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Thread: Center- what to do?
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12-13-2018, 05:19 PM #61
Re: Center- what to do?
I don't think the Ravens feel there is anything to do about Center; they are proud of the Skura "project". Skura is smart, experienced, and reasonably agile, and those virtues are good ones, especially if they scheme to minimize the damage due to his relative lack of bulk and strength. He has played pretty well lately and could well continue to improve. Bozeman and Lewis, if he would get healthy, are potentially serviceable backups at G and C.
I am not unhappy with Skura, but do not like the quality of the line as a whole when you subtract Yanda. We are in danger of having Stanley and a bunch of decent JAGs. Although there is a lot of excitement with the emergence of Lamar, Gus and Zeus II, our new offense is not scoring much against mediocre defenses the past several games.
We still need a high quality interior Olineman in the 2019 draft."Flacco is driving the ball in that wind....."
(AFCCG, January 2013)
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12-15-2018, 08:55 AM #62
Re: Center- what to do?
This and I think Filmstudy evaluation is fair I just disagree with his conclusion you shouldn't be afraid to look around with someone you evaluate as in the 40th percentile of his peers. PFF has him in the 31st percentile among starting C's.
I mean there are better centers then that in FA and the draft available in FA every year. Of all the OL Skura is probably the first one you sort of look at as replacing. Alex Lewis we might have to as well since he hasn't been able to hold up from a physical standpoint.
I'd like to get better at center. Whether that happens or not is another story but especially with Lamar and the inside runs we do it would be nice to have a big physical centerLast edited by boller4president; 12-15-2018 at 09:12 AM.
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12-15-2018, 09:39 AM #63
Re: Center- what to do?
Agreed. They're both young and cheap. They'll have a genuine camp competition and my money's on Bozeman winning the job. We'll probably draft another interior lineman this year as well, but unless we use a first or second round pick on one, I doubt he'll be anything more than additional depth year 1.
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12-15-2018, 10:38 AM #64
Re: Center- what to do?
I think that's true early on when Flacco started it made sense to use Skura now that we are using Lamar and doing a ton of inside runs honestly I'd like to see Bozeman be given more of a shot. He has the size and strength to move people around and create running lanes for Gus.
But unless there is an injury to Skura it's hard to see that happening. That is what it took for OBJ to get a legit opportunity.
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12-15-2018, 10:48 AM #65Pro Bowl Poster
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Re: Center- what to do?
Unless you are a third round or higher draft pick the odds of being a starting linemen is small. There is a reason you drop down the boards. Too small, too slow, not strong enough, coming from a spread only offense. So you are a project which may take a year or two to develop if ever. That’s why we take one each year in the later rounds. If one out of three make it you can fill you short term needs.
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12-15-2018, 11:30 AM #66
Re: Center- what to do?
I don't really buy that alot of this on Harbaugh you can't tell me that Jensen wouldn't have been better then Zuttah, Shipley, Urshal, and Gino. All of which started games for us while Jensen was being cut. Sitting on the practice squad. Or being used elsewhere on the line.
Harbaugh is a guy who likes continuity and because of that if someone starts and does an ok job he rarely makes changes unless he forced to via injury and it becomes apparent the other guy is better.
It's one thing I sort of hope we see when we bring in a new HC next year. If someone is doing just ok or in the 30-40 percentile among starters don't be afraid to experiment a bit and see if you have a better guy on the roster even if it's in season.
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12-15-2018, 12:07 PM #67
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Re: Center- what to do?
If you're saying that they don't start RIGHT AWAY, then I agree. But OL is a position where you can afford to develop guys, and it's one of the better positions to find later round guys who end up starting.
A study done in 2014 showed that 40% of all starters in the league came out of the fourth round or later (including UDFA).
Another study that looked at likelihood of draft picks in each round becoming starters, by position, showed the following percentage of offensive linemen becoming regular starters based on round selected:
4th Round - 29%
5th Round - 16%
6th Round - 16%
7th Round - 9%
I'd say those are pretty good odds when you consider that the majority draft picks, regardless of position, and regardless of round, don't stick.
If you think about the Ravens there are plenty of starting linemen who were't taken in the first three rounds: Skura, Lewis, Wagner, Jensen, Gradkowski, Brown, Mulitalo, Flynn, Mitchell.
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Re: Center- what to do?
Don't know if anyone took my advice and watched the NDSU v. SDSU game last night but both Cox and Stick shined. (Stick threw 15 passes for 169 yds + 1 TD and ran it 16 times for 147 yds and 3 TDs)
Right now Stick is projected as no more than a fifth round pick, and I'd love to see him develop behind Lamar.
I can remember really pushing for an under the radar run-pass quarterback from Nevada who wasn't being talked about as a draftable player: Colin Kaepernick. By the time the 2011 draft rolled around he had vaulted to pick #36 (just four picks later than LJ's slot)--the sixth QB that year, one spot behind Andy Dalton.
The Ravens took a sixth round flyer on a run-pass QB that year, too: Tyrod Taylor.
If his stock doesn't skyrocket like Kaepernick as the draft approaches, and he's still 's did there in the sixth, I'd be happy if the Ravens take another flyer on Stick, and copycat what New Orleans does with Taysom Hill.
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12-15-2018, 10:16 PM #70Veteran Poster
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Re: Center- what to do?
First, the term"JAG" is so overused much like the term "narrative."
To say Stanley and a bunch of JAGs is incorrect. OB2 has All-pro potential and Bozeman has played well. So has Elumenor. Actually, this line is a draft pick and FA signing away from being one of the best in the league.
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12-15-2018, 11:49 PM #71Regular 1st Stringer
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Re: Center- what to do?
I agree. Stanley, and OB2 look like very good bookend tackles. Meanwhile, we know Hurst is capable of playing at an above average level at guard. So, that is 3 out of 5 spots locked down long term with a quality player. In the short run we also have another all pro guard in Yanda to make it 4 out of 5. The only piece missing from being one of the best in the league is center. Frankly, I would like to see them either spend big bucks to bring in a top FA or spend a high draft pick on a top young linemen to fill out the line, and make it a dominant unit.
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