While there are no guarantees, Thomas' chances of becoming a great LT are at least 10-20x greater than the other schlubs who play the position. If you seriously think winning one game against the Steelers and thus winning one more game this season helps establish a winning culture, then I don't know what to tell you, except that it's utterly laughable.
How else does a new HC start to establish a winning culture other than winning games? If you seriously think Thomas’ chances of becoming a great LT are at least 10-20x greater than the other “schlubs” who play the position, then I don’t what to tell you, except that it’s utterly laughable. Not to mention we have no idea at this point if Thomas will even make it to 7, won’t be available at 10 or if he will even be the top ranked LT prospect in the draft, not like he is some can’t miss generational LT prospect.
I disagree. I think Jackson is the only for sure LT in the class. Thomas has the potential to be better but Jackson will be an LT. Walker Little will also be an LT, questions with him are does he continue to get injured.
That's fine. We can agree to disagree. Perhaps as we get closer to the draft I might even agree, but for right now I think there are only two sure thing LTs in this draft class, and neither of them are Jackson or Walker LIttle. They are Thomas and Trey Adams. The best LT prospect in the draft is Trey Adams in terms of polish, technique and being ready to play in the NFL. Injuries are the big question/concern with him.
I like Adams and he could be good but he has the same issue as Little. Little missed all of last season because of injury. I think if he wouldn't have he would be the top tackle taken. He had an amazing year last year and looked to continue it this year but the injury killed it.
How else? By getting the talent that will enable him to win consistently, NOT by winning a game or two late in a lost season. Getting Thomas, Lamb or a boatload of picks in the draft for trading down would go a lot further in helping to establish a winning culture, than winning a meaningless game late in a lost season. When 1/3 to 1/2 of the players on your roster won't be on the team within two years, there is little, if any, momentum or culture-changing effect from a win. One cannot establish a winning culture with a terrible roster and/or bad coaching. That only happens once you get plentiful talent on the roster and good coaching. At the moment, we have both a terrible roster and bad coaching. Thus, there is zero chance that a winning culture will be established in what's left of this awful season. With a great offseason, and either a greatly improved/changed coaching style from Gase, or a new HC we can begin establishing a winning culture. I fear, however, that a winning culture won't be able to be established until after Gase is gone.
This remind me of the pepple that think we are an o line away from being some super team. I agree with you 100%. We need so much including good coaching and good front office. Our depth anywhere except linebacker and dline is crap. We need a WR1, CB1, o line, edge rusher, healthy TE... This team is far from contending.
Sure. Dallas, Oakland, Pittsburgh oline's say hello... 2 may make the playoffs... none will make it through the first round of the playoffs. Each are missing important pieces outside of o line. . O line doesn't guarantee being a contender. It helps, but you need everything else i listed as well
There's a difference between contending for a wild card, and being a true contender for the Lombardi Trophy.
All of those teams are contending for the playoffs though. Mostly because of those lines. But your never going to have all of those things you listed at the same time. Not in a cap league. So you need the strengths to play good enough to hide the deficiencies. In our case a good o line would have opened up a better running game which in turn helped the passing game.
Also do you think Pittsburg would even be "contending" for a wild card if we switch their linebackers, corners, and free safety for what we used this year? Also replace juju with Robbie... same with Dallas. And you can say injuries but this goes back to a depth issue... this team needs a lot more.
The d played at a playoff level. Switch Pitts d and give them a healthy Ben and they are in the playoffs . Do you think they are a 8 win team without Ben and our o line? We are a playoff team with Sam and pitts o line.
Pit is contending because of their coach and defense. Dallas is contending because of oline, dak, zeke, and true wr1 and part of their defense (linebackers and dline), oakland has a pass rush and a runningback. And they aren't contending, they luck into the playoffs to lose first round. Contending for a title isn't something they are capable of.
No we aren't... our secondary will still crumble to any good team. Our weapons aren't catching the ball enough. And our coach is the worst coach in the 2nd half of games perhaps in league history. He cannot make adjustments so teams beat him in the 2nd half everytime.
I agree with this, but teams have turned it around quickly in the past with a great offseason or two. I'm not content with just contending for a wildcard spot. I don't think J-Raw was talking about being a super team, either. I think he was just talking a true contender for the Lombardi Trophy. Yes, if we can fix the OL this offseason and add another piece or two, we should be in contention for the playoffs. I'm not one of those people who thinks or hopes that if we can just eke into the playoffs we might get hot and win it all. I think that's a pipe dream, and certainly isn't sustainable.
Given the holes we have, you're right. But, if Douglas is as good as the hype surrounding him, he should turn us into a contender within 2 years. By then we should have a rebuilt OL, upgrades at CB, Edge, WR, and a new RB.
