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Is The Falcons Offensive Line Really Any Better Than Last Year?


g-dawg

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Our starting C is back, our starting LT is a year more experienced (and hopefully healthy) and our O-line is worse? I'm getting a feeling you are a sAints or panties fan.

While peter piper may be trollin', your points above are relatively weak. I assume you mean Joe Hawley shen referencing our starting center - honestly, what has Joe Hawley ever done? He is more famous for getting rag-dolled by Calais Campbell and whining about a rookie pushing him in Hard Knocks than anything else. Hawley may yet still end up being a good center, but he has proved nada. I am more confident in Jake Matthews' abilities but he did have a rough rook year (partly due to injury) and I am still not convinced he is yet 100% healthy - lisfranc injuries are not simple to come back from - he will be fine but I hope we don't bring Jake back too quickly.

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Our Oline will automatically beast because of the MZBS (magical zone blocking system).

Actually I have low expectations. Shanny has only had one top ten run team with the MZBS and needed an 800 yard QB to accomplish that. He's never been great in the short yardage or goal line run game and leaky in pass pro. With rookie and second year RBs in pass pro all I can say is Run Matt Run.

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I think we will better where it counts and thats running the ball. Our OT's are a more athletic than power guys and will reap the benefits of the scheme change. The addition of Chris Chester should provide a boost in prodiuction in the run game (he was he received high grades when he played under shanahan) Honestly i don;t think we where awful in pass protection last year. I think the problem was that we dropped back too much. A balanced attack will will keep defenses guessing and give opposing pass rushers something else to think about.

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I think we are on the condition we stay healthy. I think the scheme change is going to do wonders for out protection.

I do too, but not directly. I think the scheme change is going to help with the run game, and by having a run game, the pass protection will improve. We can keep in TEs and FBs to help block and to use as weapons in the pass game. It just opens up a lot of options, and the DEs can't just sit on the pass and pin their ears back, which will give Matt time to get rid of the ball (which he already does incredibly well).

But I don't think the ZBS is going to make our pass blocking better per se. In fact, it might end up hurting it in terms of the stat sheet.

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While peter piper may be trollin', your points above are relatively weak. I assume you mean Joe Hawley shen referencing our starting center - honestly, what has Joe Hawley ever done? He is more famous for getting rag-dolled by Calais Campbell and whining about a rookie pushing him in Hard Knocks than anything else. Hawley may yet still end up being a good center, but he has proved nada. I am more confident in Jake Matthews' abilities but he did have a rough rook year (partly due to injury) and I am still not convinced he is yet 100% healthy - lisfranc injuries are not simple to come back from - he will be fine but I hope we don't bring Jake back too quickly.

I'm more worried about Jake than I am Hawley. If for no other reason than we have backups behind Hawley.

We don't need a Pro Bowl line. We need a minimally competent line. The problem is, due to injuries and poor personnel decisions, we haven't even had that the last few years. The concerns I have on the line are primarily at LG and LT. If Jake is healthy and Chester works out, I think the line will be fine. RT is somewhat less of a concern, but that's where I'd turn my attention if I was assured Jake and Chester will be solid. Asamoah isn't really a scheme fit, but he's a solid lineman and will do well in whatever system he's put in, I believe.

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I think the switch from a power scheme to a more athletic ZBS will be a big factor that will cover up a lot of the issues we had under Mularkey and Koetter. Even after Mora left, we still had mostly OLmen that were around the 300lb range. Relying on smaller OLmen to block in a power scheme never worked out for us.

At least with this version of the ZBS, our OL will have an idea of where to block for the QB, as opposed to the Vick years.

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Changing scheme with exiting past starters means we have no yard stick to measure with.

We have no idea how they will perform in this new scheme. I think Blalock may have been the only former starter with experience in this new zone blocking scheme.. I do not know about the new added players. I think a couple played for Shannahan in this scheme before.

I'm not sold at all on the idea that a scheme change automatically means improvement

the new players MAY help toward improvement but much depends on the ability of past starters learning this new scheme in a very rapid fashion.

So did Matthews zone block in college?

Did Rodgers zone block in college?

Can Asamoah pick it up?

Can Hawley/Stone learn it?

Has Chester had experience in a zone blocking system?

Are does every think hinge on Person, J. Smith, and Polumbus?

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Changing scheme with exiting past starters means we have no yard stick to measure with.

We have no idea how they will perform in this new scheme. I think Blalock may have been the only former starter with experience in this new zone blocking scheme.. I do not know about the new added players. I think a couple played for Shannahan in this scheme before.

I'm not sold at all on the idea that a scheme change automatically means improvement

the new players MAY help toward improvement but much depends on the ability of past starters learning this new scheme in a very rapid fashion.

So did Matthews zone block in college?

Did Rodgers zone block in college?

Can Asamoah pick it up?

Can Hawley/Stone learn it?

Has Chester had experience in a zone blocking system?

Are does every think hinge on Person, J. Smith, and Polumbus?

I believe Asamoah was in a ZBS at Illinois during his college career.

agree with your overall point.

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Guest Mr Plow

The O-line is still our biggest weakness, but I think it is better than last year. I also think most, if not all of us, underestimate the power of a balanced attack. Last year defenses knew we couldn't run the ball, so they simply played the pass with little to no respect for the run. This puts a HUGE strain on the O-line. But now defenses will have to respect our run game, and this fact alone will make a very positive effect.

Stay healthy, pick up some depth, and let our guys learn ZBS. We will be fine. Hopefully, O-line will be our primary focus in next year's draft and free agency.

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I'm more worried about LG than I am any other position. The only thing Hawley was lacking last year was a healthy knee. He gets the job done and in a zone scheme, the personnel fit much better. I expect an improvement in the running game and having balance will help solidify the pass blocking. When defenses know you are going to throw 40 plus times a game, it's easy to tee off on the QB...

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Jake was injured twice last year, im just worried about him going down the path of baker - he wasnt really injured in college so im hoping its not the case, but really does not look good, I have no expectations of jake anymore because he was called the best o tackle to come out in a decade - its really disappointing why did he get this lisfranc in that last pointless game, .............

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Really like to know why they let Baker go now. Any time after May 12, they could have released him and gotten the cap benefits.

So, did they release him because his knee is cole slaw and he wouldn't have been available this year anyway?

What I'm hoping it means is that Matthews is healthy and they didn't need to keep an extra tackle on the roster.

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Really like to know why they let Baker go now. Any time after May 12, they could have released him and gotten the cap benefits.

So, did they release him because his knee is cole slaw and he wouldn't have been available this year anyway?

What I'm hoping it means is that Matthews is healthy and they didn't need to keep an extra tackle on the roster.

OTAs ended and he never saw the field?

Spot for Mathis?

Jake looked like he would be ready?

Only the front office knows,...

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Talent wise, I think were still the same. But the new scheme should help. I hope they learn it sooner than later.

Agreed. If the run game clicks (and we currently have the players to be very good at it) the pass blocking will be easier for these guys, most of whom are average at best.

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Our Oline will automatically beast because of the MZBS (magical zone blocking system).

Actually I have low expectations. Shanny has only had one top ten run team with the MZBS and needed an 800 yard QB to accomplish that. He's never been great in the short yardage or goal line run game and leaky in pass pro. With rookie and second year RBs in pass pro all I can say is Run Matt Run.

Does Shanny not get any credit for establishing either Alfred Morris or Arian Foster? I'm sincerely asking. I think your issuing stats to support your agenda again, but despite this top ten point, you have to admit that everywhere Shanny's been he left a running game that was much better than when he arrived.
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Does Shanny not get any credit for establishing either Alfred Morris or Arian Foster? I'm sincerely asking. I think your issuing stats to support your agenda again, but despite this top ten point, you have to admit that everywhere Shanny's been he left a running game that was much better than when he arrived.

I'm pretty impressed with the coaching staff Quinn's put together.

I am concerned about this OL however, just as I was going into last year. Adding Mathis would bring alot of cred and attitude to this OL.

Edited by Vandy
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i agree with OP. Getting Mathis would be huge, we´re 1 injury away to suck and not being able to protect Ryan at all. The final game against Carolina still hurts.

By the end of the Carolina game, 8 of the top 10 linemen they started TC with were injured. If Matthews and Asomoah had gone on IR after that game, would have had 7 Olinemen on IR. No team can handle that. Also no reason to expect that to happen again.

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By the end of the Carolina game, 8 of the top 10 linemen they started TC with were injured. If Matthews and Asomoah had gone on IR after that game, would have had 7 Olinemen on IR. No team can handle that. Also no reason to expect that to happen again.

Except that people who are injured once are more susceptible to re-injury. That's my concern.

That's one big reason why I'm happy to move on from Baker- we're not relying on someone who wouldn't make it through the season.

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