- Joined
- Feb 1, 2020
Pretty much. Especially when it comes to pass blocking. With run blocking, it's all inherently proactive. You can get away with a pure physical specimen since the math checks out when you havea 6'10, 330 lb giganigga at RT mauling a 260lb Edge or a 230lb LB and securing the run gap.
Pass blocking is reactive. Sure, there's a bit of proactiveness in there because you want to be the one to initiate the engagement as an offensive lineman, but defensive players are aware of that. They've got a littany of moves in their toolkit, depending on the player. Some have 1-2, others have more, and some that do only have 1 or 2 are also incredibly fucking good at those 1 or 2. (I'm thinking Dwight Freeney's spin and Reggie White's hump, where he'd just chuck the unfortunate soul away.) Then there are variations of each move along with natural variations that come along with how individuals players play. PLUS players that rush the passer tend to be legitimate genetic freaks.
So you got guys who played in and against relatively simple schemes in college that could get away with just being bigger, faster, and stronger than the other dude. They just have to match up with the guy standing in front of him. Offensive line guys never really had to develop their own set of moves, then they go up against guys who are equally athletic, if not vastly more so, with a much more refined toolkit to defeat the block. That, AND, defensive schemes are legitimately insane now. There may be 4 of 5 guys lined up on the line, 7 or 8 in the box, but you've got zero idea how many guys are actually coming or which gaps are even being attacked by whom.
As you said, the only way to really rectify O-line play, and developing players in general, is via getting more guys more experience. Practice squad is one way, but they need to have more practices. More minicamps. More preseason reps if not more preseason games. I know the NFL ooh'd and ahh'd when they were able to convert a preseason game to a regular season game so they could make more bank. The NFLPA also hooray'd that they were able to negotiate less practice and minicamps, but there are absolutely secondary and tertiary effects being felt. O-line play is substantially worse (especially early in the season) than it ever has been. Also it seems like there are A LOT more injuries at every position. Sure, teams are being more cautious overall, but you have to wonder how much of that is due to a lack of practice reps and conditioning.
---Sidestory while I was thinking about gigganiggas. There's nothing really like an absolute genetic monster whose primary task is to go out there and slaughter the opposing QB. Once again, thank you Jerruh!
The first NFL draft that really absorbed me was 2006 with Mario Williams. Dude was 6'7, 300 lbs giganigga they ran a 4.7 and benched 35 reps. He was an athletic freak and I was beyond optimistic there was the slightest chance that magic would occur and he'd fall to Green Bay at 5. Ofc, The Texans ruined that like they ruin everything and we grabbed AJ Hawk who I was ultimately happy with. Still a genetic freak, but not a pass rusher. Ultimately not bad in retrospect since the only immediate player selected after who panned out was Vernon Davis, who took some time. Then Haloti Ngata 7 picks later who was obviously better, but would have definitely been viewed as a reach.---
