Marshal Yanda

**The Excellector** · 10-18-2020, 05:23 PM

Sometimes you can enjoy so much success that you have to be reminded of just how difficult it is to replace a Hall of Famer. Replacing a player of that caliber, isn’t as simple as putting someone in that spot with more athletic ability. Those guys, far more often than not, provide an array on intangibles that stats and analytics just won’t be able to quantity. Not only was Yanda a great individual blocker, but a great teammate and leader along that line. It was widely known, throughout Baltimore, that Yanda took on far more responsibility than any other Guard in the league. Combo and multi-level blocks that would make others Pro Bowl caliber (In the old sense of the word), were routinely expected of Yanda. He made the line calls, the vast majority of his time here. Even when he wasn’t, you knew that you had another guy there who could. When we needed a first down, we went to his side. We knew it, defenses knew it, but it still couldn’t often be stopped. Like other Hall of Famers we’ve had (Lewis, Ogden, Reed), you can get away with less than stellar pieces beside them, but you can’t pull that off when they’re gone, without significant hurdles.

**camdenyard** · 10-18-2020, 05:26 PM

Yanda really really good, his replacements not so good, we aren't as good of an OL as last year. Thanks, we have eyes too. LOL

**The Excellector** · 10-18-2020, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by camdenyard

Yanda really really good, his replacements not so good, we aren't as good of an OL as last year. Thanks, we have eyes too. LOL

Are you sure. Wait a minute, I think I see your glasses over here on the table..... ;)

**sflegend89** · 10-18-2020, 05:50 PM

We needed 1 more year. Just one. gosh. dang. more. year.

Yanda has earned the right to walk away but it still stings watching the OL without him... he should've done a "Last Ride" like Ray. But I get it. Wanted to spend time with his family. No hard feelings but it sucks

**Desert Raven** · 10-18-2020, 05:53 PM

Orlando Brown looks like he’s missing Yanda next to him telling him what to do also.

**Ovechkin8** · 10-18-2020, 07:14 PM

No he says he retired due to his body. Sick of surgeries and pain and being overweight

**Ovechkin8** · 10-18-2020, 07:16 PM

And don't forget Skura not healthy. So interior has gone from breakthrough pro bowler at Center and Hall of Famer at RG to shouldn't be back from injuries yet at Center and rookie at RG who can't stay healthy. Has affected the entire unit

**Iamjacks** · 10-18-2020, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by sflegend89

We needed 1 more year. Just one. gosh. dang. more. year.

Yanda has earned the right to walk away but it still stings watching the OL without him... he should've done a "Last Ride" like Ray. But I get it. Wanted to spend time with his family. No hard feelings but it sucks

He walked away like Joe Thomas - on his own terms.

**ShadeRaven** · 10-18-2020, 07:45 PM

Makes sense for him to retire last year. I mean outside of winning the super bowl thats about as ' going out on top ' as you can.

**HanktheRIPPER** · 10-18-2020, 07:51 PM

Sounds like we should have drafted an OL in the 1st or 2nd round. Not a knock on the guys we got but did we really really really need jk dobbins?

**sflegend89** · 10-18-2020, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by ShadeRaven

Makes sense for him to retire last year. I mean outside of winning the super bowl thats about as ' going out on top ' as you can.

I would say re-joining your 14-2 team and emptying the tank with Lamar to try to get to a Super Bowl would've been ideal... but who are we to bitch. That man gave us his blood, sweat, and tears for over a decade. Based on his body transformation he was probably miserable maintaining a playing weight and dealing with the physical grind of an NFL season.

Better to go out a year too early than a year too late I suppose, we definitely miss him though. Way more than I thought we would. The OL is like 50% as effective as it was last year, it's super drastic. I think we all knew how good Yanda was individually but still took just how much he did for the entire OL for granted.