One Big Fact about our O-Line

[Dee Dub]

Re: One Big Fact about our O-Line

SKL, I dont agree with you. I think because of Gilbert's feet I think he can help in the long term. He needs to get stronger for run blocking but I think in pass protection at the very worst will do as well as Colon. And he has the ability to do even better. He is a second round pick..that means he needs some time to develop. He also needs some time out the with the first unit to get the much desired cohesiveness. What can be expected of a second round O-lineman who didn't have OTA's and a reduced camp who is now being thrown to the wolves? Give the guy a chance. And show some confidence in your scouting department and coaching staff. They saw enough in his senior year to draft in the second round. I'll go with that.

You can forget the Joe Staley's of the world. The Steelers will be $25 million over the cap next season.

As far as Gilbert. I scouted his tape from last 2 seasons. He gets blown away by speed rushers. Sets too deep to compensate putting defenders on top of the QB. He is a "catch blocker" in the passing game meaning he lets the defender dominate the action. His best qualities are he is quick off the snap and does well if he can get on the 2nd level in the run game. I believe the Steelers took him because they panicked when the OL run hit the 2nd round. They could have gotten the same player in Pinkston who i believe was a 4th rounder. As far as the salary cap goes cutting Farrior, Foote, Hoke, BMac, Gay, Essucks, Batch, Battle, Allen, Smith, Moore and Mundy ought to take care of that.

No offense SKL, but I’m gonna go with the Steelers brass/scouting department on this one. From what I have seen (all-be-it brief), of Gilbert he has not looked anything like your scouting report.

Now if he proves to be what you say…I’ll say I was wrong.

[steelerkeylargo]

Re: One Big Fact about our O-Line

[quote=Dee Dub]

SKL, I dont agree with you. I think because of Gilbert's feet I think he can help in the long term. He needs to get stronger for run blocking but I think in pass protection at the very worst will do as well as Colon. And he has the ability to do even better. He is a second round pick..that means he needs some time to develop. He also needs some time out the with the first unit to get the much desired cohesiveness. What can be expected of a second round O-lineman who didn't have OTA's and a reduced camp who is now being thrown to the wolves? Give the guy a chance. And show some confidence in your scouting department and coaching staff. They saw enough in his senior year to draft in the second round. I'll go with that.

You can forget the Joe Staley's of the world. The Steelers will be $25 million over the cap next season.

As far as Gilbert. I scouted his tape from last 2 seasons. He gets blown away by speed rushers. Sets too deep to compensate putting defenders on top of the QB. He is a "catch blocker" in the passing game meaning he lets the defender dominate the action. His best qualities are he is quick off the snap and does well if he can get on the 2nd level in the run game. I believe the Steelers took him because they panicked when the OL run hit the 2nd round. They could have gotten the same player in Pinkston who i believe was a 4th rounder. As far as the salary cap goes cutting Farrior, Foote, Hoke, BMac, Gay, Essucks, Batch, Battle, Allen, Smith, Moore and Mundy ought to take care of that.

No offense SKL, but I’m gonna go with the Steelers brass/scouting department on this one. From what I have seen (all-be-it brief), of Gilbert he has not looked anything like your scouting report.

Now if he proves to be what you say…I’ll say I was wrong.[/quote:e2dwhmbw]

I will be cheering for you both to prove me wrong!!!

[Chadman]

Re: One Big Fact about our O-Line

Just out of curiosity SKL- you didn't happen to have the same, or similar, scouting report for Max Starks as you do for Gilbert, did you?

[steelerkeylargo]

Re: One Big Fact about our O-Line

Just out of curiosity SKL- you didn't happen to have the same, or similar, scouting report for Max Starks as you do for Gilbert, did you?

I wasn't scouting those days. But I would say they are different Animals. Starks is a Giant of a man that while slow footed possesses a strong punch and the ability to steer his opponents with his long arms. I don't see that from Gilbert.

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: One Big Fact about our O-Line

Starkey: O-line problem? Not so much

By Joe Starkey, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, September 15, 2011


The Steelers' offensive line is in flux again.

What else is new? Based on precedent, I'm convinced this team could win with Ronny Cedeno at left tackle.

Seriously, the Steelers almost won the Super Bowl last season with Jonathan Scott, Doug Legursky and Ramon Foster — three guys nobody wanted — joining Chris Kemoeatu and ancient Flozell Adams in front of their $100 million quarterback.

The Steelers actually won a Super Bowl with fading Justin Hartwig at center and undrafted first-year starter Darnell Stapleton at right guard. So who's to say they can't win with Scott still at left tackle, Legursky at right guard (he replaced Foster) and rookie Marcus Gilbert at right tackle?

Who's to say the perfect storm of recent failed draft picks (Kraig Urbik, Tony Hills) and injuries (Max Starks, Willie Colon) will ruin the season?

I'm not ready to go there.

Neither is the $100 million quarterback, who can make a line look bad by holding the ball but more often makes it look good by performing miracles when nobody blocks. Think of the first play — after a holding penalty — on the Super Bowl-winning drive against Arizona.

"It seems like every year we kind of go through offensive line changes, moving guys around," Ben Roethlisberger said Wednesday. "They've always done a great job of stepping up, next guy stepping in. You have to have 100 percent faith, trust and belief in the next guy. And I have that."

Gilbert is absolutely up to the task physically. His agility belies his 6-foot-6, 320-pound frame, and he didn't look out of place on the left side in preseason matchups against some pretty good pass rushers. It's the mental part of the game that is worrisome with a rookie.

Second-year center Maurkice Pouncey gave his former Florida teammate a glowing recommendation when Steelers brass asked him about Gilbert before the draft.

Not that Pouncey actually made the pick.

"I wish I made all the picks," he joked yesterday. "I would have got (twin brother) Mike here."

At first blush, the Steelers' recent success with low-pedigree lines might seem remarkable. It's really not. Everybody's winning with patchwork lines these days.

Proof: On the past five Super Bowl-winning offensive lines, there were more undrafted starters (five) than first-round picks (two). There were also more guys taken in rounds four and lower (12) than three and higher (eight).

Offensive linemen really do grow on trees.

If you're not drafting a rare stud such as Pouncey or Joe Thomas, then you're choosing from a limitless pool of large humans who can be coached into a system — and Steelers line coach Sean Kugler is among the best in the business.

The way the game has gone — all passing, all the time — you need people to hold their blocks just long enough for the quarterback to release the ball (or, in Roethlisberger's case, to keep the ball and make space for himself).

Every Super Bowl winner since 2005 has passed more than it has run. Makes sense, considering 2005 was the year the NFL made it illegal to bump a receiver after he traveled a mere five yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

That's free money. Everybody's taking it. There were 14 300-yard passers in Week 1. Compare that to, say, 1977, when there were five 300-yard passers the entire season, and you can see where the game has gone.

So go ahead and fret about the state of the Steelers' line. The Steelers won't.

This is business as usual.

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