My first impression of the draft

[OntarioRam]

Snead and McVay thought the offensive line was good enough last year, too. Look how that turned out. So you'll have to pardon those fans, myself included, who think that Snead and McVay lose all credibility - and look like arrogant ego maniacs - when they say that the offensive line is fine and double-down on that mindset while seeking scapegoats (see: Goff, Jared) for past failures rather than self reflect on their choices in building the roster.

The line isn't awful. To be fair it is likely top 15 or so. It is certainly enough to stand up to most defensive fronts. But any big, physical d-line with talent will dismantle it. It's no wonder SF basically owns us, and NYJ, MIA, NYG all gave us trouble. I give us almost 0 chance of beating the elite physical fronts. Which, of course, is necessary if you want to win a super bowl.

 

[SteezyEndo]

Snead and McVay thought the offensive line was good enough last year, too. Look how that turned out. So you'll have to pardon those fans, myself included, who think that Snead and McVay lose all credibility - and look like arrogant ego maniacs - when they say that the offensive line is fine and double-down on that mindset while seeking scapegoats (see: Goff, Jared) for past failures rather than self reflect on their choices in building the roster.

The line isn't awful. To befair it is likely top 15 or so. It is certainly enough to stand up to most defensive fronts. But any big, physical d-line with talent will dismantle it. It's no wonder SF basically owns us, and NYJ, MIA, NYG all gave us trouble. I give us almost 0 chance of beating the elite physi fronts. Which, of course, is necessary if you want to win a super bowl.

I mean that is the vibe I am getting our previous field general failed to groom our OL, and made them seem incapable. McSnead seems like they are confident in our current OL so yeah. I guess we will see what we really got.

 

[payote75]

We know caps are mythical in many ways. Comp formula is now gone we need line help there are guys out there way more than usual. If they feel they got better value out of who they chose and intend to sign one or two of them well then we all feel a tad better I hope. Or maybe they really are confident in the line way more than we are.

 

[dieterbrock]

Snead and McVay thought the offensive line was good enough last year, too. Look how that turned out.

And they shit-canned the o-line coach for it, because they believe in the players but they werent performing up to their ability

 

[Jacobarch]

Can't say it's a shit draft. Because everyone said the same thing about cooper kupp. Sooooo

 

[BonifayRam]

Especially after we heard DJax was the solution to our WR issues. This draft is a very hard pill to swallow.

Can't help but think there has been some major disappointment with our receiving unit last season. Veteran Kupp was not able to play healthy @ the end of the last 2 seasons (near $47 mil) & Woods ($55.6 mil) with those huge contracts & extensive salary pushed forward into the future.... & the Rams are still adding receivers in UDFA's signings.....does not look right ...

 

[RamFanWA]

...along this recurring thread today. I am guessing that the Rams FO knows a lot more about football than I do. That's a good thing, 'cuz my day job not nearly as exciting.

OTOH - I also suspect the FO forgot to tell Rocket Mortgage they did not have picks until the weekend was mostly over. Just a guess, on my part.

 

[dang]

Can't say it's a shit draft. Because everyone said the same thing about cooper kupp. Sooooo

I loved the Cooper Kupp pick when it happened. He played I-AA but shined when he played against I-A coverage despite being the clear #1 WR.

 

[FarNorth]

And they shit-canned the o-line coach for it, because they believe in the players but they werent performing up to their ability

Or because he wanted to draft a center or LT or at least somebody and McVay said no.

 

[OldSchool]

Can't help but think there has been some major disappointment with our receiving unit last season. Veteran Kupp was not able to play healthy @ the end of the last 2 seasons (near $47 mil) & Woods ($55.6 mil) with those huge contracts & extensive salary pushed forward into the future.... & the Rams are still adding receivers in UDFA's signings.....does not look right ...

Personally if they have or had an issue with either Kupp or Woods they should have traded them instead of restructure and push money into the future. I think Van is the one that's going to get traded this year and Kupp/Woods are gone in a few years when their dead money comes down or the cap fully goes back up.

 

[oldnotdead]

Most of the o-line problems have been issues of technique and being played out of position. When your line coach plays a tall LT like Noteboom and throws him to the wolves to play OG a position he's never played at any level while he has Shelton who is built like and has always played as a center / OG on the roster there is a problem. He obviously convinced McVay he was ready and he wasn't. That coaching incompetence cost two players, both Noteboom and Allen. So what does Kromer do? He doubles down and plays Edwards at LG. Like Noteboom it was clear he also wasn't ready and also struggled getting his tall frame low enough to play with leverage like an OG must play the position. Again he had Shelton and Evans (though as inexperienced as Edwards, he is built like a NFL OG) that he could have used.

When Allen went down Kromer moved "his boy" Blythe to center and he was abused. At no point apparently, was Shelton ready to play at either center or OG? Give me a freaking break.

Kromer installs the easiest blocking scheme for their runs, outside zone with a horizontal concept. That is high school stuff. It wasn't until last year that he modified it to a vertical concept (i.e. with gap blocking concepts). Last year they tried to run inside zone, straight gap blocking, and power gap but the o-line was extremely inconsistent partly because Blythe simply couldn't play that scheme and the rest of the guys often looked confused.

Later in the season when they began to play the division a second time and in the playoffs against better DC's his horizontal zone tel was exposed. I mentioned it repeatedly it was so obvious to me. On runs, the zone was vertically blocked and on play-action the blocking concept was horizontal. That's why Goff began to be met by the backside LB who wasn't fooled because of the tel. Kromer never all season picked up on it.

I could go on and on but suffice it to say Kromer deserved being ousted. It didn't matter what scheme Kromer tried to run the execution was at best inconsistent and at the worst piss poor. Those are hallmarks of crap coaching and even McVay couldn't deny it anymore.

So coach up the players properly, play the players at their position of best fit and scheme it out correctly and the players will execute it as it should be. I anticipate Carberry running some variant of a gap blocking scheme. No offensive line is perfect. But as long as this is a top 5 unit like I think it can be then that would be good enough. The Buccaneers' o-line finished the season ranked #5. But that doesn't guarantee offensive success. Green Bay and Cleveland both had top-rated o-lines both better than the Bucs and it didn't get them to the Super Bowl.

I have no doubt that there is more than enough talent on the o-line if it is played properly and well coached.

 

[Giles]

Snead and McVay thought the offensive line was good enough last year, too. Look how that turned out. So you'll have to pardon those fans, myself included, who think that Snead and McVay lose all credibility - and look like arrogant ego maniacs - when they say that the offensive line is fine and double-down on that mindset while seeking scapegoats (see: Goff, Jared) for past failures rather than self reflect on their choices in building the roster.

The line isn't awful. To be fair it is likely top 15 or so. It is certainly enough to stand up to most defensive fronts. But any big, physical d-line with talent will dismantle it. It's no wonder SF basically owns us, and NYJ, MIA, NYG all gave us trouble. I give us almost 0 chance of beating the elite physical fronts. Which, of course, is necessary if you want to win a super bowl.

Sadly I couldn't agree more. But you got one thing wrong. They triple down on ignoring the oline and they'll pay for that mistake in the playoffs if we make it.

 

[TexasRam]

Most of the o-line problems have been issues of technique and being played out of position. When your line coach plays a tall LT like Noteboom and throws him to the wolves to play OG a position he's never played at any level while he has Shelton who is built like and has always played as a center / OG on the roster there is a problem. He obviously convinced McVay he was ready and he wasn't. That coaching incompetence cost two players, both Noteboom and Allen. So what does Kromer do? He doubles down and plays Edwards at LG. Like Noteboom it was clear he also wasn't ready and also struggled getting his tall frame low enough to play with leverage like an OG must play the position. Again he had Shelton and Evans (though as inexperienced as Edwards, he is built like a NFL OG) that he could have used.

When Allen went down Kromer moved "his boy" Blythe to center and he was abused. At no point apparently, was Shelton ready to play at either center or OG? Give me a freaking break.

Kromer installs the easiest blocking scheme for their runs, outside zone with a horizontal concept. That is high school stuff. It wasn't until last year that he modified it to a vertical concept (i.e. with gap blocking concepts). Last year they tried to run inside zone, straight gap blocking, and power gap but the o-line was extremely inconsistent partly because Blythe simply couldn't play that scheme and the rest of the guys often looked confused.

Later in the season when they began to play the division a second time and in the playoffs against better DC's his horizontal zone tel was exposed. I mentioned it repeatedly it was so obvious to me. On runs, the zone was vertically blocked and on play-action the blocking concept was horizontal. That's why Goff began to be met by the backside LB who wasn't fooled because of the tel. Kromer never all season picked up on it.

I could go on and on but suffice it to say Kromer deserved being ousted. It didn't matter what scheme Kromer tried to run the execution was at best inconsistent and at the worst piss poor. Those are hallmarks of crap coaching and even McVay couldn't deny it anymore.

So coach up the players properly, play the players at their position of best fit and scheme it out correctly and the players will execute it as it should be. I anticipate Carberry running some variant of a gap blocking scheme. No offensive line is perfect. But as long as this is a top 5 unit like I think it can be then that would be good enough. The Buccaneers' o-line finished the season ranked #5. But that doesn't guarantee offensive success. Green Bay and Cleveland both had top-rated o-lines both better than the Bucs and it didn't get them to the Super Bowl.

I have no doubt that there is more than enough talent on the o-line if it is played properly and well coached.

You might be right to an extent on the schemes but regarding Edwards I see it differently. Edwards clearly isn't an ideal guard but when Noteboom went down Edwards played real well. He probably got the start over Shelton due to the fact that Edwards had experience the prior year and actually played well at guard. This wasn't preseason. We were in a real division race and needed a reliable lineman to plug the hole immediately. Edwards play really solid. Actually it wasn't until his injury and Evans failure to fill that gap that our LG spot began to implode again, as seen vs GB. I am not sure why everyone thinks Shelton is the next coming of Quinton Nelson. If Shelton is going to be a solid player it probably will take lots of reps and sticking him in front of Edwards during the playoff push doesn't seem wise based on where Edwards was at and what he could give us. Regarding Blythe, I am not sure how starting him at center was Kroemers fault. He played the hand he was given which was no center in the 2020 draft.

Regarding the Bucs, they not only got healthy going into the playoffs but their defense started forcing lots of turnovers. Not to mention Rogers brain farts in the red zone. Oline is critically important but so is playing lights out defense in crunch time and forcing turnovers. Cleveland heavily upgraded their defense in the offseason because their D wasn't good enough either. It's a team game. Oline and a hot Defense was the bucs ticket. Or as casual fans put it, Brady did it again. :facepalm: