Simple...A big YES for Nelson if we sign Cousins or trade for Smith. No if we need to get our QB in the draft..
Agree!
Simple...A big YES for Nelson if we sign Cousins or trade for Smith. No if we need to get our QB in the draft..
[h=3]Run Blocking[/h]
[h=3]Pass Blocking[/h]
Most tackles in college don't have the knee flexibility to play tackle at this level, that is why the majority kick inside to play guard and sometimes make the move to center (ie; Wesley Johnson)... Every once in a blue moon, there comes a prospect that is above the rest and is so fluid in his technique and aggressiveness that he has that unique ability to go from guard to tackle... Now there have been a few but the move has been guard to right tackle... Here in this case, Quenton Nelson has the footwork, the physical tools and the athleticism to possibly kick out and move to left tackle, and if this is the case and we do draft him we could be set up for another decade or more at the blind side position... This is one and the main reason I think he has to be considered for us at the 6th pick...
D'Brickashaw Ferguson was special, but this kid could surpass that greatness ten fold... Ferguson was good at run blocking, but Nelson wow this kid is nasty good...
All fair points, though the question remains, if you are getting him to lead your ground game, wouldn't it be better to either keep him at a guard spot or, if you are intent on playing him at tackle, putting him at RT? I'm just wondering if putting him at LT would not be the best allocation of his skill set.
Obviously this is dependent upon who we sign in free agency. IF we sign a QB worthy of starting and we also sign Andrew Norwell, drafting Nelson and possibly Frank Ragnow in the second or third round and the middle of the OL goes from a weakness to one of the best in the league overnight. Sign me up for that.
It may happen but I will be (sadly) shocked if we sign Richburg. There are several really good centers in this years draft and I hope Mac intends to fill that hole there rather than Richburg.
there are special players out there and yes you draft him now to play guard because we have some talent at tackle... He would be an upgrade over what we have in James Carpenter but nowadays it is easier to compensate for the lack of skill for interior lineman by surrounding certain talent with ability at tackle... Of course need a heady center to set up blocking assignments (line calls) to get those interior lineman set...
down the line the talent this kid brings now can allow us to move him to left tackle, right tackle or any where we need him to be... Wouldn't put it against him if we needed him to become the center he is just that special... but the most important position on the offensive line is the blind side tackle and even tho we draft him to play left guard he has that skill set to move to the tackle position...
Nelson is that special if we wanted to convert Brandon Shell who doesn't have the flexibility to play left tackle to move him to left tackle next to Nelson and Shell would have a solid career because of Nelson...
Your point about needing a quality, heady center is where I think Ryan Jensen comes in. Jensen is still young, 26, but he has shown he could be a starter at the NFL level. Plus, with only one year of starter time in the league, he doesn't have quite as much wear and tear. He's the lynchpin of this whole OL plan.
Now, if you want to dump Carpenter and go Nelson, I'm fine with that, assuming QB is addressed in free agency.
As for Shell, I see him as a RT, regardless of who is next to him. His skill set is much more suited for that side.
I just posted in the Official Free Agency Thread that the Jets and Weston Richburg have mutual interest and a deal maybe imminent....
we know our front office and coaching staff (ie; Todd Bowles) loves their veteran linemen and player(s) overall for certain positions and doubt that Carpenter who is under contract will be going anywhere this season since he is under contract... Could be a cap casualty but unlikely...
Shell is the only odd man out because even tho they like him he can not play the position without having a partner to split time, could they delve into free agency or will they tender Brent Qvale and continue the horrendous two man split reps for another season, thats any ones guess...
Richburg could be quite a fine choice. He has a bit more experience than Jensen, and has played some guard, which only helps him with line calls, but he also has a bit more wear and tear on him. I also think he might have had a concussion, so that may be a bit of a risk.
If the Jets go FA at C and draft Nelson, I could see Carpenter being a cap casualty. I'm not totally disappointed in the job he's done for the Jets, but I do think Winters is the more important asset at guard right now.
Well they better completely overhaul this OL because if they don't the Jets will never be better than mediocre.