It's Unofficial!

LT Marcus Gilbert
LG Ramon Foster
C Maurkice Pouncey
RG David DeCastro
RT Mike Adams

Although coaches said they'd switch around (and they still might) so far this offseason Gilbert has been the man on the left side all the way, and, hearing from both Gilbert and Adams, it sounds like that's the plan going forward.

What I like about the line the way they have it is its balance. Running to the right with Pouncey, DeCastro, and Adams will be tough for defenses. Running to the left, we can pull DeCastro, and Foster is a beast locking on and driving. If Gilbert gets his running game going, that side will be pretty tough for defenses too. In any case, he's sure to run block better than Starks did last year. We all know Adams has more potential than Gilbert, but when it comes to pass protection he wasn't even close the last time we saw him. He'd have to have taken a truly major leap forward to be trusted with Ben's blind side. I expect he'll still get plenty of reps there, because he's the first backup if Gilbert goes down.

Of course, all this can change at any point. But it's definitely different from what I expected so far, and in a way I'm glad. Open competitions are always more fun for fans, but this way allows these two guys to focus on their positions, instead of being distracted by a semi-competition.

 

looks decent over-all.......... I won't re-iterate my fears about gilbert... i'm looking with my hopeful eye right now!!!!!!

 

I've called this from the beginning...its even in my signature. Though at the time Foster was a FA and I figured Colon would be gone...so Beachum was at LG but still.

 

So you called it from the beginning and that lineup is your signature, except for the part that was wrong?

 

For the first time in a long time...
Looks like we have a solid O-Line!
(On paper, anyhow...)

 

I'm pretty excited! I meant that about the O-line, also!

 

The only thing that worries me is depth. We seem to suffer a ton of injuries on the OL every year. Beachem is a very solid swingman, but I really wish we had a veteran OT to backup the two young guys (no, not Guy Whimper).

 

why? whimper isn't as bad as most make him out to be. we have two good young LT's on the team too. not to mention a couple of good guards and a center. i like our depth alot better then max starks or colon or legs, or stapleton,or jon scott,or kemoeatu.

 

I agree about Whimper. Disagree about Beachum. Last we saw of him he was a decent RT for a rookie, but he struggled everywhere else. They're grooming him to be a swingman, but we have no idea yet if he'll be any good at C, LG, or LT. So we need to see some serious upgrade to his game before we can call him a swingman at all, let alone a very solid one.

So I'm also worried about our depth, especially at LT.

 

Uh-oh, are we going to have to re-hash the Jon Scott vs. Max Starks debate, this time with Guy Whimper vs. Max Starks?

 

I just have issues with a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers named "WHIMPER"

 

Can everyone just forget about Max Starks having been an option to come back this year? He wanted the opportunity to start....we weren't going to give him that. Period. He left and his career in Pittsburgh is over, until he realizes that SD sucks and he is willing to be depth for this team.

 

i didn't want starks back i would have like a better veteran left tackle than wimper as insurance if gilbert struggles . they will wait to see in preseason if we need one

 

The happiest person if this proves to be true is DeCastro. Unless Gilbert plays way out of his position, the chance of having someone rolled over his legs has greatly reduced.

 

yes while we can say good bye to foster

 

No he seems to fall to the left so he will just be falling onto the ground or maybe even a pass rusher

 

ahhh so should be enough to not play any te next to him

 

Lol poor spaeth or Paulson hopefully they never put miller on that side. I actually like him on the left. You normally put your power defenders against the offenses right side since that is the power side for running.

 

whats to rehash? i like whimper,long and ferrell better then scott,starks and whomever at depth. that's 5 guys that can play LT not counting beachum. he makes 6 so i don't see where we are thin at the position just young.

max was not a good LT and nothing anyone will ever say will change that fact.

 

that's what i found on whimper , till now struglled everywhere but maybe he needed some years to develop
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2006/prospects/guy_whimper.html

 

Hate to be a downer, but we felt this way this time last year, did we not? What's really changed?

 

Ummm... We're not starting 2 rookies, we have a healthy line, Colon is gone...