You are my favorite "go to" guy regarding OL matters, Bonifay. Let me riddle you this... Why in the world would all 5 OL starters simultaneously take a step backward in '16? This dilemma is far more than just about GRob. I don't see any way that it's not at least significantly related to coaching. Therefore, new coaching might enable the Rams to dramatically improve their OL play. GRob could be starter at LOT or riding the pine in '17 or somewhere in between.
Here's a review of what I know.....in an attempt to answer your riddle.:santa:I do think its much bigger than GRob.
OG Jamon Brown -Boudreau started JB @ RG in all 4 pre season games. JB did not have a good pre season fact is it was bad. JB appeared not to be fully recovered from the surgery & broken leg from November of 2015. JB & Cody Wichmann rotated in wk#1 & RG . JB was demoted to swing OG position for Wk#2. When Cody was injured JB regained starting RG wk#5 & wk#6. At some point during wk#7 JB broke his hand. JB had surgery to repair a metacarpal fracture in his right hand & was inactive for a month. JB next starting action came @ LG wk#12 & wk#13 for starting LG Saffold. JB is a reserve OG. Has JB's performance regressed? was JB slow to recover from the broken leg his rookie season? Has the coaches decision to flip flop playing side & positions... caused his poor play that lost his starting post? Did the broken hand injury & surgery cause him issues? Its a questionable hard response to say here that JB regressed after his one rookie season where he only finished 8 games as a NFL starter...is it due to coaching.
OG Rodger Saffold started the 2016 season coming off two reconstructive shoulder surgeries & rehabbing events. RS took over the RT starting post very early in OTA's & continued to start @ RT in TC & all of pre season. Opening game Boudreau flipped RS from RT to LG. Saffold looked very light on his feet & played very well in pre season @ RT. RS has not looked as good @ LG as he had @ RT earlier this season. Saffold started wk 12 @ LT for GRob and looked good in the first two series without any mistakes or blocking issues. But RS broke his hand in the 1st quarter & had surgery on 12/1/16. Missed one full game & 3/4 of another. RS return to start @ LG since that event. Hard to judge if RS has regressed this season due to the fact that RS was IR'd for the last two previous seasons while playing OG. So what are we basing this regression on...I thought he looked good @ RT with no regression IMO. Maybe the real fact is Saffold is really much more NFL OT than OG. Tell me how many
good full NFL seasons RS has had @ OG???? NONE would be the correct answer. so what is our bases here to judge this regression on. IMO Saffold is a good NFL OT...not so good NFL OG.
OC Tim Barnes injured his foot on 11/2016 & has been battling through pain ever since & surgery is not out of the question when the season ends. This is TB's 2nd season as starting center. Once again TB has played & started & made line calls with four different starting OG playing next to him. He also has 2 starting OT's who's performance is far below average. Has TB regressed due to coaching or is it because of an ongoing nagging serious injury?
RT Rob Havenstein- We were informed very little about this supposed foot injury of RH when OTA's was on going. We learned he was PUP'd early with a foot injury of some type. We did not see any of RH in TC or most of pre season. But it was uncovered by one reporter & finally confirmed that big Rob broke his big toe very early in OTA's . This of course is a way bigger deal than a "foot issue" as reported by Fisher. RH was the best Ram OL'er in 2015 season where he did not allow a sack & opened gapping holes for Gurley. Playing all season on a
broken toe might cause some little issues in RH play you think. So yes RH has regressed significantly but was it due to coaching? or injury?
OG Cody Wichmann- Started 7 games @ RG in 2015 after spending all of TC & preseason dealing with a two different calf injuries. Boudreau played CW exclusively @ LG in place of Rodger Saffold who was starting @ RT for all of TC & pre season for Havenstein. On the opening season game Boudreau flipped CW back to RG & rotated CW & Jamon Brown at this position. Wk#2 CW started @ RG & played well in the Seattle game which we won. CW continued to start @ RG with the Ram winning the 3 games he was healthy # starting. Wk#5 10/9/16 CW suffered a ankle injury then missed the following week of practice & was not active for the Lions game. CW has not played well since. Fact is after his poor play against the New England wk#13 he was sat down & Andrew Donnal the swing OT was inserted into CW starting post. CW was active wk#14 but was inactive for wk #15. Due to the situation with CW....Reserve RG David Arkin was brought up from the PS in place of CW.
OG/OT Andrew Donnal may have started earlier @ RG in place of CW but the Rams sat down GRob wk#12 & Donnal was the 3rd swing OT behind starters @ OT Saffold & Havenstein. Donnal due to a broken hand by Saffold in the 1st quarter played most of the game @ OLT it may have been the vest mistake free play seen @ OLT all season. Donnal was also battling through a thigh injury that occurred against the Pats. Sure appears that AD 2016 performance has improved not regressed.
Greg Robinson - Not more needs to be said here..Grob played his best NFL football during the later half of last season. It would not be wrong to state that GRob's performance late in 2015 was tied up with the placement of Garrett Reynolds as starter @ LG. Garrett was injury released when the 2016 season began & with that GRob's performance went south...yes GRob has regressed but is it due to GRob or coaching?
uke:
