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Is the OL fixed?

Is the OL fixed?


  • Total voters
    62

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Sounds like a silly question, I know. But I hear rumor some of you thought the OL was fixed this time last year?

I find that hard to believe.

But just to be clear & so we won't be subject to bad memories, we have this simple poll. Yes, or no.

Expound, clarify, or gripe in your response to this thread, but please answer yes or no as of today 4/8/19, is the OL fixed?
 

KA4Texan

Woof!
Contributor's Club
The theist in me prays we have.

What optimism hasnt died off hopes that the added pieces are more than just a lateral move.

The long time Houston FB fan in me says..... "hahaha... yeah riiiiiight... ""fixed""..."
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
Sounds like a silly question, I know. But I hear rumor some of you thought the OL was fixed this time last year?

I find that hard to believe.

But just to be clear & so we won't be subject to bad memories, we have this simple poll. Yes, or no.

Expound, clarify, or gripe in your response to this thread, but please answer yes or no as of today 4/8/19, is the OL fixed?
Who did you hear that rumor from? It certainly wasn't me. I predicted the suckage the last 2 yrs.
 

Number19

Hall of Fame
This coming draft will tell us what the organization thinks about our current makeup. We have 4 selections in the first three rounds. You can expect one OL'man to be picked in either round one or two. Unlikely, but if three of the four are OL'men, then we will know the team is going for a total rebuild. If two are taken, one in the first and one in the third, you can expect the third to be a development player and the the thinking is the existing lineup is adequate. If the second pick is a second, the thinking will be the line needs to see an upgrade in talent.

My thoughts are, on paper, our talent looks adequate and we will build on the chemistry over last season. But most of our talent began as later round picks. I'd like a major rebuild with the talent being top three.
 

Porky

Hall of Fame
I hope the Texans don't draft an offensive line until the 6th when they pick up little known Sister Matilda Doolittle from Little Sisters of the Poor - Senior division. BOB likes her upside and she's versatile.

Slight exaggeration above. I'd just like to be a fly on the wall of this MB and watch heads explode when they don't draft one until the 3rd or even 5th.

Oh and to answer TK...are you ok man? Do you need help? Tap 3 times on the KB if BOB has kidnapped you.
 

maverick512000

Hall of Fame
I hope the Texans don't draft an offensive line until the 6th when they pick up little known Sister Matilda Doolittle from Little Sisters of the Poor - Senior division. BOB likes her upside and she's versatile.

Slight exaggeration above. I'd just like to be a fly on the wall of this MB and watch heads explode when they don't draft one until the 3rd or even 5th.

Oh and to answer TK...are you ok man? Do you need help? Tap 3 times on the KB if BOB has kidnapped you.
That's a stupid exaggeration, everyone knows she's being brought in as a RB because BoB believes the smaller size means that defenses will miss the tackles on her. For the offensive line we're just going to set up the tackling dummies because defenses spend more time tackling them than players so they will automatically try and tackle them and ignore Watson. Get with the program man.
 

disaacks3

Moderator
Staff member
Sounds like a silly question, I know. But I hear rumor some of you thought the OL was fixed this time last year?

I find that hard to believe.

But just to be clear & so we won't be subject to bad memories, we have this simple poll. Yes, or no.

Expound, clarify, or gripe in your response to this thread, but please answer yes or no as of today 4/8/19, is the OL fixed?
I appreciate where you're coming from, but this is the most unified poll I've seen yet. (currently 25-0 for hell no)
 

HaveMercy

Passing Through
Even with meh coaching and good work in the weight room, both Davenport and Rankin should be somewhat better next season. The question then becomes whether they'll be played in positions that best fit their abilities: LT, LG, C, RG, or RT. I still think I'd like to see Mancz at center. If he could play the position at the same level he did when last starting there, that would be a good start. Does anyone know if Mancz has declined? If so, what's the story there?
 

HaveMercy

Passing Through
That's a mighty broad, sweeping statement. Offensive linemen who were properly developed by BOB's regime and Coach Devlin are...hmmm. Well, maybe not that guy, and maybe not this guy...but I'm bound to think of someone, just give me awhile.
Really, though, I'm not meaning to denigrate the players who I think have worked hard, tried hard, and played hard, as much as their abilities would allow. If a guys got slow feet & poor balance, there may only be so much room for improvement unless the coaching and scheme is top-notch. Unfortunately, it looks like their coaches are in over their heads (meaning BOB and Devlin). I am strongly inclined to believe that Mr. Gaine, the GM, can see that. But at this still early stage of his GM journey, he may be wondering just how much latitude he has with Cal. I hope he's working on expanding it.
 

Texecutioner

Hall of Fame
Sounds like a silly question, I know. But I hear rumor some of you thought the OL was fixed this time last year?

I find that hard to believe.

But just to be clear & so we won't be subject to bad memories, we have this simple poll. Yes, or no.

Expound, clarify, or gripe in your response to this thread, but please answer yes or no as of today 4/8/19, is the OL fixed?
This is like asking if the American healthcare system has been fixed. **** no it hasn't.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
So last year, this time, did y'all feel good about the Texans FA foray; Henderson, Kelemente, Fulton?

Did y'all think the OL was fixed?
 

Rich Schmidt

Myopicone
I thought they had enough pieces for the interior, not tackles. I did not see them use Rankin or Mancz right so not sure coach or personnel, seems we have Fulton/Mancz who can upgrade center, Rankin left guard, I have no hope coaches do it though
 

badboy

Hall of Fame
I am going against stream and say yes but as with other positions we can and should get better. On my just posted 32 team first round mock I address two priority positions with players to fill spots we have decent starters at now---IMO. Much depends on if all Oline starters remain healthy and play one spot all season. Even without my proposed trade I see a very good draft that will lead to much better team. Will that translate to wins? Quien sabe?
 

maverick512000

Hall of Fame
I really do think the Texans are in new territory here with trying to fix the Oline because frankly they haven’t had a QB worth protecting for the better part of a decade. Always seemed to me the plan has been to win it with the defense but, while our defense has been good, to do that you have to have the steel curtain type defense that no one gets past. It’s why it’s so rare. Even when we might have been close to that when Watt was in his prime the offense has to manage the game long enough to run down the clock and let the D rest.

Long story short the Oline isn’t fixed because up till now they’ve never tried to fix the Oline and now they don’t know how. I’m hoping Gaines is good enough at drafting to make up for it.
 

infantrycak

Hall of Fame
Totally incorrect narrative prior to OB. Kubiak always had a priority on OL. Out of the box tried to get bookend tackles with 3.65 & 3.66. Might have used 2.33 but they were shocked DeMeco fell to them. When things weren't coming along fast enough they got the best ZBS coach in the NFL. Spent a 1st on the 7th OT because he was built for the system. OLmen went from 6th round backups to probowlers.

The commitment went beyond the OL. Even with a sloth footed QB they moved the pocket. TEs protected the QB not by being sh!tty blockers but by being wide the fu@k open safety valves. Run oriented such that even with the league's leading rusher they spent a 2nd on a RB.

OB has spent more and achieved less. None of it is cohesive. Flexible mediocrity over honed excellence or square pegs in round holes. And the horizon is not bright. NOW we get a "blocking TE." They didn't see that need last season when he was also available? FFS if they aren't going to run a route stick an OT out there.

Now we are going to see if they have put themselves in such dire straits they draft out of desperation. Can someone explain why Ryan Griffin is still on the team?
 

maverick512000

Hall of Fame
Totally incorrect narrative prior to OB. Kubiak always had a priority on OL. Out of the box tried to get bookend tackles with 3.65 & 3.66. Might have used 2.33 but they were shocked DeMeco fell to them. When things weren't coming along fast enough they got the best ZBS coach in the NFL. Spent a 1st on the 7th OT because he was built for the system. OLmen went from 6th round backups to probowlers.

The commitment went beyond the OL. Even with a sloth footed QB they moved the pocket. TEs protected the QB not by being sh!tty blockers but by being wide the fu@k open safety valves. Run oriented such that even with the league's leading rusher they spent a 2nd on a RB.

OB has spent more and achieved less. None of it is cohesive. Flexible mediocrity over honed excellence or square pegs in round holes. And the horizon is not bright. NOW we get a "blocking TE." They didn't see that need last season when he was also available? FFS if they aren't going to run a route stick an OT out there.

Now we are going to see if they have put themselves in such dire straits they draft out of desperation. Can someone explain why Ryan Griffin is still on the team?
Note I said "better part of the decade" BoB has been there better part of a decade at this point and since he has been there we haven't had a QB worth a damn except Watson and yes I believe the QBs we have had were BoBs pick. I think he bought his own hype about being a QB guru and thought that he could turn just about anyone into an elite QB. When they didn't work out Texans seemed to switch to lets win it with defense, whether that was a Smith call, a McNair call or a BoB call or all three is up for debate but we seemed to have invested more high picks overall in the defense.

This is my tin hat theory but I find it telling that the time Smith seemed to have gone rogue and drafted the QB he wanted that looked nothing like the kind of QBs BoB likes it did away with the classic excuse of "how can he hope to win when he has such bad QBs". Everyone talks about how bad at drafting Smith was, and there is valid argument, but again I wonder how much of that was Smith drafting and how much was the "joint decision". There are a lot of things I think BoB actually is good at as a coach, talent evaluation is not one.
 

Big Lou

Hall of Fame
I hope the Texans don't draft an offensive line until the 6th when they pick up little known Sister Matilda Doolittle from Little Sisters of the Poor - Senior division. BOB likes her upside and she's versatile.

Slight exaggeration above. I'd just like to be a fly on the wall of this MB and watch heads explode when they don't draft one until the 3rd or even 5th.

Oh and to answer TK...are you ok man? Do you need help? Tap 3 times on the KB if BOB has kidnapped you.
$20 says we take a CB in the first.
 

Toro Bravo

Rookie
I don't see that we have done anything to improve the OL.

IMO, we need a new stud OL coach in addition to better players.
 

H_Town_Gaucho

Waterboy
Of course it's been fixed, what do you think the Texans are, a "B" team who runs up the middle on first down and then calls a passing play? No way, not gonna happen..
 

banned1976

sleeper mode
$20 says we take a CB in the first.
If the BPA is a CB and the best offensive lineman available carries a unanimous late 2nd round grade (or later) I won’t have a problem with them taking the CB. There’s a good argument to be made the secondary is in as bad of shape as the o-line.

One question I have is how many people thought the Texans could solve all their problems on the o-line in a draft in which they didn’t pick until the 3rd round and a weak free agency?

Maybe the correct path forward would have been not trading up for Watson and building the line first. Then hoping they lucked into the next Tom Brady, or sucked bad enough long enough to draft the next “sure thing” QB. Of course the Texans secondary would still get torched until that gets corrected.
 

rickyb

Scarlet is hot.
Is LT really the problem? I'm genuinely unsure. Davenport started 15 games, 12 at LT, 3 at RT. Over the 12 games at LT, he surrendered 6 sacks. At RT, he was a turnstile. Discuss.

Mancz slayed at C before Martin arrived. Martin has struggled. Should Martin slide to RG? Should we draft best OT available in Round 2 (Tytus) and focus on CB in Round 1? (I'm seeing a lot of high caliber CBs at 23, not so much in the second.)

This draft is deep at S. We can snag a Amani Hooker or Will Harris later.

Th answer to the OP question is NO, though I don't want to immediately clamour for an LT.
 

badboy

Hall of Fame
If the BPA is a CB and the best offensive lineman available carries a unanimous late 2nd round grade (or later) I won’t have a problem with them taking the CB. There’s a good argument to be made the secondary is in as bad of shape as the o-line.

One question I have is how many people thought the Texans could solve all their problems on the o-line in a draft in which they didn’t pick until the 3rd round and a weak free agency?

Maybe the correct path forward would have been not trading up for Watson and building the line first. Then hoping they lucked into the next Tom Brady, or sucked bad enough long enough to draft the next “sure thing” QB. Of course the Texans secondary would still get torched until that gets corrected.
I think Roby and Joseph are better at their positions than any of our OTs. Robey is a man corner with speed which we haven't had ever IIRC which will be interesting if healthy. Greedy and maybe Byron Murphy can be franchise type players with possibly both being there. Julian Love at 55 is a J Joseph type guy with long future that is more of a glue guy than Joseph. Clifton Duck poss an UDFA plays a lot like Love..3 of those 4 would be sweet and attainable.
 
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