FentayeJones Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 The Falcons announced the signing of veteran guard Chris Chester, who is coming into his 10th season, on Saturday morning and we've got the five things you need to know about him:He’s durable: After a year in which the Falcons’ offensive line was decimated by injuries, it’s refreshing to look at Chester’s stats and see he hasn’t missed a game since 2010. In fact, during his nine professional campaigns — five with Baltimore, four with Washington — he’s made 138 of 145 possible appearances. Chester’s rookie season was the only time he dressed in fewer than 14 contests. Experience in the system: Chester joins the Falcons with a strong understanding of the playbook they’ll use in 2015. He and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who held the same job in Washington from 2010-13, know each other well. As Shanahan continues to install his zone blocking scheme, the 6-foot-3 veteran should have little trouble fitting in.By the numbers: Pro Football Focus has liked Chester’s work in two of the last three years. He was particularly good in 2012, when his 13.4 overall grade ranked 15th among qualifying guards. In 2014, he earned positive marks in 11 of 16 matchups.His 2013 performance may have ranked lower, but he did excel on rushing downs. That season, Chester’s run blocking, which produced in a 3.7 rating, helped Washington amass 2,164 yards on the ground, the fifth best total in the league.Moreover, he’s been remarkably disciplined: Chester has been called for just 13 penalties since 2010, according to PF — an average of 2.6 per season.A converted tight end: In his final year of high school, Chester ranked as the country’s eighth-best tight end, according to Rivals.com. He played that position at the University of Oklahoma before shifting to O-line as a senior.A familiar face: Chester is not Atlanta’s only signee who came from Washington. Fellow offensive lineman Tyler Polumbus who inked a contract with the Falcons earlier this month, played alongside Chester in the nation’s capital for most of the last four years.http://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/blog/article-1/Five-Things-to-Know-About-Chris-Chester/c83ff7bf-058a-4b39-8552-66050d1c65a3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
likeriver Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayOzOne Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Man, I'm hyped about this signing. I expect Coleman and Freeman to have healthy YPC and Smith to do what he does best with regularity. And if we can run the ball, Ryan is going to enjoy his best season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheldon Cooper Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 I want this poster! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheldon Cooper Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Well the thing I like most is the discipline with very few penalties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xskyx Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 So what's the catch? All of our signings have came with a catch, usually it's injury history but this one seems cleanJust doesn't fit a power scheme. Also he isn't a spring chicken and they drafted a young guy you may have heard of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great American Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 And why was he released? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etherdome Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 That is a thing of beauty. Add Trufant and Beasley to the credits and you have a keeper. Maybe along the bottom, you can add something along the lines of "casting by T Dimitroff" or "An Arthur Bland production". Nice work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayOzOne Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 And why was he released? Skins are switching to a power rushing scheme and Chester is better suited for a zone blocking scheme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autigerfan Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 So what's the catch? All of our signings have came with a catch, usually it's injury history but this one seems cleanAt 32 Chester could be set for a huge decline. Good thing it is only one year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFanSince1969 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 At 32 Chester could be set for a huge decline. Good thing it is only one year.Offensive linemen are usually good til the 34-35 range. Obviously that isn't every one of them, but they have a longer shelf life than a lot of positions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerSteve Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 At 32 Chester could be set for a huge decline. Good thing it is only one year.Barring injury, I don't think you see the same kind of precipitous decline in OL when they get past 30 as you do with RB's. But I understand your point ~ if you're over the hill and have lost a step, then you're not going to be much of an asset in a ZBS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth B Told (TRU) Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Chester is basically the same age as Justin Blalock. The only difference is Chester celebrated a b-day earlier this year and Blalock is later on. Had we not switched to a ZBS we would of had a 32 year G in Blalock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDaveG Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 And why was he released?Scheme fit and money. He was making a lot of money to play in a scheme that doesn't fit his skill set. This is a huge win for us, IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Doktor Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Something worked in our favor for a change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOR Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Scheme fit and money. He was making a lot of money to play in a scheme that doesn't fit his skill set. This is a huge win for us, IMHO.Hes the redskins Blalock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTBF54 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 (edited) Scheme fit and money. He was making a lot of money to play in a scheme that doesn't fit his skill set. This is a huge win for us, IMHO.Yeah, he was due 4.8 Mil and did not fit the Skins new O under Gruden...... Nice fast move by the Falcons signing him before Philty could even get a chance to talk to him...Also add this to the 5 things........Among right guards who started at least 10 games in 2014, Chester ranked as the seventh-best pass protector per Pro Football Focus.A second-round pick of the Ravens in 2006 out of Oklahoma, Chester played both guard spots and center during his first five NFL seasons in Baltimore. Edited May 31, 2015 by GTBF54 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
direwolf Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Excited about this signing. I was worried about left guard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Doktor Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Hes the redskins Blalock.This^^^^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lornoth Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Chester is basically the same age as Justin Blalock. The only difference is Chester celebrated a b-day earlier this year and Blalock is later on. Had we not switched to a ZBS we would of had a 32 year G in Blalock.Yup, Blalock except he fits the new scheme way better and is a better run blocker. Much cheaper too. Overall very nice upgrade.I wonder if Kyle had some inside knowledge that this would happen, so we didn't worry about other Guards as much this offseason, or if it just worked out that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconidae Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Yup, Blalock except he fits the new scheme way better and is a better run blocker. Much cheaper too. Overall very nice upgrade.I wonder if Kyle had some inside knowledge that this would happen, so we didn't worry about other Guards as much this offseason, or if it just worked out that way.Been wondering that too, Chester was an obvious cap casualty, seems like a risky plan to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconsd56 Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Chester was pretty much Washington's Blalock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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