To be clear, I'm not arguing anyone will be a bust. I was just offering an alternative point to the poster I quoted.
michaelm said:
Is the level of improvement from Bush to DD likely to be more or less than the level of improvement from a 1st round LT to an second round LT or a 1st round LT to Pitts?
I mean team wide impact. I have to admit that if we were able to find that franchise LT, he would most likely have a longer contribution to the team.
Well, I think it depends on the coaching staff. If we get Kubiak in here with a good offensive line coach, there's a possibility they can patch together much better line play than what we've seen to this point in franchise history. If that is the case, then Bush will be able to make plays and will have more immediate impact. However, the ceiling for this group of linemen, in terms of production, is still going to be much lower than that of playoff-caliber teams. Most teams of that caliber have a solid left tackle upon which to build. You never hear anything about those players, but they are responsible for Manning, Palmer, Hasselbeck, Bulger, etc. At some point, this team is going to have to get a stud left tackle. I like Pitts and I entertain the thought of him emerging as that stud, especially for the price we paid. However, I don't realistically think that's going to happen and even if I did, I don't think it's a good idea to plan on it. A rookie left tackle will take a year or two or maybe even three to develop into that franchise left tackle we need. That is the argument so many are using to oppose a 1st-round tackle selection. Two or three years from now, it will still be some variant of that argument, I'm sure. The other argument people are using is this is supposed to be the year of the offensive lineman. Well, if that's the case, then just like in the year of the running back last year, multiple left tackles will be taken in the first round. And I'm not talking about pick #32, either. The tackles that are leftover in the second round will likely grade out as second round picks. That will be why they fell (if any do). Of course, we might find our answer at tackle in Round Two, you never know. The odds are stacked against us doing so, however. So if you're a believer in playing the odds, you can't feel all warm and fuzzy about a tackle drafted at 33. Hopeful, to be sure, but not warm and fuzzy.
I firmly believe a stud left tackle will do more for the long-term prospects of this franchise than Reggie Bush will. I like Reggie Bush and I expect he'll have a productive career in the NFL. But so will Domanick Davis, Adrian Peterson, Laurence Moroney, LenDale White, or any number of backs who will come out within the next few years when we have a stud LT anchoring a much-improved line and no longer have the #1 pick overall or the necessity of that pick.
