Who has the Best OLine in the NFL - No Looking at Stats

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Best Oline in the NFL

  • Green Bay

    Votes: 2 12.5%
  • Houston

    Votes: 9 56.3%
  • New Orleans

    Votes: 1 6.3%
  • Buffalo

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Oakland

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Dallas

    Votes: 1 6.3%
  • Other

    Votes: 3 18.8%

  • Total voters
    16

libertadrocks

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This sounds a bit OTish but I have a plan to turn this conversation back to the Rams.

Dont look at any stats. Off the top of your head name the team you think has the best Oline right now. Only use your Sunday observations. This includes both running the ball and pass protection.

This isnt going to turn into a trick question either.(Im not going to try and discredit yalls opinions by naming some obscure Oline and throwing some stats out)



Ill start. I say Houston. It doesnt matter who is running the ball. Foster, Taint, and Ward all get chunks of yards every time they touch the ball. Both Foster and Taint are on track for 1000+ yard seasons. While Matt Schaub may be out for the year, it certainly isnt due to a lack of pass protection over the course of the year. Houston games I have watched, Schaub has had ample amount of time to deliver the ball. Also look who he has been throwing to most of the year(Walter, Jones, Daniels). Not exactly the most explosive threats.
 

-X-

Medium-sized Lebowski
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The Dude
I'm gonna say Arizona just on "looks" alone. Those are some big, big dudes. Their problem originates behind the line though, and that's becoming an increasingly complicated problem. Or so it seems.
 

Angry Ram

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It's def. Houston. They only got Duane Brown as a high pick, and the others are just hard working guys. And they have been together for a few years.

2nd...yessh. But SF. They are very good. Iupati and their RT...forget his name.

3rd up I'd say the NY Jets. They are very good @ run blocking. They just don't run it as much as they used to when "Sanchize" was a rookie.
 

libertadrocks

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  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4
Angry Ram said:
It's def. Houston. They only got Duane Brown as a high pick, and the others are just hard working guys. And they have been together for a few years.

2nd...yessh. But SF. They are very good. Iupati and their RT...forget his name.

3rd up I'd say the NY Jets. They are very good @ run blocking. They just don't run it as much as they used to when "Sanchize" was a rookie.

Thought about putting 49ers in there. Didnt think they would garner many votes for being the best in a category on a Rams forum tho. lol
 

bluecoconuts

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I would have said Panthers if they were up there, they've had some good O-Lines in the past, but I don't know how they are doing this year..

I'm just going to make a random guess and say Buffalo, we've gotten a few of their games here in LA, they rarely ever give up a sack, so they must be doing something alright up there.


Either them or Houston.
 

Angry Ram

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libertadrocks said:
Angry Ram said:
It's def. Houston. They only got Duane Brown as a high pick, and the others are just hard working guys. And they have been together for a few years.

2nd...yessh. But SF. They are very good. Iupati and their RT...forget his name.

3rd up I'd say the NY Jets. They are very good @ run blocking. They just don't run it as much as they used to when "Sanchize" was a rookie.

Thought about putting 49ers in there. Didnt think they would garner many votes for being the best in a category on a Rams forum tho. lol

Yeah, I don't blame you. Hate that they are a legit team. Ha.
 

bluecoconuts

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Angry Ram said:
libertadrocks said:
Angry Ram said:
It's def. Houston. They only got Duane Brown as a high pick, and the others are just hard working guys. And they have been together for a few years.

2nd...yessh. But SF. They are very good. Iupati and their RT...forget his name.

3rd up I'd say the NY Jets. They are very good @ run blocking. They just don't run it as much as they used to when "Sanchize" was a rookie.

Thought about putting 49ers in there. Didnt think they would garner many votes for being the best in a category on a Rams forum tho. lol

Yeah, I don't blame you. Hate that they are a legit team. Ha.

They're only legit because we're letting them get their confidence up. They'll fail in the playoffs, and then next season we'll beat them up a bit and let them know who's boss. :twisted:
 

JdashSTL

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Going with Houston. I was very impressed to see their oline control the LOS against the Steelers and every week they are doing a good job run-blocking for Taint and Foster.

2nd best oline: Raiders. This is a very good run-blocking team. Pass-pro is solid, but can be erratic at times. 3 of the 5 starters on the OL are under the age of 27. Raiders have done a really good job adding youth here in recent years.
 

Faceplant

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Houston jumped out to me, for the reasons stated about rushing yds.
 

libertadrocks

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  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10
Ok Ill take the top two examples, GB and HOU, to my point.

Texans Starters:
LT: Daune Brown - Drafted by the Texans(26th) in 2008 - Started in 2008
LG: Wade Smith - Low profile signing four-year, $12 million contract - Started last year
C: Chris Myers - Traded in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2008 - Started in 2009
RG: Mike Brisiel - UDFA in 2006 signed by the Texans - Full time starter in 2008
RT: Eric Winston - 3rd round pick by the Texans - Starter in 2007

GB Starters:
LT: Marshall Newhouse - Drafted by GB in the fifth round in 2010 - New starter this year
LG: TJ Lang - Drafted by GB in the forth round in 2008 - Starter last year
C: Scott Wells - Drafted by GB in the seventh round in 2004 - Started in 2006
RG: Josh Sitton - Drafted by GB in the forth round in 2008 - Started in 2009
RT: Bryan Bulaga - Drafted in the first round in 2010 - Started last year

These two teams have two things in common. 1) They have 0 big FA signings and 2) they have played together for over a year.

I really like what the Rams are building, but I think the FO may have gane about building the Line in the wrong way. Great Olines are not built through FA, they are built through later rounds of the draft and are groomed by playing together. Gaining cohesiveness. Playing as one.

Now look at our Oline

LT: Rodger Saffold - Drafted by the Rams in 2010 in the second round
LG: Jacob Bell - Big time FA signing in 2008
C: Jason Brown - Big time FA signing in 2009
RG: Harvey Dahl - Big time FA signing this year
RT: Jason Smith - Drafted by the Rams in 2009 #2 overall

Both GB and HOU, particularly HOU, has taken heat in recent years for having poor OLines. Instead of throwing money at the problem the FOs were patient and continued to build. Not everyone they drafted worked out but they kept plugging until they found a group of guys that gelled.
 

Angry Ram

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Whoa man, I don't think there is a right way to build an OL.

Look @ SF...

Joe Staley- 1st round, 2007
Mike Iupati- 1st round, 2010
Jon Goodwin- FA from the Saints
Chilo Rachal- 2nd round, 2008
Anthony Davis- 1st round, 2010

Our guys big problem is they haven't played together a while. Bell, Brown have. Dahl is new, and he's been a great signing. ATL really misses him. Bell hasn't been that bad...and Brown, IDK. I really don't.

Smith keeps gettin hurt, and Saffold is halway through his 2nd year.

Remember GB's OL stunk in 2009 and parts of 2010. I think @ the end of this year we'll know what and where the problems are on the OL.
 

-X-

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I suggest a new training method. Put the entire O-line in the middle of a down-slope of a steep hill. Put 5 Minivans in front of them. Release the emergency brakes. Walk away. Get those vans back to the top of the hill, or be run over. You can only do it once a day due to the new CBA, but that should be sufficient training.
 

libertadrocks

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  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13
Angry Ram said:
Whoa man, I don't think there is a right way to build an OL.

Look @ SF...

Joe Staley- 1st round, 2007
Mike Iupati- 1st round, 2010
Jon Goodwin- FA from the Saints
Chilo Rachal- 2nd round, 2008
Anthony Davis- 1st round, 2010

Our guys big problem is they haven't played together a while. Bell, Brown have. Dahl is new, and he's been a great signing. ATL really misses him. Bell hasn't been that bad...and Brown, IDK. I really don't.

Smith keeps gettin hurt, and Saffold is halway through his 2nd year.

Remember GB's OL stunk in 2009 and parts of 2010. I think @ the end of this year we'll know what and where the problems are on the OL.

49ers built their line through the draft too.

The main point I was trying to make is that building an elite OLine is a patience game. Flashy big time/big dollar signings, like we have made, are not the best or most efficient way to build a line. Brashly signing guys to fill holes doesnt typically produce the best product.

I agree I think it is a little early to pass judgement on our line, because they havent played the much together. But that was the secondary point I was trying to make. Our OLine hasnt grown together of the course of a few seasons like the top lines have. Our FO brings in at least one new "starter" every year. (Dahl this year, Saffold last, Brown and Smith the year before, and in all likelihood this is Bells last year)
 

Angry Ram

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libertadrocks said:
Angry Ram said:
Whoa man, I don't think there is a right way to build an OL.

Look @ SF...

Joe Staley- 1st round, 2007
Mike Iupati- 1st round, 2010
Jon Goodwin- FA from the Saints
Chilo Rachal- 2nd round, 2008
Anthony Davis- 1st round, 2010

Our guys big problem is they haven't played together a while. Bell, Brown have. Dahl is new, and he's been a great signing. ATL really misses him. Bell hasn't been that bad...and Brown, IDK. I really don't.

Smith keeps gettin hurt, and Saffold is halway through his 2nd year.

Remember GB's OL stunk in 2009 and parts of 2010. I think @ the end of this year we'll know what and where the problems are on the OL.

49ers built their line through the draft too.

The main point I was trying to make is that building an elite OLine is a patience game. Flashy big time/big dollar signings, like we have made, are not the best or most efficient way to build a line. Brashly signing guys to fill holes doesnt typically produce the best product.

I agree I think it is a little early to pass judgement on our line, because they havent played the much together. But that was the secondary point I was trying to make. Our OLine hasnt grown together of the course of a few seasons like the top lines have. Our FO brings in at least one new "starter" every year. (Dahl this year, Saffold last, Brown and Smith the year before, and in all likelihood this is Bells last year)

Well the line needed a new starter every year. It was a whole rebuild...needed a RT/LT. Alex Barron was gone and who else was available. Bell is Bell. Brown was a good signing. Dahl was needed last year (wasn't that a big knock on the team last year?).

Sucks that Smith has had multiple concussions. Who knows how he would be had he hadn't got them. What if, what if...