Number 2 Pick: Rams On The Clock

[V3]

In your review of the 16 game OL can you point to any consistent pass blocking back to back games from the 2013 OL? I would agree with you the biggest fails did come from the left side but they came from many other places too. CW main issue was he was inconsistent period. Like I said in my above post Jake Long had several early games where he was just as inconsistent as CW. JL issues were with speeders. Sure all things would go into the mix as the issue with the pass offense. I would not say Jake was overall bad in his pass- pro but he was not good either. Now what Jake is very good in is his run blocking from OLT:bigup:

I wonder how much having a good LG would have helped Long when he was struggling?

 

[BonifayRam]

I wonder how much having a good LG would have helped Long when he was struggling?

Big Big large much ............Jake sure would greatly benefit from a very good well rounded OLG. Left side OL Prospects like Zack Martin or David Yankey would be great plug ins next to Jake.

 

[Warner4Prez]

There's some damn good discussion going on in here. Thanks for all the info dudes! :bigup:

 

[Ramifications]

Last year when Jake Long was being considered by Snead & Fisher I began to look deep into into his injury history. I found it extensive with much of the detailed information scarce and incomplete. Example I found the documented second foot surgery but could not find the first. The first knee surgery after the 2010 season was basically hidden behind the much publicized extensive left shoulder which was a major surgery with much damage due to the fact he played most of the season one armed. But I found so a little on side bar comments on his left knee when banging around the net. Its just my suspicion here but that left knee was more than a simple clean out surgery. But it was clear that that left knee continued to bother him after the surgery in 2010 causing him to miss a few games...I suspected they had to go back in that knee when they did that right bicep surgery but I can not prove it.

What is evidence Jake had issues in 2013 with speed rusher we all saw that. Jake was beat over & over in that Dallas game Jake was even replaced for a few series. It was not until the Rams went back to commit to the run that it made a big difference in Jake's improved play.

I watch the OL ....guess you figured that out by now...so I know Jake's pass blocking game is in decline where his run blocking would seem to be getting better. If Jake was having issues before this new ACL/MCL damage...Are we sticking our heads in the sand here on the future of his pass blocking performance?

I sure don't think Jake is done at all but if Jake is placed in more pass block situations with the less mobile Bradford is back there??? I suspect we will see Jake not in the best light where he will struggle even more @ OLT in this area in 2014 than in 2013.

I watched the pro bowl 1-26-2014 where they were interviewing Darrelle Revis who said he has been hard dealing with his 10-18-2012 surgery to repair just a ACL this 2013 season. Revis proclaimed that his knee is just now 100% over 15 months after the surgery. Jake is expected to be starting @ OLT in 7 1/2 months after his surgery trying out his new reconstructed ACL & his new scared tissue MCL. Yes I know going up against those slow footed weak DE's just is not the same as playing CB or RB... OK I get it.

I never understood why, but read a medical article once that explained why ACLs typically take not one year but a second to more fully return to form. It isn't stiffness, scar tissue or pain associated with the surgical procedure. It has to do with proprioception (perception sensing the external world, proprioception sensing our internal world). Simply, when the tissue is cut, so are nerves. The nervous sytem needs to reroute or re"wire" before it can "remember" what it used to feel like making a hard cut, etc.

Long will need to move, just not like Revis. Hopefully nobody expects him to be 100% game one, the question is where he is at, and can he be more functional at his position than Revis was at his (I don't know if Revis was terrible this year, but obviously being the former league' best, that was a high bar, and he didn't play at that level this year, Sherman was the best CB in 2013, we will see about 2014?).

Other OL have had ACL injuries before (did Clady in DEN a few years ago?). It would be interesting to compare how they did in year one, two, etc. The timing with Long was unfortunate, coming late in the season, like RGIII last year. Peterson also had a late season ACL injury, i think, but he an anomaly and probably a cyborg, anyways.

 

[Ramifications]

I never understood why, but read a medical article once that explained why ACLs typically take not one year but a second to more fully return to form. It isn't stiffness, scar tissue or pain associated with the surgical procedure. It has to do with proprioception (perception sensing the external world, proprioception sensing our internal world). Simply, when the tissue is cut, so are nerves. The nervous sytem needs to reroute or re"wire" before it can "remember" what it used to feel like making a hard cut, etc.

Long will need to move, just not like Revis. Hopefully nobody expects him to be 100% game one, the question is where he is at, and can he be more functional at his position than Revis was at his (I don't know if Revis was terrible this year, but obviously being the former league' best, that was a high bar, and he didn't play at that level this year, Sherman was the best CB in 2013, we will see about 2014?).

Other OL have had ACL injuries before (did Clady in DEN a few years ago?). It would be interesting to compare how they did in year one, two, etc. The timing with Long was unfortunate, coming late in the season, like RGIII last year. Peterson also had a late season ACL injury, i think, but he is an anomaly and probably a cyborg, anyways.

 

[rhinobean]

I wonder how much having a good LG would have helped Long when he was struggling?

I remember 1 play where Jake was just bowled over on the play! I thought at the time, "Why'd we get him"? Only time I saw that all year so it must have been an anomaly.

 

[V3]

I remember 1 play where Jake was just bowled over on the play! I thought at the time, "Why'd we get him"? Only time I saw that all year so it must have been an anomaly.

I think you're talking about the Demarco Ware play. That one gets talked about because of how bad it was. I think there may have been one other game where Long got really beat but I can't remember who it was. Bad games happen.

 

[rhinobean]

I think you're talking about the Demarco Ware play. That one gets talked about because of how bad it was. I think there may have been one other game where Long got really beat but I can't remember who it was. Bad games happen.

I believe you're right about this. Bad game for the team, period!