New OL Scenarios

[bdiddy]

I want to sign Nalen to a 2 year deal w/ a club option for a 3rd year. He will be much more affordable than Bentley. Possibly go after Lepsis, but he will cost BIG dollars, and Bentley would probably be a better value.

If we sign Nalen this would be the lineup:

Pitts - McKinney - Nalen - Weigart - 2nd Round Pick


If we sign Nalen and Lepsis (unlikely):

Lepsis - Pitts - Nalen - Weigart - 2nd Round Pick

McKinney would be cut.

If would some how could sign Nalen and Bentley, the Texans would immediately cut McKinney (he is making too much money to be the fourth best lineman).

Pitts - Bentley - Nalen - Weigart - 2nd Round Pick

This last scenario is possible if we can convince Bentley and Nalen to come to Houston. We have a lot of money tied up in the OL, but cutting McKinney would take care of Nalen's salary.

 

[TexanBacker93]

I'm not sure if McKinney is currently the 4th best lineman anyways. He makes too much if he were the best lineman on the roster. Just under $5 million for an interior lineman is absurd. Still, at guard he can be good and hopefully the team can convince him to renegotiate his contract.

 

[nunusguy]

The current Denver Broncos OL has a first rounder at RT, but nobody else was taken on the first day of the Draft and the guy at the all important LT slot was an undrafted FA coming out of college.

 

[rittenhouserobz]

I suppose a LT for the Broncos is not your "protoypical" LT. Maybe the OL for the Broncos requires a different kind of talent at the position. This could be the reason the LT is undrafted.

 

[infantrycak]

None of your scenarios have Wade involved which seems like a stretch both because of the money involved and because his performance in Miami was signficantly better than here. Gibbs or a good OL coach IMO will get him back up to his potential. If you are going to disregard Wade and you have some other solution for LT like Lepsis, then IMO Pitts should move over to RT instead of back to LG.

 

[Runner]

None of your scenarios have Wade involved which seems like a stretch both because of the money involved and because his performance in Miami was signficantly better than here. Gibbs or a good OL coach IMO will get him back up to his potential. If you are going to disregard Wade and you have some other solution for LT like Lepsis, then IMO Pitts should move over to RT instead of back to LG.

I think our 5 guard o-line at the end of the season has clouded some perspectives of our current tackles.

 

[edo783]

ASSUMING we have a ligit answer at LT, then IMO, Pitts is our future RT and probably a darn good one. Nalen is/was a real good center, but at 35(?) years old, I wouldn't put the cash on him. Pay through the nose and get Bently who at 26(?) has been a prow Bowl guy 3 times in 4 years. Once as a gaurd and twice as a center. That's the sort of quality you want in the middle of the line. McKinny, who sucks as a center, is actually an above average LG.

 

[cadahnic]

McKinney will be restructured or cut loose and large birds are telling me that Mangold is very high on our list and seen as a G at 297 he fits the scheme. Bentley is a major need and the organization is actively watching his situation. Mind you if he gets free then we are in a battle and need to strike hard and quick with a 6yr-25-28M contract. That means by the time the guy hits 30 he will be restructured or let go. Pitts is a RT and it is sad that we did not have him there the whole time, the guy only played Tackle in college. Either way I think our line will be a good deal better, because of the since of accountability that will be put on guys this year and in the future. I dont think Kubes will come in and be a miracle worker, but I do think his fresh ideas will help this team grow. I dont expect a completely Denver clone out of us, because Kubiak has alot of his own ideas that he will implement. It will be an interesting offseason.

 

[The Preacher]

I think you have to take into account when analyzing Denver's o-line is that yes, they are good run blockers (sound familiar) but not the greatest pass blockers. This weakness was their downfall Sunday as they simply ran into a trainwreck against a good blitzing Steeler team. They have a strong defense which allows them to run all day and that helped Plummer just wisely use play action all year. You saw when they had to play catch up what happened. NO TIME. This is what worries me about Kubiak is he'll see some good run blockers and think the line isn't really that bad. And it probaly wouldn't be if we had Denver's defense. Or at least appear that way because they could concentrate on run blocking and on the occasional play action or rollout have an easier time knowing they aren't likely to get bull rushed. If this seems farfetched see Atlanta's o-line (same deal-same o-line guy.) This isn't meant to knock the coaching because they obviously know how to run block well but considering that the run game wasn't our real problem then I am afraid we are going to be in another world of pain next year. If they think they are going to be fine because of the new coaches, go ahead and get playmakers and 4th and 6th round o-line guys because that's what Denver did, it will get ugly AGAIN.

 

[cadahnic]

I think honestly believe that we will address the offensive line in 2 of our 4 top picks and then again on the second day. Regardless of FA or playmakers. Honestly in the trade down scenario that I like we get a monster defender in Mario Williams and then package a deal to move back into the low first and get Eric Winston. In the second we could take whichever top interior linemen fell or another defensive playmaker. In the 3rd we have all types of options. Then on the second day is when Cass's input really starts to shine. I agree with you on the zone scheme and pass blocking, when you have undersized guy in the middle you get the Casey Hampton's of the league consistently collapsing the pocket. I think Kubiak will learn from that though and adjust. He likes the monter Jean-Gilles who really does not fit in the system, but he likes him from he can hold up against the monster tackles that most teams are looking for now. Preach I would say trust in the staff to solidify the interor line and get a high end tackle in the draft that will hold it down on the Left or right side. Seems like we shouldnt have traded that second rounder to the Raiders, we would be looking at Khalif Barnes and Pitts as the bookends then we could truly focus on other areas of our weak team.

 

[TheOgre]

The current Denver Broncos OL has a first rounder at RT, but nobody else was taken on the first day of the Draft and the guy at the all important LT slot was an undrafted FA coming out of college.

...and was owned by Joey Porter on Sunday. The current Broncos line is great at run blocking, but I am not convinced they are great at pass blocking. You know where the O-line and front seven really show up? The playoffs. Look no further than Pittsburgh vs. Indy and Denver. Pittsburgh clearly dominated both lines. We need to invest more in those two areas if we want to do something in the playoffs when we finally get there.

 

[HardKnockTexan]

I think you have to take into account when analyzing Denver's o-line is that yes, they are good run blockers (sound familiar) but not the greatest pass blockers. This weakness was their downfall Sunday as they simply ran into a trainwreck against a good blitzing Steeler team. They have a strong defense which allows them to run all day and that helped Plummer just wisely use play action all year. You saw when they had to play catch up what happened. NO TIME. This is what worries me about Kubiak is he'll see some good run blockers and think the line isn't really that bad. And it probaly wouldn't be if we had Denver's defense. Or at least appear that way because they could concentrate on run blocking and on the occasional play action or rollout have an easier time knowing they aren't likely to get bull rushed. If this seems farfetched see Atlanta's o-line (same deal-same o-line guy.) This isn't meant to knock the coaching because they obviously know how to run block well but considering that the run game wasn't our real problem then I am afraid we are going to be in another world of pain next year. If they think they are going to be fine because of the new coaches, go ahead and get playmakers and 4th and 6th round o-line guys because that's what Denver did, it will get ugly AGAIN.

Denvers offensive line is one of the better units in the NFL. They gave up 23 sacks all season. Pittsburg's defense has been playing like one of the best D's to take the field in recent history. When Pitt played the Colts they destroyed Manning and the Colts had the best OL, atleast statistically, in the NFL, giving up only 20 sacks all year. The Texans on the other hand gave up a staggering 68 sacks. Denver's O Line has never resembled our's, or vice versa. I'm really looking foward to seeing how Kubiac handles our offensive line situation.