Combine Press Conference

[tsylvester]

49 minutes ago, papasmurfbell said:

No ot?  No te?  Not a 2nd big body up front?  

In the first 3 rounds? Nope, I know, Stanley is aging faster than a cheap paper towels that is wet. I also know, that Rose took a step back last season, thus needing a tackle or two.

But frankly, a center, guard, phatty and corner are the top needs and it is important to get them this year, this draft is deep at those positions, save center, and with 11 picks, they need to use them to get specific players, not "best player available"

[papasmurfbell]

So as I said before we have to many holes to plug in a single season.  So another yr that is washed.  It would be better to just rebuild.

[tsylvester]

You are assuming that the players drafted don't work out, that the new coaches are worthless, and don't turn around the line nor the defense...

I chose to think the opposite

[papasmurfbell]

I think some will work out fine.  I’m just of the mind a 6th isn’t plugging in at lt when Stanley goes down and holds his own.  Same at dt or te.  

[oldno82]

I think Rosengarten can be salvaged by improved coaching. We all know our line coach last year was a minus. This year they have a respected O-line coach who ought to be able to get Rosey back on track. We all thought Stanley was going to go down with an injury but it never happened. That doesn't mean it can't happen this year but we just might squeeze one more year out of him. Maybe we draft an OT with the 3rd pick...we've done that with success before. OG is a problem area. Again, though, 2 years ago Vorhees played pretty well before he crapped out under a different coach. Maybe he's salvageable too.

A stud DT is a must. A C is a must, a G to play opposite Vorhees is a must (he might already be on the roster). Some of our needs can still be plugged with a FA...there are some O-linemen still unsigned. We won't solve the TE spot this year. CB is a problem that might not be solved this year.

Some of these holes might also be filled with trades. EDC will have to prove his worth here but with 11 picks there should be a couple of opportunities.

We'll have to see what happens. Right now I'm not sold on anything. We'll see how much better our team will be this year by OTA's. A good draft, a successful trade, and a couple more free agents for the O-line should help.

[tsylvester]

32 minutes ago, papasmurfbell said:

I think some will work out fine.  I’m just of the mind a 6th isn’t plugging in at lt when Stanley goes down and holds his own.  Same at dt or te.  

Hey, I am just spit balling what I would do were I in charge. I know this team needs a back up tackle, and a receiving tight end to go along with what I mentioned.

But this draft, as we talked about before Harbs was fired, is perhaps their most important because of all of the free agents and bad picks other years.

Now with a new coach, even more so. You are not going to pick 11 players who all turn out good. So hedge the bets, use them to identify 4 players you want, and trade picks to get those players.

Hey, it may not work out, may not get a team to trade, player may go way too early. In those cases, then go bpa, where you will likely get your back up tackle, your tight end. Likely was a 4th rounder, so ....

[papasmurfbell]

1 hour ago, oldno82 said:

I think Rosengarten can be salvaged by improved coaching. We all know our line coach last year was a minus. This year they have a respected O-line coach who ought to be able to get Rosey back on track. We all thought Stanley was going to go down with an injury but it never happened. That doesn't mean it can't happen this year but we just might squeeze one more year out of him. Maybe we draft an OT with the 3rd pick...we've done that with success before. OG is a problem area. Again, though, 2 years ago Vorhees played pretty well before he crapped out under a different coach. Maybe he's salvageable too.

A stud DT is a must. A C is a must, a G to play opposite Vorhees is a must (he might already be on the roster). Some of our needs can still be plugged with a FA...there are some O-linemen still unsigned. We won't solve the TE spot this year. CB is a problem that might not be solved this year.

Some of these holes might also be filled with trades. EDC will have to prove his worth here but with 11 picks there should be a couple of opportunities.

We'll have to see what happens. Right now I'm not sold on anything. We'll see how much better our team will be this year by OTA's. A good draft, a successful trade, and a couple more free agents for the O-line should help.

Stanley survived last yr but he struggled planting his foot and holding the spot.  That ankle is a mess.

[oldno82]

4 hours ago, tsylvester said:

Now with a new coach, even more so. You are not going to pick 11 players who all turn out good. So hedge the bets, use them to identify 4 players you want, and trade picks to get those players.

That's what I'm driving at.

[tsylvester]

Zeitler is still available I believe, wonder if they will bring him back?

Right now, Stanley at left tackle, open comp for left guard, Jones, Bullock, Vorhees, center open, Simpson  at right guard, Rose at right tackle..

Take a punter in what, the 5th? Thorton, Eckley?

 

[oldno82]

Maybe Stonehouse from Syracuse? Ferguson-Reynolds from BYU averaged 49.7 yards per punt but that doesn't tell me anything about hang time. Thorton was named the best in the SEC. Eckley was a freshman, if that matters.

[tsylvester]

Well, you know I'm partial to Thorton, bulldog boy & all. Big leg, his average is only not that great because the offense gave him shorter fields to work with. He can boom it, with hang time

[oldno82]

The fact that they let Fouts walk took me by surprise. Ya think it just slipped through the cracks during the Crosby mess? I think overall he had a better year than our place kicker. Of course Loop was in his first year and not an UFA.

If you think Thorton is good, that's good enough for me since your recommendation of Monken was borne out.

[papasmurfbell]

33 minutes ago, oldno82 said:

The fact that they let Fouts walk took me by surprise. Ya think it just slipped through the cracks during the Crosby mess? I think overall he had a better year than our place kicker. Of course Loop was in his first year and not an UFA.

If you think Thorton is good, that's good enough for me since your recommendation of Monken was borne out.

One guy took his eye off the ball.

[tsylvester]

1 hour ago, oldno82 said:

The fact that they let Fouts walk took me by surprise. Ya think it just slipped through the cracks during the Crosby mess? I think overall he had a better year than our place kicker. Of course Loop was in his first year and not an UFA.

If you think Thorton is good, that's good enough for me since your recommendation of Monken was borne out.

Stout was let go because of money and, frankly he was too inconsistent. There were too many times the team was pinned down at or inside their own 20 and needed him to flip the field only for him to shank one, only get off a 40 yarder or worse, kill one but with no hang time, causing the return team to have no chance

[oldno82]

So far as bringing Zeitler back, does he still have any gas left in the tank? The guy is 36 years old. I think I'd rather go with either a younger guy or draft somebody.

 

"NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah noted that teams looking for starting-caliber interior offensive linemen won't necessarily have to use a first-round pick to get one.

You can find quality starting interior OL on day 2 in this draft. Some of my favorites here:
Bisontis (A&M)
Pregnon (OR)
Rutledge (GT)
Dunker (Iowa)
Hecht (K State)
Jones (Iowa)

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) March 15, 2026"

[tsylvester]

They, I feel, will be looking for a power lineman on the interior. The Simpson signing signals that, for me. Too many times they have been over powered on the interior, allowing pressure right up the middle, a killer for any qb

[oldno82]

Plus a power lineman should help the running game as well up the middle.

I think it's drawback is on defending against quicker, mobile D=linemen on stunts and running to the outside.

[tsylvester]

That is mostly on coaching and skill, more so than on talent. When stunts happen, some coaches teach to hand the defender off, block an area. Others say, stay with him and wash him down.

Proper foot technique and hand placement help and are far more critical than power & quickness. 

This is where I think the line last year, fell down. The big fella never could get his feet nor hand placement right. He almost always looked lost on stunts, unsure who to block. I remember one play he actually chased the defender around Lindy,  

Vorhees and Lindy also struggled at times with this. One time they would hand the defender off, but one of them would not pick up the block.

Middle blitzes were the worst, Lindy would have no one to block so he would help out one of the guards. Then the middle backer would blitz; every pass play. Lindy was always late in seeing it and never, ready through the game thread, never picked up the blitzes. All he had to do was fake a help block, get the backer to blitz and block him.

But no, never, Lamar sacked or forced out to the defensive end, throw the ball away. 

I'm not sure what was worse, Lindy not picking up on this or the coaches not correcting him.

You can teach technique, foot work, hand placement, so a natural power blocker is better.

The big fellas problem was that they built the line to be zone blocking, quick. He was quick but too big for that, teams picked up on it and exploited him.

Another head scratcher, why the coaches left him in, knowing, on film, what we all saw each game.

Same for Lindy, not a power guy, so why would you use power plays against strong defensive line teams? Except to use their power against them, and slide block; pretty easy, if it is taught correctly, which, as we saw, was not. Lindy could slip those power defenders, get them off balance, but not when both guards are blocking a different way.

As you see, it all goes back to the coaching, yard know, how other teams replace 3 offensive linemen in game, and don't give up sacks? Coaching, never saw that here last year, no changes, a line that went garbage after the year before when everything worked..

The Biscuit saw it, knew it, fired Harbs not because of Monken, in my opinion, but because of the line coach and defensive coordinator, whom Harbs refused to change.