Alexander said:
I don't buy into that theory regardless.
I can understand the "Dan Campbell can help" idea because he can by chipping the DE. But a guard making an ordinary tackle better? Not likely.
I've seen plenty of struggling young linemen 'settle down' when a vet was brought in beside him. Could be developmental readiness was about to kick in anyway, but the stablilizing force of an experienced confident player alongside hastens that, imo.
Shame on Ryan...I bet he's still grumbling about what Bill did in 99..the near total revamping of the line...firing both starting guards Todd Burger and Matt O'Dwyer and leaving Young to fend for himself along with rook Randy Thomas.
The two outed guards had ten years of experience between them and Bill chose to let five young guards with ZERO game experience duke it out in camp.
Those two, Ryan and his buddy Randy, did do just fine, and quickly, but they were both as bright as they come.
But the more I think about it, and what Bill is NOT doing here, the more I wonder if this line building piece by piece is gonna work.
In 99, when Bill shocked the AFC by tearing down half a line that had been good enough to go to the AFC Championship Game, he gave no more reason than his disgust that Cyrtis Marin had been taken down no less than 95 times at or behind the LOS in 98,
It was all run blocking motivated...the Jets had been able to score the second highest pts in the AFC, so pass protection was not an issue.
Bill hired an ex guard named Roberts to tutor the kids (which is who Rivera reminds me of). He drafted three players on the line, and brought in as many undrafted rookies as he could find..
Tackles aren't quite as easy to find, but I suspect the day is coming Tuna's disgust mounts high enough to throw out the lot of them.
He has done it before.