Quote:
Originally Posted by SkinzWin
I don’t understand how a free agent LT signed for 1 year and $5 mil this late in free agency is grounds to automatically crown him our week 1 starter? Look at their stats the last two years. Lucas has been better in false starts, holds and sacks allowed. I just don’t get it.
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Lucas backed up Leno, thus the presumption that Leno is better. In head to head competition, admittedly a few years ago, Leno won out.
That doesn't mean this will happen now, but that is the basis for the assumption.
Leno made a Pro Bowl within last 3-4 years, a single time. Lucas never did.
And cetera.
I don't place stock in all this necessarily, but the assumption is hardly ludicrous. Leno 7th rounder I think, Lucas a UDFA. Neither is some wow-you player in terms of raw athletic talent.
Stats don't always tell the whole story.
Remember, we beat ONE winning team last year.
ONE.
We got SOUNDLY beaten by most winning teams we played.
Lot of causes.
One is getting absolutely owned by elite DLs and elite edge rushers when it counted.
Our OL is not as good as stats suggest. Our FO knows this, which is why we have brought several players on OL.
I doubt the FO knows who is starting. They just know that Lucas, while a solid mediocre to above average player, doesn't cut it against winning teams with elite talent on DL or Edge. Lucas should be a swing backup tackle, not a starter, in terms of making OL a strength of team like DL.
You hope Cosmi is plug and play week 1 starter, but if he struggles, what's the plan, with a 38-year old QB who is above average at best with perfect protection?
Lucas, Leno, Christian, and cetera, are all JAGs in one form or another, short-term stopgaps, not long-term answers.
Washington doesn't sign Leno unless they think he is significantly better than Lucas. But they also probably plan to let competition sort it out. That being said, if you have to pick a starter for a depth chart, Leno not absurd. Question is how much of deal guaranteed, cost to cut?
To me, the more curious slotting is the presumption than Charles must be a G. End of this year, we have three Ts under contract: Cosmi, Charles, Moses. We will also have lots of guys counting larger numbers against cap. Moses is in last year of his deal and starts to look very expendable; start of 2022 he is 32, can be cut with no dead cap, and counts $7.5M. Charles is very good in space and pass blocking, but lacks strength and punch. He is the last sort of player you would want to move to G, where strength to take on huge DTs is essential. Maybe you keep 5 Ts and have him backup G, but he should be kept at T and developed, at a minimum as a potential starting RT in 2022 or swing backup T. We did not see Charles fail at T, ala Scherff. Charles got hurt. He should be kept at his more natural position T and developed there, and at minimum can be a swing backup T in 2022.
Very interesting decisions about present vs. future loom this year at OT. Cosmi, Charles young promising players on rookie deals, both with immense athletic upside. Everyone else older, less naturally athletic, and approaching wrong side of 30 on short term deals. Does not seem a sound decision to give roster spots for Cosmi Charles to stopgaps, unless Charles is unhealthy again, in which case he might just be stashed on IR again and be relegated to 4th T next year with a high pick spent on another T.