Rivers Talk

[Steve]

Yikes. This goes back to my beef on oline matters. Is our coaching up tpo snuff?

That is a really good question.

He had exactly the same kind of issues that Feeney had, he goes to another team at the end of PS. I didn't see him play in the middle of the season, but towards the end of the year saw a couple of Giants games and he didn't look like the same player.

It may not be coaching. It may be just young players taking time to improve their weaknesses and that it just takes time. But if it happens again then you have to think it is a trend.

[Fleet]

That is a really good question.

He had exactly the same kind of issues that Feeney had, he goes to another team at the end of PS. I didn't see him play in the middle of the season, but towards the end of the year saw a couple of Giants games and he didn't look like the same player.

It may not be coaching. It may be just young players taking time to improve their weaknesses and that it just takes time. But if it happens again then you have to think it is a trend.

Fluker was just re-signed by Seattle. PFF said he had a career year in Seattle. Allowing 9 pressures in 10 games. In fact PFF floated the idea of us bringing him back this offseason. I guess my point is that even Fluker has become better after leaving the Bolts. I have often questioned our ability to develop OL. Its a concern for me.


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[Steve]

Fluker was just re-signed by Seattle. PFF said he had a career year in Seattle. Allowing 9 pressures in 10 games. In fact PFF floated the idea of us bringing him back this offseason. I guess my point is that even Fluker has become better after leaving the Bolts. I have often questioned our ability to develop OL. Its a concern for me.


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Remember though, Fluker may be doing well now, but he struggled some in NY and even Seattle before finally settling in. So, it was not like he was this immediate success after leaving the Chargers.

If you look at DJ contract with Seattle, he is not exactly having money thrown at him. He is only getting a 2 year, $6 mill deal, and only $1 mill of that is bonus. They can cut him any time they want.

Since Meyer was hired as our OL coach, our players on the backside have simply struggled with stunts, games and blitzes of any sort. There are some technique issues there, but the recognition thing is pretty evident. So, is it the player or is it the coaching. Pulley seemed like he was simply horrible in that regard, that he couldn't find even the most obvious blitzer who telegraphed things. But then he goes to NY and seems fine. Pouncey, who is not the best pass blocking C in the world, but I have never seen struggling with who to block, suddenly seems to struggle somewhat with identifying who to block, although that may be communications issues with Feeney. It may be the players, and not the coaching. However, it is really Meyer's job to figure out how to get through to the players, and help them overcome the issues they are having. If things don't improve this season, it is time to start looking for a different line coach.

[Fleet]

Remember though, Fluker may be doing well now, but he struggled some in NY and even Seattle before finally settling in. So, it was not like he was this immediate success after leaving the Chargers.

If you look at DJ contract with Seattle, he is not exactly having money thrown at him. He is only getting a 2 year, $6 mill deal, and only $1 mill of that is bonus. They can cut him any time they want.

Since Meyer was hired as our OL coach, our players on the backside have simply struggled with stunts, games and blitzes of any sort. There are some technique issues there, but the recognition thing is pretty evident. So, is it the player or is it the coaching. Pulley seemed like he was simply horrible in that regard, that he couldn't find even the most obvious blitzer who telegraphed things. But then he goes to NY and seems fine. Pouncey, who is not the best pass blocking C in the world, but I have never seen struggling with who to block, suddenly seems to struggle somewhat with identifying who to block, although that may be communications issues with Feeney. It may be the players, and not the coaching. However, it is really Meyer's job to figure out how to get through to the players, and help them overcome the issues they are having. If things don't improve this season, it is time to start looking for a different line coach.

Its hard to pinpoint thats for sure. I sure do miss that interior of Dielman, Hardwick and Goff.

I just want the line to represent the amount of effort we have put into it. High draft picks. Lots of money. Its shouldn't be our weakness seemingly every year. We looked pretty solid for 3/4 of the season last year. Maybe we just burned out? Im guessing Lamp could be in play for Feeneys spot and Sco remains at RG? And maybe Pipkins shows so good in camp that he actually kicks Tevi to Swing?

[blueman]

Its hard to pinpoint thats for sure. I sure do miss that interior of Dielman, Hardwick and Goff.

I just want the line to represent the amount of effort we have put into it. High draft picks. Lots of money. Its shouldn't be our weakness seemingly every year. We looked pretty solid for 3/4 of the season last year. Maybe we just burned out? Im guessing Lamp could be in play for Feeneys spot and Sco remains at RG? And maybe Pipkins shows so good in camp that he actually kicks Tevi to Swing?

Solid thoughts.

[richpjr]

Remember though, Fluker may be doing well now, but he struggled some in NY and even Seattle before finally settling in. So, it was not like he was this immediate success after leaving the Chargers.

If you look at DJ contract with Seattle, he is not exactly having money thrown at him. He is only getting a 2 year, $6 mill deal, and only $1 mill of that is bonus. They can cut him any time they want.

Since Meyer was hired as our OL coach, our players on the backside have simply struggled with stunts, games and blitzes of any sort. There are some technique issues there, but the recognition thing is pretty evident. So, is it the player or is it the coaching. Pulley seemed like he was simply horrible in that regard, that he couldn't find even the most obvious blitzer who telegraphed things. But then he goes to NY and seems fine. Pouncey, who is not the best pass blocking C in the world, but I have never seen struggling with who to block, suddenly seems to struggle somewhat with identifying who to block, although that may be communications issues with Feeney. It may be the players, and not the coaching. However, it is really Meyer's job to figure out how to get through to the players, and help them overcome the issues they are having. If things don't improve this season, it is time to start looking for a different line coach.

I'm not convinced Lynn will replace him, not matter what happens. You only need to look at Stewart somehow still having a job to see that he is stubbornly loyal to his coaches.

[Steve]

Think about the Stewart thing though Rich.

As dreadfully bad as the ST has been at times, until the Pats meltdown, the ST was actually quite good the last half of the season. I am also somewhat more into giving a coach like Stewart some slack, just because he was a pretty successful as a ST coach back in the day. He coached Lynn on ST when Lynn was a player. Still, even he was nearing the end of the line if things didn't shape up last year.

The Meyer thing is a bit different. He has been a strength and conditioning coach most of his career. he has worked as an OL coach on and off, and many strength coaches have that background.

It is not just the performance of the OL that worries me. I saw an interview with Schofield last year during OTA's. he mentioned that Meyer uses some different techniques and that he was interested in seeing them being put in, since he had missed that time the previous year (Schofield was claimed during the regular season). Some people like the idea of new and different ideas in coaching, but most of that is bullshit. For the most part, there is really nothing new in coaching. It's all been done before. But if he is screwing around, maybe that is the problem. His own blocking rules, his own teaching tech.... his own blocking techniques.... In the end, it has to work better than it has been.

There have been successful OL in the past that did not have elite talent. It really takes a bunch of tough guys who work well together, have really good technique and then just work on things together over and over again.

[Steve]

Its hard to pinpoint thats for sure. I sure do miss that interior of Dielman, Hardwick and Goff.

I just want the line to represent the amount of effort we have put into it. High draft picks. Lots of money. Its shouldn't be our weakness seemingly every year. We looked pretty solid for 3/4 of the season last year. Maybe we just burned out? Im guessing Lamp could be in play for Feeneys spot and Sco remains at RG? And maybe Pipkins shows so good in camp that he actually kicks Tevi to Swing?

Or maybe Tevi to OG, Lamp to OG, Pipkins to OT, Schofield at swing

Again, let TC play out and see.

[Formula 21]

I see other teams go from bad offensive lines to good offensive lines in one year. It just never happens with the Bolts. It seems like we are doomed to mediocrity there.

[Fleet]

Or maybe Tevi to OG, Lamp to OG, Pipkins to OT, Schofield at swing

Again, let TC play out and see.

Interesting. Ive been a draft guy for years. Not so much this year as i was really busy. But that 3rd year of development is a really well known meter for a reason. It truly is the most pivotal point in a players development. Ive just seen too many players in the league break out in year 3. So its entirely possible that this will be the year that we really see Tevi and Feeney break out. Possibly Lamp even though i may actually give him an extra year due to missing so much time.

Im pretty excited to see where the pieces of the puzzle fall in camp. That will easily be the most watched storyline.

[powderblueboy]

That is a really good question.

He had exactly the same kind of issues that Feeney had, he goes to another team at the end of PS. I didn't see him play in the middle of the season, but towards the end of the year saw a couple of Giants games and he didn't look like the same player.

It may not be coaching. It may be just young players taking time to improve their weaknesses and that it just takes time. But if it happens again then you have to think it is a trend.

Why did they give up on Pulley as a backup? They preferred a career practice squad guy in Toner. It never made sense - Pulley being young, unless there were personal issues.

[wu-dai clan]

Why did they give up on Pulley as a backup? They preferred a career practice squad guy in Toner. It never made sense - Pulley being young, unless there were personal issues.

I remember it the same way Steve does pbb. Pulley could not pu stunts. We cannot have that for PR.