McMicah
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Just like last year, I go back after every preseason game and watch every play at least 5x to watch each O Lineman. Here are my observations (TLDR: backup IOL is just fine, backup OT is scary)
Starting 5 were Edoga, Richards, Hoffman, Bass, Waletzko
Great performers:
Guyton - No, I’m not just saying that because he’s a 1st round pick. It was a small sample size of 21 snaps, but he had no bad plays and some really dominant ones. He’s not Tyron Smith (yet), but he played with control, power, and quickness. No mental mistakes either. Get excited! He has excellent push in the run game. My favorite play was Lances big scramble where a guy try an inside move on Guyton and Guyton just decided to wash him toward the right sideline. I think the scouting department might have done it again!
Richards - I do not understand how this guy doesn’t get more love. He was excellent. He played 27 snaps at LG and 6 at LT. He’s good at both, honestly. He’s a better tackle than waletzko and Edoga, and a better guard than Beebe or Bass or Ball (yes, I said that). Watch him in pass pro. He doesn’t really go backwards, just stonewalls guys. He also pretty nasty in run plays. I think he got beat once and didn’t quite get to a reach block on a sweep toss and that was all I could find negative
Good Performers:
Ball - I moved Josh down from great to good at the last minute because he blew an assignment and got beat badly on one other play…Other than that, he was really good on 38 snaps. He might be the most underrated OL on the team. The difference between him and Asim is that he’s slightly less consistent, but is an absolute bully. Like Asim, he barely moves back in pass pro, but in the run game, holy cow. He pushes guys out more than anyone else on the line. I’ll be shocked if they cut him.
Hoffman - I’ll admit up front last year I was Hoffmans biggest hater, and I still maintain he was awful. Clearly he worked hard this offseason, and has improved a lot. That said, he was good, not great. Truthfully, he looked like a Biadasz clone (you decide if that’s good or bad). I also didn’t see much of a difference between him and Beebe in power or technique, but he definitely wins in being the brain of the OL. My only thing that irks me is that he gets walked back pretty easily by backups in the lap of Lance. Excited and a little nervous to see him this year.
Beebe - Beebe played really well for a rookie. No botched snaps and got some pancakes. He did seem to struggle with stunts and I think just forgot what to do on a couple plays, but he did great in pass and run blocking. He’d be a great C/G flex guy. He does get pushed back in pass pro way more than Asim and Ball. Honestly I noticed almost no drop off between him and Hoffman athletically, just a slight difference in mental side, which I expect from a rookie
‘Meh’ Performers:
Bass - Like Ball, I moved bass down at the last second. He was actually comparable to Beebe and Hoffman, but he anchors against power a little better, and (here’s why he’s ‘meh’) he gets killed by speed rushers more than he should. He had a few bad plays and missed an assignment. He’s also not the most powerful guy in the run game but he’s serviceable.
Shepley - This guy wasn’t bad at all. It was a smaller sample size but I only tallied one really bad play. I have no clue where he came from but he held up ok playing C and G, although I’ll take Beebe over him
Lineman That Make Me Sad:
Edoga - I don’t even care about the injury. Edoga shouldn’t be on this team. At best he’s a progress stopper for Richards or someone else. He only played one series (6 snaps) but literally every other play I graded as a bad snap. He’s always hurt and isn’t good. I just don’t get it. He reaches and over extends, is slow, gets knocked back quickly against power, is useless pulling…just ugh. I get that we need a swing tackle, but I’d take Bostick over him (and I don’t like Bostick)
Bostick - See? Told ya. To me, Bostick is just a healthy version of Waletzko or Edoga, but I like his upside a tiny bit better cause he plays both sides. He had a BAD 2nd qtr and early 3rd qtr. Really bad. He had 17 snaps at RT and over 35 snaps at LT. He’s wasn’t great at either but seems more comfy on the right side. After 5m into the 3rd, he actually played ok. He gets beat by speed around the corner and gets pushed into the QBs lap way too fast.
Waletzko - Woof. This guy had a rough game. Probably my lowest performer and he only played one position, which is why he scares me more than Bostick. He does sometimes get decent push in the run game but as a pass blocker it’s just holding your breath every play. When he gets beat, it’s immediate. And I noticed multiple times he punches and HE goes backwards like his punch rebounded on him. He was in Lances lap way too fast on lots of plays, and has all the same tendencies I listed for Edoga. I’m also just waiting for him to get hurt like he always does
Pumped about the interior and Guyton, but Houston we have a OT problem
Let me know what you guys thought about OL below
Starting 5 were Edoga, Richards, Hoffman, Bass, Waletzko
Great performers:
Guyton - No, I’m not just saying that because he’s a 1st round pick. It was a small sample size of 21 snaps, but he had no bad plays and some really dominant ones. He’s not Tyron Smith (yet), but he played with control, power, and quickness. No mental mistakes either. Get excited! He has excellent push in the run game. My favorite play was Lances big scramble where a guy try an inside move on Guyton and Guyton just decided to wash him toward the right sideline. I think the scouting department might have done it again!
Richards - I do not understand how this guy doesn’t get more love. He was excellent. He played 27 snaps at LG and 6 at LT. He’s good at both, honestly. He’s a better tackle than waletzko and Edoga, and a better guard than Beebe or Bass or Ball (yes, I said that). Watch him in pass pro. He doesn’t really go backwards, just stonewalls guys. He also pretty nasty in run plays. I think he got beat once and didn’t quite get to a reach block on a sweep toss and that was all I could find negative
Good Performers:
Ball - I moved Josh down from great to good at the last minute because he blew an assignment and got beat badly on one other play…Other than that, he was really good on 38 snaps. He might be the most underrated OL on the team. The difference between him and Asim is that he’s slightly less consistent, but is an absolute bully. Like Asim, he barely moves back in pass pro, but in the run game, holy cow. He pushes guys out more than anyone else on the line. I’ll be shocked if they cut him.
Hoffman - I’ll admit up front last year I was Hoffmans biggest hater, and I still maintain he was awful. Clearly he worked hard this offseason, and has improved a lot. That said, he was good, not great. Truthfully, he looked like a Biadasz clone (you decide if that’s good or bad). I also didn’t see much of a difference between him and Beebe in power or technique, but he definitely wins in being the brain of the OL. My only thing that irks me is that he gets walked back pretty easily by backups in the lap of Lance. Excited and a little nervous to see him this year.
Beebe - Beebe played really well for a rookie. No botched snaps and got some pancakes. He did seem to struggle with stunts and I think just forgot what to do on a couple plays, but he did great in pass and run blocking. He’d be a great C/G flex guy. He does get pushed back in pass pro way more than Asim and Ball. Honestly I noticed almost no drop off between him and Hoffman athletically, just a slight difference in mental side, which I expect from a rookie
‘Meh’ Performers:
Bass - Like Ball, I moved bass down at the last second. He was actually comparable to Beebe and Hoffman, but he anchors against power a little better, and (here’s why he’s ‘meh’) he gets killed by speed rushers more than he should. He had a few bad plays and missed an assignment. He’s also not the most powerful guy in the run game but he’s serviceable.
Shepley - This guy wasn’t bad at all. It was a smaller sample size but I only tallied one really bad play. I have no clue where he came from but he held up ok playing C and G, although I’ll take Beebe over him
Lineman That Make Me Sad:
Edoga - I don’t even care about the injury. Edoga shouldn’t be on this team. At best he’s a progress stopper for Richards or someone else. He only played one series (6 snaps) but literally every other play I graded as a bad snap. He’s always hurt and isn’t good. I just don’t get it. He reaches and over extends, is slow, gets knocked back quickly against power, is useless pulling…just ugh. I get that we need a swing tackle, but I’d take Bostick over him (and I don’t like Bostick)
Bostick - See? Told ya. To me, Bostick is just a healthy version of Waletzko or Edoga, but I like his upside a tiny bit better cause he plays both sides. He had a BAD 2nd qtr and early 3rd qtr. Really bad. He had 17 snaps at RT and over 35 snaps at LT. He’s wasn’t great at either but seems more comfy on the right side. After 5m into the 3rd, he actually played ok. He gets beat by speed around the corner and gets pushed into the QBs lap way too fast.
Waletzko - Woof. This guy had a rough game. Probably my lowest performer and he only played one position, which is why he scares me more than Bostick. He does sometimes get decent push in the run game but as a pass blocker it’s just holding your breath every play. When he gets beat, it’s immediate. And I noticed multiple times he punches and HE goes backwards like his punch rebounded on him. He was in Lances lap way too fast on lots of plays, and has all the same tendencies I listed for Edoga. I’m also just waiting for him to get hurt like he always does
Pumped about the interior and Guyton, but Houston we have a OT problem
Let me know what you guys thought about OL below
