We aren't going to see eye to eye on this one Boffo, but philosophically can you explain to me why the LT is so much more important than the other 4 O-line positions? I think a lot of teams are asking themselves this question internally, and that's why we see a draft like we did last year, where it doesn't really matter where you play on the O-line, if you're talented you get drafted high. As defensive schemes get more complicated so are protection schemes and the days of your best pass protector at LT and their best pass rusher at RE/ROLB all game long are over, imo.
One of the pro-Robinson guys even said it... the skill set and physical needs to be a good LT are comparatively rare to what it takes at the other positions. For example, anyone taking a pure Center with the #2 pick would get laughed out of the draft.
It's easy to declare something that's been true for a while as "antiquated" (like I see proclamations that pure pocket passers are passe [alliteration!] all the time, and I don't believe that either). But until I see Jeff "Doesn't draft linemen high" Fisher buck both the conventional wisdom and his own trend, I'm not going to believe it.
If we thought Long was just a 2 year solution at LT, it was a horrible signing. And drafting a new tackle sends that very message.
I just can't see drafting a project tackle as any sort of Top Ten Pick level need when we already have a tackle. If you held a gun to my head and forced me to pick one, I'd pick Matthews. But I'm hoping for Watkins.
