It's all the O-line

I hav been trying to figure out the play calling on offense, and I think it is because the coaches know the O-line is soft. If you know that, what do you do to compensate?

• You can't run up the middle, so you try to use speed laterally (sweeps, pitch backs to RBs) and bubble screens to the outside. If the defense is fast, this doesn't work.
• Ben emphasizes his first pre-snap read (quick slants, one-on-one on the outside), whether they are open or not, because he doesn't expect time to get to a second or third option).
• The defense often knows what the first option is and takes it away.
• The second or third options know this, and they get lazy and don't run very good routes - that's why they are rarely open.
• Need to rely on trickery to get any kind of time.

So maybe Canada is doing the best he can with what he has to work with?

Nah.

 

So maybe Canada is doing the best he can with what he has to work with?

 

It's always been about the offensive line. That is why the RB pick was a waste.

 

Why is it a waste? He's here for more then one year. So it didn't work that well in year one, we have one heck of a rb for at least 4 more. I'd hope this isn't all we do on the oline for the next four years.

 

because I feel like they could traded down or out of the first round and use the additional picks to accelerate the building of the OLine.

yes, I like Harris. But any late round RB can get you 1,000+ yards behind a good OLine.

 

That didn't work out too good with Snell, and Conner.

 

did you miss connors 2nd season when the oline was still somewhat respectable ? when he made a probowl...973 yds with a 4.5 ypc. and 12 tds. in 13 games.

 

damn its like you were reading my mind . or my post over on steelers extreme. thats EXACTLY what i was saying before and after the draft. its no coincidence alabama puts out 1st round olinemen and running backs so often. the 2 go hand in hand. its also not a coincidence that georgia will have linebackers and dline go high in this draft.

a rising tide lifts all boats..in this case the rising tide is offensive and defensive linemen.

 

1 guard and a RT should help. a FA could be had in the offseason. it doesn't have to be a draft pick. moore, dotson, green i think will stay. okrafor if they re-sign him to a non starter contract could be a backup swing tackle for gameday. we need some better backups at center, LT/RT. turner needs to go, finney and hasenauer could go. haeg and leglue could stay as deep depth. pridgeon could stay as a camp body at least. he played pretty good in preseason. a stud RT and a guard are what i would go after. an O-line coach may be needed as well. not sure about morgan but he may do as an assistant again. he's been in the NFL for a time and we need that.

 

Who is playing center? Please don’t say Green

 

The O-line is definitely a huge problem, but I don't think Canada is free of guilt, here either. It's his job to help address the things you mentioned and it isn't happening.

The O line blocking is just pathetic. There were several times in the Vikings game where 2 defenders got to Ben without being touched by a single offensive lineman. I believe that Ben is constantly under way more pressure than it seems on TV sometimes. Similar things happened in games after the Vikings game, where defenders are treating the offensive linemen like toys to be pushed out of the way as they get to Ben.

 

green could be moved to guard. i prefer a bigger guard but if we can get a good FA guard it may help him on the inside. there are going to be a lot of free agent linemen available this offseason. i'd much rather we pick from that pool then another rookie draft pick. save those draft picks for the other needs. since we have some money to play with, i'm always for some guys with some nfl experience in the trenches.

 

i think a center and a guard. We need more push up the middle. Chuk’a has been our best OL player. I know not saying much. Hassnuer, Finney, could stay but Turner and everyone else could be dismissed. Banner we haven’t seen him play in almost two seasons. We don’t know what we have.
So, Moore, Dotson Veteran, Veteran and Chuk’s would be our starting five next season. What ya think?

 

We do know one thing about Banner, dude isn’t ever healthy!

 

1000 yard kind of loses it's appeal when you have 17 games to do it. Stay healthy and play all 17 you only need 60 yards a game. Najee will break 1000 yards with our O-line. I'm not sure of current numbers but I find it funny Najee is somehow ahead of Elliot who has a great O-line. Najee has a lot more carries or Elliot would be way ahead.

With the number of Att. Najee has he'd have 1500 yards with that Cowboy O-line.

 

Connor seems to be doing pretty well with a good offensive line this year.

 

You're right. Who is disagreeing? I mean... didn't Shanahan prove this years ago?! Or how about our own Willie Parker. I love FWP and have his jersey but he went down with first contact. Think he is a 2x Pro Bowler behind a bad OL? I sure don't and FWP doesn't either.

 

Out of the top 10 rushers in the NFL this year only 2 are first round picks, Harris and Elliot. Everyone else is a late 2nd round or 3rd round pick.

Out of the top 20 rushers in the NFL this year only 5 are first round picks, Harris, Elliot, Fournette, Gordon, and Michel.

 

Out of the top 32 rushers in the NFL this year....there is still only 5 first round picks.

Out of the Top 50 rushers the number bumps up to 9 adding Ingram, Helaire, Barkley, and McCaffrey.

So 9 out of the top 50 rushers. Seems to me the odds are you can find a running back later, especially since they are a disposable position and do not warrant 2nd contracts in most cases.

 

Tomlin doesn't want running backs who can only run. If you want a back as big and well rounded as Mendenahall, Bell and Harris it will cost you a high pick. Most of the great RBs have been 5'10 215. The Steelers hate those they want 6'1 230. If you get a big RB who plays like a small RB it costs draft capital.

I fully agree with you. And apart from Bettis our RBs didn't used to be 1st round picks. Until Tomlin the only 1st rd RB since Franco who led the Steelers in rushing was Worley in 1989.

 

Colbert.

Also,
Mixon 6-1 220
Henry 6-3 247
Gibson 6-2 220

Top 10 RB, none are first round picks

James Connor, 6-1 233, 3rd round

 

Purple

 

Last time I seen He was out injured, but before that pretty good

 

And after that season he was injury prone .

 

When they tried that approach of RBs in the mid rounds it didn't work out that well, with Snell, Conner, and McFarland.