Osemele to start at tackle on Monday night

**houstonravensfan** · 09-09-2012, 08:20 PM

I hope this decision is based solely on performance and not personality.

Beyond that, I will not be surprised to see BM starting at LT later this year.

**Bhcforlife** · 09-09-2012, 08:29 PM

This is cutting off your nose to spite your face. Horrible, horrible decision. Not only is Oher a terrible LT, but this puts Williams next to him at LG, which in turns puts an older, weaker, slower guy next to Birk. Don't see the logic in this decision, hopefully it does not end poorly but I have a bad feeling now that Oher is going to show once again that he's nothing more than a turnstile on the left side.

**leachisabeast** · 09-09-2012, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by Bhcforlife

This is cutting off your nose to spite your face. Horrible, horrible decision. Not only is Oher a terrible LT, but this puts Williams next to him at LG, which in turns puts an older, weaker, slower guy next to Birk. Don't see the logic in this decision, hopefully it does not end poorly but I have a bad feeling now that Oher is going to show once again that he's nothing more than a turnstile on the left side.

I'm sure you know more than the coaching staff.

**Ravens44** · 09-10-2012, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

I'm sure you know more than the coaching staff.

I've disagreed with you, but I am starting to agree with you on Oher at LT for the new offense.
Hopefully the fast pace is the reason and works in Oher's favor.
If we get pretty well ahead on teams, it also may make sense to give them breathers on the Oline and put in the bigger guys who would then be fresh to run the ball. In that case, the opposing defenses have been put on their heals and would be getting tired. It would be a perfect scenario to then bring in the big (slower) boys.

**Dirt1** · 09-10-2012, 10:44 AM

I don't think that Bobbie Williams is going to last very long at LG, which is why I don't like this move. If Williams goes down, or just shows that he isn't that good anymore at 36 years of age, then the Ravens will be forced to shuffle their entire OL. If Oher can't handle the LT position, then the Ravens will not be moving him to OG. Oher can make more money as a RT then he could as a LG, which means he will not resign with the Ravens. I love the Ravens, so I hope I am proved wrong, but I have a feeling the Ravens are going to have huge OL issues this year, and it didn't have to be that way.

A "no-huddle" offense is not the same as a hurry-up offense. It just means you get to the line faster to prevent the opponent from substituting players. McKinnie's conditioning would not have been an issue.

**jonboy79** · 09-10-2012, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Dirt1

I . Oher can make more money as a RT then he could as a LG, which means he will not resign with the Ravens.

Sory, not even remotely close to true. Top end guards make more then ANY RT. Average guards earm more then almost any RT. RT is the lowest paid OLine position.

Oher may or may not re-sign independant of his position. I'd honestly rather move on, unless he makes the switch to guard and excells. At tackle, I don't think he has value beyond a few Million per year. At gaurd, he could easily approach 7 to 8 million if he performs how I think he would.

**Dirt1** · 09-10-2012, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by jonboy79

Sory, not even remotely close to true. Top end guards make more then ANY RT. Average guards earm more then almost any RT. RT is the lowest paid OLine position.

Oher may or may not re-sign independant of his position. I'd honestly rather move on, unless he makes the switch to guard and excells. At tackle, I don't think he has value beyond a few Million per year. At gaurd, he could easily approach 7 to 8 million if he performs how I think he would.

To my knowledge, Oher has never played LG before. What makes anyone think that he would be a top end LG. The better move would have been to let KO get his feet wet in the NFL as a LG, where he could get help. Even KO said himself that he was having trouble with speed rushers at RT. I think KO can become a very good RT, but IMO the Ravens have weakened themselves unnecessarily on the OL. I agree that if Oher cannot hack it at LT, the Ravens will probably let him walk when his contract is up.

**jonboy79** · 09-10-2012, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by Dirt1

To my knowledge, Oher has never played LG before. What makes anyone think that he would be a top end LG. The better move would have been to let KO get his feet wet in the NFL as a LG, where he could get help. Even KO said himself that he was having trouble with speed rushers at RT. I think KO can become a very good RT, but IMO the Ravens have weakened themselves unnecessarily on the OL. I agree that if Oher cannot hack it at LT, the Ravens will probably let him walk when his contract is up.

I too am not aware of him ever playing guard at any level.
My supposition is based on a lot of factors from watching him play.
-He gets a lot fo false starts, like more than many teams. Perhaps being closer to the center would help that.
-he ihas extremely short arms for a tackle
- he has very good footwork and mobility- he would make a great puller, IMO
-he excells in the run game
-he excells when he bodies his man up, chest to chest(he is the only tackle I have seen who prefers this technique, where as basically every guard does so
- he has very poor hand work, not nearly as important as a guard
-he is better when matched up with larger, slower stronger players that bull rush
-he is weaker when matched up to smaller faster rushers that speed rush or spin move
-I think he would benefit by having an Olineman on each side of him

It's jsut my opinion, but when I watch him I see a guard forced into action as a tackle, and not the natural tackle he is.

**Dirt1** · 09-10-2012, 11:56 AM

All I know is that the Ravens themselves stated that one of the major goals in this past off-season was to improve the OL. This was at their end of year press conference, before they lost Grubbs. IMO, the Ravens have a worse OL this year then they did last year. McKinnie played well enough last year at LT for them to make it to within a dropped Lee Evans pass from making it to the Super Bowl. McKinnie is in better shape this year then he was at this time last year, so I don't understand why this change needed to be made. The Ravens are worse at LT, RT, and LG then they were last year, and their Center is another year older. They should have stayed with the line up of McKinnie, KO, Birk, Yanda, and Oher on the OL.

**Carey** · 09-10-2012, 12:01 PM

I think people are vastly underrating the gelling and communication aspect of this. I think the coaching staff feels this unit has the best chemsitry and it was evident in preseason.

**wickedsolo** · 09-10-2012, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by Dirt1

All I know is that the Ravens themselves stated that one of the major goals in this past off-season was to improve the OL. This was at their end of year press conference, before they lost Grubbs. IMO, the Ravens have a worse OL this year then they did last year. McKinnie played well enough last year at LT for them to make it to within a dropped Lee Evans pass from making it to the Super Bowl. McKinnie is in better shape this year then he was at this time last year, so I don't understand why this change needed to be made. The Ravens are worse at LT, RT, and LG then they were last year, and their Center is another year older. They should have stayed with the line up of McKinnie, KO, Birk, Yanda, and Oher on the OL.

Correction: McKinnie is "lighter" than he was this time last year, but that in no way, shape, or form means he is in better or even good shape. He was smaller than he was last year during OTA's and the coaching staff still felt the need to hold him out of practices because of "conditioning" issues.

**leachisabeast** · 09-10-2012, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Dirt1

All I know is that the Ravens themselves stated that one of the major goals in this past off-season was to improve the OL. This was at their end of year press conference, before they lost Grubbs. IMO, the Ravens have a worse OL this year then they did last year. McKinnie played well enough last year at LT for them to make it to within a dropped Lee Evans pass from making it to the Super Bowl. McKinnie is in better shape this year then he was at this time last year, so I don't understand why this change needed to be made. The Ravens are worse at LT, RT, and LG then they were last year, and their Center is another year older. They should have stayed with the line up of McKinnie, KO, Birk, Yanda, and Oher on the OL.

lol, McKinnie may have played left tackle on the team that was one dropped pass away from the SB, but it was also partly to do with him that the Patriots where putting so much pressure on Flacco through out the game. Besides, David Diehl started left tackle for the Giants in the SB, but that doesn't mean he's good. He is probably the worst starting OT in the league.