The Offensive Line | Page 23 | Barking Hard

The Offensive Line

I would be fine with them even signing another practice squad nobody to replace Erving. Reiter looked fantastic in that role and I'm sure there are others out there who would be an improvement over Erving. I don't care if he was the 1st overall pick let a lone a late 1st rounder, he sucks beyond reason and he isn't improving. I'll take my lumps with this team as long as they are showing they can improve but Erving has done nothing to justify playing him.

How can Hue or anyone get an accurate read of how the rest of the team is performing when the offense can't stay on the field due to constant QB pressure? We're getting a damn good look at the defense but as much as they are having to play can't be good for their psyche either. Which brings me back to Erving...players aren't stupid. It has to be incredibly frustrating for them to put up with his ineptitude on every play, especially the veterans. It's shit like that that will make them lose respect for Hue too.
 
PFF:

"While the on-field production has been poor this year, not everything is as bad as it might seem. The offensive line is actually a strength—when healthy. Critics will point to quarterback injuries and blame them on poor O-line play, but that isn’t the case here, as the unit ranks 19th in pass-blocking efficiency this season, at 76.8. While the sack (19) and QB hit (24) numbers are high, so is the number of passing snaps (456)—third-most in the NFL this season.

Heading into Week 11, PFF ranked Cleveland’s offensive line as ninth-best in the NFL; most Browns fans will immediately roll their eyes at that. Go watch the Vikings, Seahawks, Colts, and 49ers offensive lines, and see what really bad O-line play looks like. Outside of Cam Erving, the Browns’ unit is average-to-elite in its makeup."

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I really don't have a problem with the opinion. Take Cam out and put Bitonio back in, and the o-line would be...

JT-JB-JC-SD-AP

... and things could have looked quite a bit different. Crow was in Zeke country when Bitonio was healthy (first two games)
 
I think if the Browns were starting Thomas, Bitonio, Reiter, Greco, and either Pasztor or Drango, we'd have a top 10-12 line for sure. Certainly wouldn't be a team weakness, or among the bottom 10. And I'd take it a step farther: If we had that line all year, we'd have at least 3 wins by now.
 
Thomas, Bitonio, Reiter, Greco, and either Pasztor or Drango,

That line + Derek Carr (instead of the 6 quarterback carousel) and we're a 5 win team rolling into turkey day, and at least in the playoff discussion - which is my old bar for an acceptable season. That bar has been reset for fall of '17.
 
Hitting on an NFL difference maker is hard. Hitting on an NFL QB difference maker is harder. Why not increase your chances of success by drafting him high in the 1st round? I'd rather swing and miss on a QB than swing and miss at ANY other position....especially for the Browns.
 
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I am with Joe Thomas right now. Can you imagine going to work everyday with this group of hacks? Greco is OK but the rest of the line is terrible and absolutely do not deserve a NFL uniform. I don't care what PFF says. Yea, some lines are worse but those teams have better QB's that understand what the defense is bringing. Zero understanding where the blitz is coming from and the line, QB and RB are all at fault. Does anyone watch tape? Don't sell me on Reiter either. 1 game does not make a center and that guy is long gone at the moment. We'll have 4 centers in camp next year.

The thing I'm pissed about right now as I'm drinking... is it does not look like Hue is pulling the plug on Cam. IS this Hue or the F/O making that decision?? If every fuck-tard football fan can see that guy should not be on the field and he is a major liability to the health of his teammates. Who is taking responsibility for allowing that guy to put on a uniform??? If Cam is the starting center coming out of the bye week Hue deserves to loose his job. And I really don't want that to happen. But no test dummy QB deserves to stand back there for Hue and the F/O to draft their replacement next year.

Hue needs to change the play calling now. We cannot be a vertical team with the talent we have at QB or upfront. And somehow we need to run the ball more than 10 times a game. I also have seen no creativity since the Miami game. Wild cat was good for a week but we need to show something new at this point. Something that is not on tape to throw unbalance. God I think I'm looking more forward to the bye, probably more than the players.
 
Hitting on an NFL difference maker is hard. Hitting on an NFL QB difference maker is harder. Why not increase your chances of success by drafting him high in the 1st round? I'd rather swing and miss on a QB than swing and miss at ANY other position....especially for the Browns.

There's no way you leave us hanging on that edit.... put it in cider......
 
You know I am probably going to catch some heat on this but I actually liked the Manziel pick at the time. I would rather draft a guy that was boom or bust at the QB position than draft a compromise. I felt all the other QB's outside of Couch were a compromise. You can select a game manager or a game changer at that position. And I'm not talking a running QB. If you draft the later you have to accept the highs and lows then possibly of the team in rehab. Whoever our next guy is better be a gunslinger. That mentality is what usually makes a guy.
 
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Guys it doesn't matter what OLineman we play if we don't run the ball. That's what influences this offense the most. Understand what it means to a defense when we have no run game. Hell any of us could put up solid defensive play calls when the opponent can't run the ball. The only real question is how often and how many guys are blitzing and 8 or 9 guys in the box.
 
You know I am probably going to catch some heat on this but I actually liked the Manziel pick at the time. I would rather draft a guy that was boom or bust at the QB position than draft a compromise. I felt all the other QB's outside of Couch were a compromise. You can select a game manager or a game changer at that position. And I'm not talking a running QB. If you draft the later you have to accept the highs and lows then possibly of the team in rehab. Whoever our next guy is better be a gunslinger. That mentality is what usually makes a guy.

Me too.
My son is 17 and I think it was the most excited he'd ever been about the Browns in his life.
 
Guys it doesn't matter what OLineman we play if we don't run the ball. That's what influences this offense the most. Understand what it means to a defense when we have no run game. Hell any of us could put up solid defensive play calls when the opponent can't run the ball. The only real question is how often and how many guys are blitzing and 8 or 9 guys in the box.

I've been saying this as well. We cannot win a game with a vertical passing game with the QB's we have. RG3 maybe but the line does not work for vert passing. The only chance we have is a ball control offense where we limit our defense. Running will not stop the blitz though. Screens and TE's in the center of the field wide open will though. Forget chucking the ball +20 yards down field. We don't have the players to make this effective.
 
I've been saying this as well. We cannot win a game with a vertical passing game with the QB's we have. RG3 maybe but the line does not work for vert passing. The only chance we have is a ball control offense where we limit our defense. Running will not stop the blitz though. Screens and TE's in the center of the field wide open will though. Forget chucking the ball +20 yards down field. We don't have the players to make this effective.

The play calling has been horrible. WTF is Hue thinking half the time?
 
Me too.
My son is 17 and I think it was the most excited he'd ever been about the Browns in his life.

Spot on. My oldest is 16 and same thing.

We all talked about it and I remember even the detractors saying something to the effect of, 'It will be exciting to watch'.

How you go with the "safe" guy when taking the 3rd or 4th QB off the board is beyond me. All that means is he'll "safely suck".

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As others have chimed in here: WTF, Hue? I mean seriously Hue, why the fuck is that guy playing?
 
The problem with the OL also has a ton to do with the QB's behind it right now. McCown/RGIII are both KNOWN as QB's that hold onto the ball way to damn long...and Kessler has been doing it too.

You add that to the WR group being very young and/or inexperienced so they are not getting separation early in their routes...and it adds up to 8 in the box shutting down the run and letting zone cover 2 shut down the deep ball. Now all you have is short under coverage passes. Miss one, and now you are behind the sticks. It is a losing combination.
 
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