at least vlad could have some upside. Hunter is a 30 something career backup who completely blew his chance of ever being a starting O-Lineman in the NFL last season ever again after almost getting Mark murdered numerous times.
Slauson can definitely play RT better than Hunter. Whether Ducasse is better at LG than Hunter would be at RT is an open question.
Yep. If you're a negative person, it looks like a desperate attempt to fix a line that had some issues last year. If you're positive toward the Jets, you think it means Vlad is fulfilling his potential finally, and they want to leave no stone unturned seeing if Slauson can upgrade RT. It wouldn't surprise me if Vlad improved. Physically, he's everything you want. A lot of his problems are inexperience. Eventually, you either get it or you don't, but I think no training camp last year and no coaching hurt him more than anyone. I think it shows the Jets are still not satisfied at right tackle. But is that really news? Everyone saw last year. Hunter was better than many options in the draft or FA, but he's a below average starter for sure. The Jets SHOULD be trying things, especially early in camp where you can try new things you may think work and see if it translates on the field. It's not like it's a week before the season... Training camp started yesterday.
Stuff like this is typical of most NFL teams, the difference for us is: A) it's the NY media that tends to always blow a situation out of proportion, things are going to be scrutinized to a much higher degree than other cities. B) we had issues with our line last year so it's already under the microscope This is a non-issue untill it becomes an issue. My only concern is if this is a move in part of the health (poor health) of Otah.
Vlad should never have been trying to play RT except perhaps in goal line. He is a G. Nice to see that somebody has finally figured that out. Now hopefully he can demonstrate that he is ready to start between Brick and Mangold. If Otah doesn't make it - then perhaps Slauson can replace WFH.
You know, I've been wondering why they haven't stuck him between 2 of the best O-line guys in the biz yet also.
After listening to the press conference from yesterday in its entirety, it's clear that Sparano wants a more versatile line where people are interchangeable in positions so they can create matchup problems for the defense and provide depth for fatigue / injury. They are working Slauson at RT and Center. I feel that Slauson is going to have an above average year. The oline seems much deeper, I just hope Otag can get healthy. With a mix of Vlad, Otag, Slauson and Hunter all rotating with LG and RT depending, it could be useful.
You can spin this a lot of different ways, but his comments don't mean anything until our new meathead O-line coach sees what each player brings to the table at each position. - Ducasse has shown slow progress up until camp. - Slauson is recovering from a shoulder injury. - Hunter has been less than average as a starter. - None of us knows the situation with Otah, but even of he passes his physical, it will be barely, and if he does, he's still a huge question mark. Otherwise, w wouldn't have gotten him for a case of Red Bull. The only thing we can be sure of is that we are unsure at the left guard and right tackle positions.
Regardless if Otah pans out or not I can see the NYJETS signing a vet or another OL when teams start making cuts. Sparano will see and do things Rex Ryan couldnt in the past and wont go into the season lacking OL men just in case.
Since Woody Johnson has owned the Jets uncertainty on the offensive line has produced issues on the field. 2002 - The Jets are replacing Kerry Jenkins at LG and acquire Dave Szott who gets hurt in camp. The beginning of the season is a disaster as JP Machado cannot play LG adequately and both Vinny and Curtis suffer in the process. 2003 - Who's going to replace Randy Thomas? Chad's broken wrist in training camp through RG is the early answer and Chad's descent into brittleness begins. 2005 - Who is replacing Kareem McKenzie at RT? The Jets shuffle Jason Fabini who is 30 and Adrian Jones who sucks around the tackle positions in a total disaster all year long. 2007 - LG, don't want Pete Kendall any more let's put a big yahoo out there and see what happens. Total disaster is what. 2011 - RT, don't want Damien Woody any more lets put a big yahoo out there and see what happens. Yeah. 2012 - RT and LG. We've got a 31 year old career backup, a 3rd year man with 2 left feet, a good player who has been on the field for 4 of the last 32 games and a guy who looks like a good swing backup all along the line. Yeah that'll work. My ass it'll work. If Otah is not good to go we're going to have another freaking disaster on our hands only this time the talent behind the disaster is not as good as most of the talent we've had in past disasters. Rex's Jets can go 4-12. People are delusional if they think that he's some kind of magic bullet against a total collapse at this point. He has less control of the locker room than any coach since Rich Kotite.
I think you suffer from a serious case of wishful thinking and ignorance. Moving OLers around in hopes of creating "versatility" is what Sparano had his coaches do with the OL in Miami. It didn't work. Furthermore, OLs are NOT like DLs where DTs and DEs rotate all the time or and players frequently switch from side to side. Because of the complexity of most offensive plays, OL blocking assignments are very specific for each position, not just between OTs and OGs and Cs but between RTs and LTs, RGs and LGs. Crap, even the physical measurables and skill sets for RT and LT are different! OLs work best when the same guys play together game in and game out. The idea of an OL "gelling" refers to the OL becoming stronger because the guys develop chemistry with each other. Playing musical positions with the OL really says, "we don't have good starters and we don't have depth, but maybe we'll throw some shit on the wall and hope something sticks". IMO, it would be better to just accept that Hunter is crap at RT and design plays to have the TEs and RBs help him and leave the rest of the OL alone. Another alternative is to have more quick developing plays with three step drops to make Hunter less vulnerable because he has to pass block for less time. Chan Gailey used both of these techniques to mitigate the Bills' OT problems on both sides of the line the last two years. It had some success, especially early in the season, but as teams figured out what the Bills were doing last season, the effectiveness diminished. The only real solution, of course, is to upgrade the talent at OT, and the best way to do that is to draft it.
Well, wouldn't it make sense to get guys used to different positions in case of injury? The Jets have 1 elite OL and another very good one. Moore hopefully bounces back off injury. The other 2 spots, the Jets seem to feel they have guys around a similar talent level, so they want to try some things and see what sticks. Again, July 28th. And just because different positions involve different skillsets and sizes doesn't mean there aren't players with overlapping skillsets between positions.
IMO, Slaw is practicing at RT 'just in case' Sanchez goes down and Tebow comes in. If that happens, RT becomes LT, and WFH ain't no LT.
I'm not saying they'll rotate them constantly. It just can't hurt if Slauson can back up RT or C, or play it in different scenarios. Yes, it's good for depth if Mangold tweaks an ankle or something like last season. If that happens, Ducasse comes to LG and Slauson moves to center. And yes, I'd rather see Slauson at RT than Hunter. Slow your role, Bills fan. Don't be mad because our young guys are heading in the right direction. Ducasse emerging this year would be perfect. We did address the line via draft, silly.
Slauson played some RT in college I believe, I'm glad there's a competition at that spot even without Otah. Vlad is definitely more suited to be a OG.
I'm very skeptical of this concept of supposedly building OL depth because it's what the Bills used during the Jauron era when they had a totally terrible OL except for LT Jason Peters. It didn't work for the Bills. It didn't work for Sparano in Miami. I think it says that your team has virtually no real OL depth. If it's just a TC experiment to see if Ducasse can play OG and if Slauson might be better than Hunter, that's one thing. If practicing at different positions on the OL becomes a regular or frequent part of the Jets practices, I don't think that's going to be very successful. Usually, the only guys who regularly practice at more than one position are the reserves.
Vlad is a Guard. They should have never tried to get him to play RT s it was never going to work. Thank Schotty and Callahan for screwing him up. Building OL depth is smart and does work quite well despite Catt's viewpoint. When you have an injury on the OL you have to be prepared to fill in.
