2017 Fall Camp - Tues, Aug 8 (Day 6)

[abw0004 10,110]

13 hours ago, ValleyTiger said:

Meh, that's like saying Braden is our best OL so he should automatically play LT. Tega is more of that prototypical LT than James. James had his struggles in pass pro last season, too. Like you said in the other thread, at some point you gotta throw these less experienced guys out there and see how they respond. Still a long way to go before Sept. 2nd.

One thing to consider is historically our left tackles improve drastically from starting year one to two.  Two perfect examples were Greg Robinson and Shon Coleman.  

I do like Hand, so I fully trust in who he starts.  I can't wait to see Tega out there eventually.  That guy is huge.  I am waiting for him to literally pick up a defender and push him back so far he goes off the field like in the movie, "The Blind Side."

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

Play calling can have a dramatic impact on how well an offensive linemen pass blocks. One of the advantages of passing on first down is the Defensive line normally has to play honest to keep themselves in position to stop the run or the pass.  Often times in 3rd and long theDE lines out a little wider and puts his ears back and comes fast not worrying  about the run. That makes it very difficult for the OT to get out to him. Long arms of Prince is a big advantage there.

Last year when we passed on first down protection wasn't usually an issue. Sadly we didn't do it very often. Utilizing dump off's to backs or quick slants to TE's also slows down the pass rush which is something many posters are hoping that we see this year. When you run as much as Auburn does and you don't use safety valves like the backs and TE's you often leave the O-line in an obvious passing situation which gives the advantage to the D-Line.

I am hoping our OC helps the O-line with his play calling which it looked like in A-Day game that he did.

[AUpreacherman22 3,885]

4 hours ago, abw0004 said:

I do like Hand, so I fully trust in who he starts

Unfortunately, after the C debacle of 2016, I cannot agree with this. It could have been a one time mix up that will never happen again.  But for now, I am just hoping he gets the best starting 5 out there in the best place for them to be successful. 

[AUpreacherman22 3,885]

Tega is built to be an absolute beast at LT. And I'm rooting for him as much as anyone.  I also know that he has only played football for a couple of years and switched to OL last year, so my only concern is whether or not he's ready.  If he is our starting LT, we'll find out how ready he is week 2!

[mikeholiday 132]

6 hours ago, abw0004 said:

One thing to consider is historically our left tackles improve drastically from starting year one to two.  Two perfect examples were Greg Robinson and Shon Coleman.  

I do like Hand, so I fully trust in who he starts.  I can't wait to see Tega out there eventually.  That guy is huge.  I am waiting for him to literally pick up a defender and push him back so far he goes off the field like in the movie, "The Blind Side."

James isn't nearly the athlete those two are. Just not cut out for the position. There is a reason he was a guard coming out of high school.

[boomstick 1,315]

1 hour ago, AUpreacherman22 said:

Unfortunately, after the C debacle of 2016, I cannot agree with this. It could have been a one time mix up that will never happen again.  But for now, I am just hoping he gets the best starting 5 out there in the best place for them to be successful. 

I didn't think there was a C debacle last year. I thought we moved Golson to LT and X to C because the coaches thought that was a better option than the other options. And had X not gotten injured, Golson might not have moved back. I'm not convinced that was a bad OL. It was just new and wasn't ready to face one of the best DLs in the SEC, but I'm not sure we had a better, more proven option. 

[ValleyTiger 2,894]

3 hours ago, AuburnNTexas said:

Play calling can have a dramatic impact on how well an offensive linemen pass blocks. One of the advantages of passing on first down is the Defensive line normally has to play honest to keep themselves in position to stop the run or the pass.  Often times in 3rd and long theDE lines out a little wider and puts his ears back and comes fast not worrying  about the run. That makes it very difficult for the OT to get out to him. Long arms of Prince is a big advantage there.

Last year when we passed on first down protection wasn't usually an issue. Sadly we didn't do it very often. Utilizing dump off's to backs or quick slants to TE's also slows down the pass rush which is something many posters are hoping that we see this year. When you run as much as Auburn does and you don't use safety valves like the backs and TE's you often leave the O-line in an obvious passing situation which gives the advantage to the D-Line.

I am hoping our OC helps the O-line with his play calling which it looked like in A-Day game that he did.

Spot on. I'd add screens to the RBs to take advantage of over aggressive defensive play would be a sight for sore eyes. 

[augolf1716 21,109]

21 hours ago, passthebiscuits said:

^this exactly. But I'm no expert. Just wondering what the jury says.

He sucks worst then bird and that's hard to do..................... I believe I've answered your question