PoetTree
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Okay, so, aside from just last night, everyone's been pretty down on the O-line most of the off-season. And after last year's performance, it's with good cause. But while the squad got apparently whipped last night, I have a few thoughts about it that, at the very least, make ME feel better about its potential.
There were a myriad voices last night talking about the number of first-rounders on the Minnesota offensive-line, and how this is the reason they're so stout in the trenches. But honestly, has anyone taken an objective look at our own O-line? I'll list them from best-to-least...
At left tackle, we have a high 2nd-round pick & two-time pro-bowler in Flozel Adams. Two years ago he was revered as one of the top-3 tackles in the game. By all accounts, he was having a very good season last year before the injury & has been said to be regaining that form throughout training camp. Obviously, when healthy, he's among the very best at his position.
Then, we have Marco Rivera. Now, I'm not sure what his draft position was (6th-round?), but what I do know is that he was a 3-time consecutive pro-bowler when we signed him from Green Bay & had been a key clog in what most considered to be THE BEST offensive line in football -- keeping Favre as the least sacked QB in the league over that span and paving way for several monster seasons by RB Ahman Green. The back surgery certainly set him back last year, but again, by all accounts, he's regained the form he had before the injury and has been looking like the guy they thought they were signing in '05. Who remembers him sprinting down the sideline ahead of Marion Barber in last week's game? That's some hustle from a 33-year-old lineman, folks.
Andre Gurode. Yes, I know he's been much maligned by the Cowboys nation, and apparently had one stinker of a game last night. But let's not just sweep him under the rug quite yet. For one, this is guy who was drafted near the very beginning of the 2nd-round, and was considered a "great value" to have been selected that low. Almost every team in the league had a first-round grade on him. Now, he comes in his rookie season (at center) and looks like an absolute beast. Then, there's an injury and he's moved out to right guard. He stays at right guard for the next few years, until Parcells finally moves him back to his native position last season and... *gasp*... he begins to flash the talent that gave him that unanimous 1st-round grade to begin with --
-- and there he began this training camp, playing such that he simply SEIZED the starting spot from Al Johnson (who despite being a little underpowered, is still a pretty good center) and has not relinquished his grip from the first-string ever since. And now, let's remember, this training camp performance that has had Parcells and everyone else raving about Gurode has come against OUR defense, which is universally hailed as being one of the very best in the league. Every report I read had Andre stonewalling pretty much every defender they put before him, and basically intimated that he was finally looking like the guy we drafted back in '02. And so, sure, maybe he had a bad game last night. But I've not nearly given up hope in Gurode becoming the player I always felt he could be. Everyone has bad games, even the great Larry Allen. But take hope. I think we may just have something here at center.
Now, in my opinion, it gets a little dicey after what I see as the top-3. And yet, not without hope there, either. Because I've got good feelings about Marco Columbo. Aside from the coaching staff's proclamations that there is no tougher player on the team than Columbo, here is a former 1st-round pick who we never would have had a shot at signing if not for some nasty injuries early in his career. However, he is now recovered from those injuries, has regained his strength, has been the surprise favorite at right tackle almost from day-1, and has the coaching staff saying that he's out there looking like a 1st-round pick. And I've seen nothing with my own eyes to dissuade that line of thinking. We may be far better at right tackle than anyone dared imagine heading into this season. Columbo has not given anyone reason to worry.
And then, we have the dearly departed left guard position. Yes, Kyle Kosier will never be Larry Allen. I'd say he's the weakest-link on our line. And yet, I'm not sure I'd describe him as anything less than "solid". Now, maybe he also had a bad game last night. It sounds like the whole line did, for the most part. But I have seen nothing from him that makes me scared of his play. Reportedly and visually, he has been "solid" throughout camp and the pre-season. And while we all may miss the dominating ability that LA once provided, if you've got some other pieces in place, you can win with "solid" in this league. In fact, you have to. Can't have chopped sirloin at every position, as Mickey would say.
---
And so, yeah. This year's unit certainly won't be the finest offensive line we've ever trotted out. But while everyone was touting the credentials of the Vikings' squad as reasoning for why they whipped us last night, it brought to mind the pedigree of our own unit:
~ Two Pro-Bowlers
~ Two 2nd-Rounders
~ One 1st-Rounder
~ One "solid" Journeyman
~ 5 Pro-Bowls Between Them
Yeah, maybe it's not quite the pedigree of the Vikings' line.
But it's certainly reason for hope...
Peace and Love
- PoetTree -
Okay, so, aside from just last night, everyone's been pretty down on the O-line most of the off-season. And after last year's performance, it's with good cause. But while the squad got apparently whipped last night, I have a few thoughts about it that, at the very least, make ME feel better about its potential.
There were a myriad voices last night talking about the number of first-rounders on the Minnesota offensive-line, and how this is the reason they're so stout in the trenches. But honestly, has anyone taken an objective look at our own O-line? I'll list them from best-to-least...
At left tackle, we have a high 2nd-round pick & two-time pro-bowler in Flozel Adams. Two years ago he was revered as one of the top-3 tackles in the game. By all accounts, he was having a very good season last year before the injury & has been said to be regaining that form throughout training camp. Obviously, when healthy, he's among the very best at his position.
Then, we have Marco Rivera. Now, I'm not sure what his draft position was (6th-round?), but what I do know is that he was a 3-time consecutive pro-bowler when we signed him from Green Bay & had been a key clog in what most considered to be THE BEST offensive line in football -- keeping Favre as the least sacked QB in the league over that span and paving way for several monster seasons by RB Ahman Green. The back surgery certainly set him back last year, but again, by all accounts, he's regained the form he had before the injury and has been looking like the guy they thought they were signing in '05. Who remembers him sprinting down the sideline ahead of Marion Barber in last week's game? That's some hustle from a 33-year-old lineman, folks.
Andre Gurode. Yes, I know he's been much maligned by the Cowboys nation, and apparently had one stinker of a game last night. But let's not just sweep him under the rug quite yet. For one, this is guy who was drafted near the very beginning of the 2nd-round, and was considered a "great value" to have been selected that low. Almost every team in the league had a first-round grade on him. Now, he comes in his rookie season (at center) and looks like an absolute beast. Then, there's an injury and he's moved out to right guard. He stays at right guard for the next few years, until Parcells finally moves him back to his native position last season and... *gasp*... he begins to flash the talent that gave him that unanimous 1st-round grade to begin with --
-- and there he began this training camp, playing such that he simply SEIZED the starting spot from Al Johnson (who despite being a little underpowered, is still a pretty good center) and has not relinquished his grip from the first-string ever since. And now, let's remember, this training camp performance that has had Parcells and everyone else raving about Gurode has come against OUR defense, which is universally hailed as being one of the very best in the league. Every report I read had Andre stonewalling pretty much every defender they put before him, and basically intimated that he was finally looking like the guy we drafted back in '02. And so, sure, maybe he had a bad game last night. But I've not nearly given up hope in Gurode becoming the player I always felt he could be. Everyone has bad games, even the great Larry Allen. But take hope. I think we may just have something here at center.
Now, in my opinion, it gets a little dicey after what I see as the top-3. And yet, not without hope there, either. Because I've got good feelings about Marco Columbo. Aside from the coaching staff's proclamations that there is no tougher player on the team than Columbo, here is a former 1st-round pick who we never would have had a shot at signing if not for some nasty injuries early in his career. However, he is now recovered from those injuries, has regained his strength, has been the surprise favorite at right tackle almost from day-1, and has the coaching staff saying that he's out there looking like a 1st-round pick. And I've seen nothing with my own eyes to dissuade that line of thinking. We may be far better at right tackle than anyone dared imagine heading into this season. Columbo has not given anyone reason to worry.
And then, we have the dearly departed left guard position. Yes, Kyle Kosier will never be Larry Allen. I'd say he's the weakest-link on our line. And yet, I'm not sure I'd describe him as anything less than "solid". Now, maybe he also had a bad game last night. It sounds like the whole line did, for the most part. But I have seen nothing from him that makes me scared of his play. Reportedly and visually, he has been "solid" throughout camp and the pre-season. And while we all may miss the dominating ability that LA once provided, if you've got some other pieces in place, you can win with "solid" in this league. In fact, you have to. Can't have chopped sirloin at every position, as Mickey would say.
---
And so, yeah. This year's unit certainly won't be the finest offensive line we've ever trotted out. But while everyone was touting the credentials of the Vikings' squad as reasoning for why they whipped us last night, it brought to mind the pedigree of our own unit:
~ Two Pro-Bowlers
~ Two 2nd-Rounders
~ One 1st-Rounder
~ One "solid" Journeyman
~ 5 Pro-Bowls Between Them
Yeah, maybe it's not quite the pedigree of the Vikings' line.
But it's certainly reason for hope...
Peace and Love
- PoetTree -
