we go nowhere without resolving the offensive line. how do you fix it? the mix: RT Murtha, Colombo, Garner, Willis RG Carey, Jerry, Garner C Mike Pouncey, Incognito, Joe Berger LG Incognito., Jerry, Feinga, Kopa LT Long, Carey, Allen Barbre, Murtha, Jones the match: LT - Long LG - Incognito C - Pouncey RG - Carey RT- Murtha or LT - Long LG - Incognito C - Pouncey RG - Jerry RT- Carey or LT - Long LG - Incognito C - Pouncey RG - Garner RT- Cary or LT - Long LG - Pouncey C - Incognito RG - Carey RT- Murtha what's your best guess?
I still have yet to see if Murtha can create push at RT. If he can he should be fine in pass protection. Pouncey-Incognito need to switch at LG-C as we've said for a long time. Then we'd have a complete offensive line. Otherwise: LT- Long LG- Carey C- Pouncey RG- Incognito RT- Murtha Would also be good. We'd run on team's weaker right sides all game long as opposed to the traditional approach of running heavily at RT.
maybe: LT - Long LG - Pouncey C - Incognito RG - Jerry RT- Carey I think: 1) we should take a good look @ Icognito @ Center & Pouncey @ LG 2) the BookEnds are set with Long & Carey, with Murtha as a back-up 3) sometimes too much change is not a good thing for an offensive line. play to the natural ability of the player & develop the unit. 4) coaching, coaching & coaching will be the ultimate solution to a very talented stable
I really hope we do what it takes to get Shaun O'Hara.Colombo cannot start. We better hope Jake Long is healthy.
Health provided, Colombo will not start. Murtha though is not exactly known to be durable and Long is already hurt. The starting five will be an improvement over last year's in run and pass blocking by the time season rolls around, health provided. That said they could really use another tackle.
Ecchhh...what a mess. Four offseasons of tinkering plus the first four weeks of last season spent churning the starting five with street free agents—the dregs of every other team in the league; More money thrown at it than most teams spend on TWO Quarterbacks in that time...and THIS is what we're left with? Disgraceful.
My starting five would be: LT- Long LG- Carey C- Pouncey RG- Incognito RT- Murtha Combined with the fact we're a 3 WR team that means that an opposing team has one less guy on the inside probably the SILB or the SOLB. The run game is balanced and we have PA passing. As bad as Henne looked at a couple points I think the Fins will be a very strong passing team. I'm talking 270-300 yards passing a game. Fasano keeps playing like crap and we may very well become one of the most 4 WR heavy teams. Our pass blocking will be up to par with that line. Our running game will be a work in progress but there's personnel there to make that work.
It's a cruel joke that the one part of our team that should be the most solid and reliable is still no where close. LT-Jake Long LG-Mike Pouncey C-Sean O'Hara RG-Vernon Carey RT-Flozell Adams
You realize that Pouncey is now the fourth Center these clowns have brought in as a starter? In only four seasons?
Perhaps it's not a combination problem but a stability problem. The sooner Jake gets back, the sooner Murtha can try RT. Continuity will go farther than shuffling at this point. Is Derrick Dockery still available?
Don't believe he did. He needs work as it is and should proabably go back for his senior season after this year.
They inherited Satele, so didn't bring him in. Grove, Berger and now Pouncey. Had Grove stayed healthy, he'd still be in there.
Colombo was just fine pass blocking in the Atlanta game. Allowed no sacks, no hits, no pressures. Moved much better than what we have heard about his knees would lead one to believe. If he continues like that IMO he will be the RT. Based on who we have under contract today, I am going to simply say: Long/Incognito/Pouncey/Carey/Colombo reserves I think will be Murtha, Garner, Berger and Jerry
Just heard Colombo was the player who missed the block that knocked Romo out last season. Hope he improved from last year, don't think o'hara is coming.
Where did you hear that? I have read that it was a missed block by rookie FB Chris Gronkowski. Even if it was Colombo, he played last season on one good leg after having knee surgery in August 2010. No one has said he played well last season. His knee is fully recovered now and he does not look like, so far, the same player as last season.
Here is the play where Romo got hurt. As you can see and hear. Gronkowski missed his assignment and allowed a lb to have a free run at the QB. It was NOT Colombo who was at fault. [video=youtube;K_FNVkntALA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_FNVkntALA&feature=related[/video]
LT Long LG Pouncey C Incognito RG Carey RT Murtha We have one huge problem here. Columbo IS the starting RT and Vernon, by all appearances, is just going thru the motions. He knows he will not be here next year and evidence is the team cut out the rest of his contract in lieu of him taking a pay cut. Regardless of where you put Carey this year folks, he is not going to do crap,nada, just go thru the motions. You can mix and match all you want, the RS of our offensive line will be the problem this year as it was last year. Tony should have kept Incognito at center. I have no problem with him at LG, good player but at center the guy completely commands control at the point of attack. I am not sure Pouncey will ever be able to do that in the NFL. I watched a few plays from the game and there were holes on the LS of the line but Atlanta completely collapsed our Right side into the running lanes. So much so that on one play Incognito took Abraham to the ouside, the hole opened and all of a sudden, Columbo and Carey was completely pushed to the left side into Pouncey, who was into a decent block. These guys were completely pushed from the right side of our Oline into the hole where our LG started out and into Pouncey and what started out as a great nice hole turned into a churning mess of Atlanta defenders and our RT, RG and C. Wow.
Correct,but rest assured, someone will pull a clip up on a play Columbo did not do well on. Its useles. John Jerry not playing up to par really screwed the pooch for this football team. More so then some would like to believe.
got to get a starting line up, then coach them as a unit the sooner the better we go nowhere significant without an elite offensive line got the coach, got the material, what could be the problem?
I hadn't realized Carey was just going through the motions on this one. That is a major problem if that's the case. I don't know if Colombo can play RG with Murtha at RT or perhaps Shaun O'Hara is brought in who can play LG, Pouncey C, and Incognito RG.
I didn't get to unfortunately otherwise I'd post an observation, if that's the case though that's not what I expected from Carey.
First game he has played at guard since 2004, and first full time since 2003. I think better to give him more time to adjust before making yet another move. You cannot believe everything about the line you read here. For example, I see people dissing on Colombo for the Atlanta game and after watching every one of his pass blocking attempts, he had zero negative plays from what I could see. The near side tackles are the easiest to watch pass blocking on TV, so the entire 1st quarter he was especially easy to see and he left the game either late first or early 2nd.
That's possible. Would you say that Murtha outperformed him though? (Colombo). That guy can move his feet. It's just a confusing situation all around as to who plays where. Murtha might be a better LT than RT though as hard as that is to believe.
Sorry, but i completely disagree that Carey will just be going through the motions. He is playing on a 1 year contract, so the better he plays, the more interest he receives in free agency next year.
Like I said, watch him this season, close. The one year contract was his request for taking the pay cut, not the teams. He thought by telling the team he would take the pay cut only if they let him become a free agent at the end of the season it would make the team think twice. Instead ? They could not find a pen fast enough to put in his hands. Truth be told my man.
IMO, Murtha blocked about equally well at LT as Colombo did at RT. Murtha may well be better suited at LT due to facing more speed rushers there, where he can use his athleticism. I'd have been more surprised though, if Murtha did not pass block well than if Colombo had not. Considering the latter coming off a down season where he played on just one good leg.
We really do underrate that don't we? Try not really moving your leg to block somebody a bit faster than you. It could get ugly. Dude was probably about as good as Carey back before his 09 injury.
He's not a bad one, certainly not a liability on the field like the crap we threw out there last year.
I just watched 2 of the runs that we had with our first team offense...Vernon Carey got his *** handed to him both times, both times his player made the tackle at the LOS.. There is good news, I saw Murtha and Columbo play excellent pass protection against Abraham and edwards I believe...sound technique..
Good Lord, somenone actually saw what I saw. Want to watch something else I picked up on ? Watch Hennes second interception, closely. When the guy who intercepted the ball runs towards the opposite sideline, watch the screen closely. When he is approaching the center of the football field our very own Mr. Vernon Carey appears. Watch Vernon, honest watch close. At one point Carey is within an arms reach of the guy and I am not saying he could have made the tackle but watch him. Carey does not even attempt to lift his arm to reach out to grab the guy, nada, nothing, he just looks at Bess as if " Hey, you gonna catch up to him cause I ain't gonna risk diving at him" Watch it man. Its pitiful. Vernon Carey does nothing but run right past the guy who intercepted the ball and what does he do ? Nothing, just keeps running. Telling you all the bare bones truth and I do not care what some think. Vernon Carey has left the building folks, for good. Yeah he will play becaue they put him in there to play but it ends there. You saw him, as I did, literally getting shoved into a hole he had no business being in. People complain against players because they cannot pull. Watch the game, our LG pulled, no problem but he ran right into the guy that just snowplowed Carey of which, Carey was to have made a hole for our guard to pull thru and our RB to follow. This is the MAIN REASON John Jerry was pulled from the lineup, main reason and now Carey is no better then what we had there. Well he is but he has no intention of playing motivated football for the Miami Dolphins. Deny all you want, call me what you guys may. Vernon Carey has left the building, period. If you watched as I did you saw our complete R ight side of our Oline get flogged like no tomorrow. Pouncey not included in that. Looking at it againg, Pouncey did much better then I first thought and again, he is a rook. ADDED ON I agree, Murtha is not playing half bad. He did play Right tackle at Nebraska, not left. But, Columbo IS our starting Right Tackle and I am not touching that with a ten foot pole, thats all I will say.
Then just cut the guy or trade him, sign Brian Waters who probably is about the same level of guard if not better and play Incognito at RG. LT- Long, LG- Waters, C- Pouncey, RG- Incognito, RT- Murtha Are we perfect at RT as far as run blocking? No. Is it a good lineup overall though? It's more than fine. It's very good in pass protection, no I take that back probably really good.
Well, give Carey another game in the preseason and practice for another week, this was dropped on him after all. That said, of all things I do not want Sparano to do is to fall in love with a player despite their obviously poor performance, imo Sparano does not have time to do that this yr. Not with choices like Waters and Davis on the market..at the moment, they do not stay frozen in place, they are fielding offers from other teams to be sure, and I'm NOT a fan of Len Davis and think at best he could be a Kevin Gogan type for us.
Waters is just a consummate pro. I would say he's probably above average in run blocking now, excellent in pass blocking, and pretty durable. He's been a left guard all of his career. If anything putting players at their natural positions helps. Richie's really turned it around. I'd love for him to play like a Kevin Donally(sp?) type mauler while Waters plays Mark Dixon. With that line you have two guys who can pull and even Richie can do it to some degree. Heck maybe you flip them and run left side as your strong side? Waters pulls left with Incognito holding his block and Jake overwhelming the RE.
What is probably gonna happen is by the time Ireland and Sparano accept the fact that Carey's heart isn't in it anymore, or his performance level isn't worthy of keeping, both Brian Waters and Leonard Davis Davis will be off the market. Heck, both are veritable iron men who play 99% of the time, but Waters even went to the Pro Bowl last season. Even Shaun O'Hara will probably be signed elsewhere, and we miss out on them all. Why no touching the topic of Colombo with a ten foot pole? You watched the game, if you watch it again, focus on him on every pass blocking attempt. He looked solid as can be to me, and totally recovered from his knee surgery of a year ago. The only play I recall their LDE getting even close was on the one where Henne scrambled for 10 yds, but he still never touched Henne. Colombo just pushed him past and the DE went to the ground right behind Henne, who then took off up the middle.
He missed one game in 2009 and 2 in 2006 and that is all, going back to and including 2001. Davis hasn't missed a game since 2005 when he missed one. Also missed one each in 2004 and 2002 and 2 games in 2003. Out of possible 160 regular season games since entering the league, big man has started in and played in 155. That folks is an iron man...heck, they both are.
if Carey is going through an end of career crisis & out of the starting mix: LT- Long LG- Pouncey C- Incognito RG- Jerry RT- Murtha 1) I'd like to see Incognito get a shot @ center, Pouncey a turn @ left guard & Jerry compete @ right guard. Murtha has talent & mirrors Long in size, strength & dimensions. the key is to work with both Jerry & Murtha, they have the potential to start in 2011. 2) Sparano has to pick a start for the offensive line & stick with it. takes about four games to hit full stride, lot of timing & coverage involved in creating a cohesive front. 3) plenty of talent in the stable & Sparano knows how to pick & coach the offensive line. no reason for this to become a problem in 2011 & every reason for it to be developed into an elite unit. 4) any combination of the above five would suit me just fine... trick is, got to figure out the best possible start & coach them. they need time to bond & get it right up front.
