Offensive line

[O.city]

LT spot has cast somewhat of a shadow on this unit but.....the OL has been just mauling people this year. They're a top 3 unit league wide, just get the LT spot figured and we're golden.

[Balto]

Originally Posted by Fansy the Famous Bard

Now had they done that in the offseason, okay. Or maybe this coming offseason.... But mid-season? i'm just not sure if that works out well.

Isn’t that what practices are for? Make the switch in practice and see how it goes. If Reid thinks it could work out then good.

Maybe could start having Taylor take some snaps in practice now over the next couple of weeks and than 100% during week 6 bye for two full weeks.

[Sassy Squatch]

That's not something you do mid season by choice. If you've got catastrophic injury luck and have to shuffle your entire OL, then maybe, but it certainly isn't ideal, and having to effectively reverse your technique to where you'd be completely effective would take a hell of a lot more time than just a couple weeks.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Balto

Isn’t that what practices are for? Make the switch in practice and see how it goes. If Reid thinks it could work out then good.

Maybe could start having Taylor take some snaps in practice now over the next couple of weeks and than 100% during week 6 bye for two full weeks.

I'm not so sure during the season. Most of the practices at this point are preparing the gameplan and fine-tuning timing/assignments. Not learning a whole new position.

[Third Eye]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Blind sides are still a thing, yes.

But not as much as they used to be.

The 'blind side' as we came to know it was born of under-center snaps and QBs having to take 5 step drops, usually parallel to the rusher, with his back to the guy the whole time.

We work so much out of shotgun and take shorter drops. We also start from a spot deeper behind the line so the QB has an angle to actually see the rusher coming from the left side.

The issue with the 'blind side' for shotgun heavy offenses is diminished from where it was when teams played so much under center. The bigger issue is that there's no TE over that side for most offenses so the player is on an island.

In our offense, that's the case on BOTH sides of the line since we don't use our TE in-line very often.

So in moving Taylor over to LT from RT, you're not actually addressing the biggest issue our OTs face because Morris or Kingsley would face that same problem on the right side - no TE help.

And in the process you've potentially created TWO problem areas where there was only one.

It's a bad idea. It's a fine experiment in the off-season, but it's not something you do mid-year.

In addition to the lessening import of "blind side" protection, there's also the evolving nature of d-lines where teams used to always put their best pass rushers on the right side (over the LT), but are now more often then not putting their best pass rushers on the left side (over the RT).

[KCUnited]

Is it just me or did Trey Smith slim down in the offseason?

He looks in better shape anyway

[TEX]

Originally Posted by O.city

LT spot has cast somewhat of a shadow on this unit but.....the OL has been just mauling people this year. They're a top 3 unit league wide, just get the LT spot figured and we're golden.

True, but easier said than done. If you think about it, they've been trying to do that ever since Fisher left.

[Balto]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Blind sides are still a thing, yes.

But not as much as they used to be.

The 'blind side' as we came to know it was born of under-center snaps and QBs having to take 5 step drops, usually parallel to the rusher, with his back to the guy the whole time.

We work so much out of shotgun and take shorter drops. We also start from a spot deeper behind the line so the QB has an angle to actually see the rusher coming from the left side.

The issue with the 'blind side' for shotgun heavy offenses is diminished from where it was when teams played so much under center. The bigger issue is that there's no TE over that side for most offenses so the player is on an island.

In our offense, that's the case on BOTH sides of the line since we don't use our TE in-line very often.

So in moving Taylor over to LT from RT, you're not actually addressing the biggest issue our OTs face because Morris or Kingsley would face that same problem on the right side - no TE help.

And in the process you've potentially created TWO problem areas where there was only one.

It's a bad idea. It's a fine experiment in the off-season, but it's not something you do mid-year.

I don’t agree.

I get everything you’re saying but Pat still has to square up to throw and at that point he is more blind to the left tackle side than right……AND this has been his problem so far.

I think locking up LT, if Taylor can do it in practice, Mahomes can handle the right side with 100% constant visibility.

Pat does not have faith in our young LTs to keep him clean in those split second moments he has to square up and throw BLIND from what’s coming on the left side.

[Sassy Squatch]

It's why i wish they'd have just signed a veteran stopgap, especially if they weren't prepared to slide some significant help Kingsleys way in case things went sideways. Instead they just bench him for Morris.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Is it just me or did Trey Smith slim down in the offseason?

He looks in better shape anyway

He looks even more handsome now!

[TEX]

Originally Posted by Balto

I don’t agree.

I get everything you’re saying but Pat still has to square up to throw and at that point he is more blind to the left tackle side than right……AND this has been his problem so far.

I think locking up LT, if Taylor can do it in practice, Mahomes can handle the right side with 100% constant visibility.

Pat does not have faith in our young LTs to keep him clean in those split second moments he has to square up and throw BLIND from what’s coming on the left side.

Yea, its the basic of arguments and true as it ever was.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Balto

I don’t agree.

I get everything you’re saying but Pat still has to square up to throw and at that point he is more blind to the left tackle side than right……AND this has been his problem so far.

I think locking up LT, if Taylor can do it in practice, Mahomes can handle the right side with 100% constant visibility.

Pat does not have faith in our young LTs to keep him clean in those split second moments he has to square up and throw BLIND from what’s coming on the left side.

Except before he has to square up and throw, he's had a moment to observe the left side of the line and have a feel for how that rep is going. And yes, QBs can/will process it just that quickly.

I'm not saying it's NOT a problem. I'm saying it's substantially less problematic than it used to be. It used to be that the QB had NO chance to look over there and have any idea how things were going.

In the modern NFL that's just not the case. Especially when you consider that we run a WCO style offense that uses the lateral parts of the field a ton. So oftentimes PM is having to square his shoulders to the LEFT side of the formation to make a throw and focus downfield there, at which time he can't know if the right side has held for that last heartbeat before he throws the ball.

If you could be even the slightest bit confident that Taylor would make the transition seamlessly to the Left side - sure, do it. You can't. Even a little bit.

Because even if he looks great in practice, he's doing reps against scout team DEs. Without the pressure of the game. That means precisely dick (and that's why teams don't do these kinds of experiments in-season).

Most of the problems that exist with a turnstile at LT would still exist with that turnstile at RT. As such, there's no reason to risk creating a problem at BOTH.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Except before he has to square up and throw, he's had a moment to observe the left side of the line and have a feel for how that rep is going. And yes, QBs can/will process it just that quickly.

I'm not saying it's NOT a problem. I'm saying it's substantially less problematic than it used to be. It used to be that the QB had NO chance to look over there and have any idea how things were going.

In the modern NFL that's just not the case. Especially when you consider that we run a WCO style offense that uses the lateral parts of the field a ton. So oftentimes PM is having to square his shoulders to the LEFT side of the formation to make a throw and focus downfield there, at which time he can't know if the right side has held for that last heartbeat before he throws the ball.

If you could be even the slightest bit confident that Taylor would make the transition seamlessly to the Left side - sure, do it. You can't. Even a little bit.

Because even if he looks great in practice, he's doing reps against scout team DEs. Without the pressure of the game. That means precisely dick (and that's why teams don't do these kinds of experiments in-season).

Most of the problems that exist with a turnstile at LT would still exist with that turnstile at RT. As such, there's no reason to risk creating a problem at BOTH.

Good points, but he could do everything easier with adequate / good protection.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Third Eye

In addition to the lessening import of "blind side" protection, there's also the evolving nature of d-lines where teams used to always put their best pass rushers on the right side (over the LT), but are now more often then not putting their best pass rushers on the left side (over the RT).

Also true.

Most premier pass rushers will float. They'll move to your weakest OL and attack him.

That didn't used to be the case because again, most offenses kept the TE tight against the RT on the strong side of the offense so there was a clear tactical advantage to having your best pass rusher on the right side of your defensive formation going against a single OT on the weak side of the offense.

The LT/RT distinction is nothing close to what it used to be.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Balto

Isn’t that what practices are for? Make the switch in practice and see how it goes. If Reid thinks it could work out then good.

Maybe could start having Taylor take some snaps in practice now over the next couple of weeks and than 100% during week 6 bye for two full weeks.

No.

Practices in-season are for installs. They're not for experimentation.

Because again, your 1st team defense is out there practicing against your scout team Offense to prepare for the upcoming opponent.

Meanwhile your 1st team offense is practicing against your scout team defense for the same reason.

And NEITHER of them are running at full speed.

You can't learn shit about that kind of thing during an in-season practice. That's simply not how this works.

[Coochie liquor]

I remember watching them introduce the OL on SNF, and everyone (except Wanya who had no ranking) was top 10 at their position. Patrick is gonna get his shit together, and turn back into Pat. He’s gonna get comfortable behind this elite line (less one position) and we’re gonna THREEPEAT. Top 10 OL, and Defense? No way we shouldn’t win it all.