Who Starts on the O-Line???
by shaynehb22 on Jul 19, 2011 10:45 PM PDT
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PrintI don't know about you guys, but I am chomping at the bit for fall camp to start. I have been reading anything and everything about the team and one thing keeps coming back to haunt me -- the 5th starter on the O-Line!?
We have Mike Harris (RT), Chris Ward (RG), Kai Maiava (C) and Sean Sheller (LG or LT?) all pretty locked in to start...If Jeff Baca was healthy, we would have our most experienced and talented line in quite some time. Unfortunately he's likely to miss the first month of the season with a broken ankle...so who is the 5th starter? I heard Sheller was moving inside to left guard and Connor Bradford might get time at left tackle but last time I checked, Bradford has never played a down of college football and weighs 275 pounds! Does that sound like the kind of guy you want protecting your QB's blind side? My thought is the lesser of two evils might be having all 6'4" and 328 pounds of Wade Yandall at left guard between the experienced Maiava and Sheller. This way Sheller can stay at the same spot he started at last year...I'd love to hear any of your thoughts on the topic because I think it's the one spot on the team that looks like a glaring weakness heading into camp!
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.
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It's going to be an interesting spot
To watch this fall camp. The most important position in football other than Qb , is the Qb’s blind side (left tackle) . I’m sure Coach Palcic has a plan, but its definitely a major challenge for him. Hopefully , the “backups” are working their tails off, so we have little to no drop off. Its my opinion that the difference between teams on the verge of becoming good, and good teams are their scout teams . I’m hoping for the best and know that if EVERYONE buys in to the team , we will be a good team. Definitely will surpass the eye test this year if they buy in, and dedicate themselves to everything that encompasses being a great football team.
I’m excited as a kid in a candy store for this season to start. Go BRUINS!
Bruin for life!!!!
You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one. - John Wooden
Also
Albert Cid might be able to contribute right away a la Eddie Williams at the guard position .
Bruin for life!!!!
You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one. - John Wooden
I was wondering about that also...
All the freshman are now listed on the official roster (the linemen have all bulked up) but I don’t see Albert Cid anywhere…I hope he gets in, we could definitely use the depth…
Call me crazy
but it looks like UCLA will actually have one of the most experienced O-lines in the conference…I see those names and I feel pretty confident. I think our QB will have that extra 2 seconds to throw the ball…now it’s a question of whether our WRs will learn how to get open…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
or catch the ball..
although, i’m with you on o-line being one of the more experienced lines in the conference.
by mjfanatic42 on Jul 20, 2011 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions
spread offense?
SO this might be a crazy idea, but why not have some 4 receiver sets with all the small quick guys putting a ton of pressure on the defense to cover the whole field? I’d much rather see Carroll, Marvray, Thigpen and Josh Smith out there than our two tall, relatively slow guys who don’t seem to care or know how to get open…
are you for real?
Given the recent development of the offense, and coaching changes designed to mesh with that new direction, do you really think a switch to the spread is remotely likely? Does it fit any of the personnel except the (to date massively underachieving) receivers? Or are you just trolling?
You mention above questions about the LT/LG position, the QB’s blindside where you need consistent standout performance if you want to play a pass-heavy game. The running back position is probably the strength of the offense, and Palcic’s O-line from last season had much better run-blocking success than pass-blocking. And we hired a coach specifically to help coordinate the pistol-style run game. 4-receiver sets appear to be (a) the last thing we should want to incorporate as a staple in our arsenal given our personnel and (b) the last thing we are likely to focus on given our coaching changes.
spread O aside he does raise an interesting issue ...
stretching the field in both directions is something we’ve not seen from our O of late. we have the speed to do it. and it’s something we’re told the team has been working on in the offseason. while it’s crazy to think we can pull off a spread offense with our personnel, i do envision more 4-5 receiver sets. that said, we need to learn how to catch the damn ball before we can even think about forcing defenses to play the whole field. fundamentals fundamentals fundamentals.
I think we need to work on
not needing a tight end to be a permanent blocker because our O-line play is so poor before we start worrying about the spread. Just sayin.
"Every day was a good day at UCLA." -Coach John Wooden
by OswegoBruin on Jul 22, 2011 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
yes I am for real, and not "trolling"
The reasons I thought of 4 receiver sets are:
1) Mike Johnson has experience running the spread offense.
2) We are looking to improve our passing game and keep defenses on their heals. Our ridiculously predictable run-heavy offense last year didn’t work, especially toward the end of the year.
3) Our QB’s already line up in the shotgun and it seems like it wouldn’t be that difficult to pull the tight end, keep Derrick Coleman in to pass protect and have 4 little guys scramble to mix things up.
4) Spread offenses get rid of the ball quickly so weak lines don’t have to pass protect for very long.
5) I’m not sold on Nelson Rosario and Taylor Embree as big time playmakers. I think getting the ball in the hands of our smaller, quicker game-breaker types would be a good idea.
I could probably go on, but I’ll stop there for now. Sorry you thought I was trolling or not “for real” I was really just thinking of ways our passing offense could be more effective and dynamic to compliment an already strong running game.
Spread offenses require quick linemen
and a quarterback who can run a spread offense. We have neither.
Our “ridiculously predictable” run-heavy offense was only so because we couldn’t pass. In any even mediocre passing game, it would have been dynamic
Our QBs aren’t lined up in the shotgun, they’re lined up in the pistol, which is closer to the line of scrimmage. This allows for quicker-striking plays in shotgun. Shotgun is far from center because it gives the QB time to pass, but it’s not helpful when your QB is getting rushed every single play and isn’t mobile enough.
Spread offenses don’t always get the ball off quickly. Many patters in the spread require longer than pistol plays to form.
I agree about embree and rosario.
"Every day was a good day at UCLA." -Coach John Wooden
Alright
SO maybe it was a crazy idea! But maybe I wasn’t totally clear either — I was NOT saying to make a switch to a spread offense. I was just saying why don’t we work in some 4 receiver sets to mix things up! Regardless of what any of us here think — with Mike Johnson’s background I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a little of that this year…
Neither would I.
But I don’t think they will be as effective as you think until we can actually maintain a pocket and find a quarterback who can deliver the ball, much less receivers willing to catch.
"Every day was a good day at UCLA." -Coach John Wooden
by OswegoBruin on Jul 21, 2011 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions
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