by the way, I'm not defending Oher or his play. He's about as average as they come on his best days. What I'm saying is that in the right offensive scheme, you don't need to ask your OT's to block defensive ends for 4,5, or 6 seconds. Another point, which I've asked many posters before and no one really acknowledges, is why people seem to think that if someone fails at LT then they would probably be better off at RT? What about the RT position - in today's NFL - is different than the LT position? Other than the LT position is protecting right-handed QB's blind sides, but QB's are just as vulnerable on the front side as well. In fact, most defenses have more than 1 pass rusher and most defenses move their best pass rusher around. In that line of thinking, the RT needs to be just as capable as a pass blocker and run blocker as the LT. It's not an either/or situation anymore. 20 years ago, it was. This is why we've seen more and more teams drafting guys in round 1 who are projecting as RT's and not LT's. /rant

**wickedsolo** · 12-07-2012, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

I disagree, I think the FO are done with Oher at LT. I heared reports that Oher is in extension talks for RT money, and Ozzie wants him to be the future RT not LT.

That may mean they see KO as a possible LT next year, they gave him snaps not too long ago at training at LT.

Do you have a link for that?

**Ravenalytics** · 12-07-2012, 08:45 AM

All I want for Christmas is Barrett Jones.

Naked. With a bow.

**wickedsolo** · 12-07-2012, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by Ravenalytics

All I want for Christmas is Barrett Jones.

Naked. With a bow.

He'd be a fine pick for the Ravens. Dude can play every position on the OL and play them well.

**runrayrun27** · 12-07-2012, 08:55 AM

I'm a huge Aboushi fan. A buddy I played with in HS plays at UVA and is an 3-4OLB so he goes up against him daily. The guy has the work ethic of a rhino. May be more of a raw guy, but has good size and athletic ability. I'll take a raw guy with a work ethic anyday. If he dropped to the 2nd round and we could pick up someone like Mosely or a good DT/DE I'd say that's the best case scenario in terms of need:value ratio

**wickedsolo** · 12-07-2012, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by runrayrun27

I'm a huge Aboushi fan. A buddy I played with in HS plays at UVA and is an 3-4OLB so he goes up against him daily. The guy has the work ethic of a rhino. May be more of a raw guy, but has good size and athletic ability. I'll take a raw guy with a work ethic anyday. If he dropped to the 2nd round and we could pick up someone like Mosely or a good DT/DE I'd say that's the best case scenario in terms of need:value ratio

Aboushi is definitely an interesting Day-2 prospect.

**BigPlayReceiver** · 12-07-2012, 09:09 AM

I'm still watching video on these guys except for Fischer (not sure any exist in the public domain).
I figure our WCS draft range is 24-26, so hypothetically, Fischer could be available. His skill set is excellent from what I've read, and I always ignore any "small school" talk from the media monkeys.

As far as Yanda at C is concerned, if it strengthens the unit and gives us a 3-man wall somewhere then I am all for it. I did not realize that he was making calls this season...that's very encouraging. When we have the ball, I almost always watch the secondary coverage and LBs pre-snap.

Jah has played okay in both PIT games, barely passing (but positive) vs. OAK, and poorly @ SD. Putting him between Yanda and an LT that should be much better than Oher seems like a good move. We can only hope that he improves as he experiences more live football...he's very much a rookie in that regard.

KO looks like he might be coming around. His negative plays @ SD are memorable, but he had far more unmemorable positive plays that game. Also, if his awful vs. CLE and awful @KC grades were only half a bad, he'd be a top 30 OT instead of the #41 graded overall. With Ryan Kerrigan, Miller, Tuck and Dunlap coming up, we're going to find out exactly where he is. If he swims then you gotta keep him at RT. If he sinks then yup, kick him inside where many of us think he'll eventually excel.

Gino is a wild card that I don't even care to gnash my teeth over right now.

Harewood is also a wild card. His pass pro was awful, but his run blocking is not all that bad (only slight behind CIN's Zeitler who is having a great rookie year overall). Harewood just hasn't played enough football...and despite his intelligence, the guy was lost on pass pro responsibilities. Maybe it will click from him this summer.

There's a not all that unlikely scenario in which Oher--unless he gets kicked inside--is a valuable back-up swing man. On a positive, that's a huge cost avoidance for 2014, and if we can do that as well as establish a better unit then great. Kicking him inside at another position yet again sucks, I know, but it's only an outcome to be considered b/c of the poor job we've done addressing the OL over the last 3 years. The 2009 (mostly) RT Oher was very good--a top 20 player--what a shame to have mishandled the OT position on the heels of that kind of production.

**runrayrun27** · 12-07-2012, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

Aboushi is definitely an interesting Day-2 prospect.

I think his ability to play LT is going to raise his draft stock and he'll probably be early day 2, but I would not consider him a 1st rounder, too raw.

Barrett Jones is an absolute beauty and I would love to have him. With the state of our OL guys who can play multiple positions (i.e Yanda and KO) are wonderful.

However, I hope the defence is addressed early and we wait till the second to look into the OL, but we all know FO takes best guy available which is fine with me as well

**BigPlayReceiver** · 12-07-2012, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by Ravenalytics

All I want for Christmas is Barrett Jones.

Naked. With a bow.

I plan to watch Bama/UGA again over the holidays, but I recall Jones getting OG help quite a bit vs. Jenkins (UGA DT). Am I wrong on that?

If not and if Jones is slotted at C, I would much better prefer a guy who can handle his business solo. Having said that, the UGA game may have been the exception b/c Bama knew that with Jenkins wiped out they could run all day...which of course they did. I admittedly need to watch a lot of video over the holidays.

**BigPlayReceiver** · 12-07-2012, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by Paintballguy

I don't think that you move your best offensive linemen to another position. That just seems dumb to me. I would think that they would go with Gradkowski at center next year. Also, I think KO will stay at RT. The biggest issue imo will be figuring out LT. I don't think Oher is the answer there.

If the coaches think that resultant flexibility of Yanda at C makes a better unit (like gives us a better G-C-G) then they'll do it.

**LukeDaniel** · 12-07-2012, 11:26 AM

Don't be shocked if one out of Joekel or Lewan slides into the late 1st round. Seems to happen quite often in drafts. That's how we got Oher after all...well, wait...nevermind. I don't want that.