2024 Starting Lineup

[Bulldog]

Based on the talent level on the roster, the picks at #2, #36 and #40 should be starters.

All we have at tackle is Andrew Wylie and now a resigned Cornelius Lucas who was only a part-time starter when he was in his prime.

So, that's not a high bar to clear

And we traded the only real competition to start at quarterback. Mariota at 30/31 is not going to suddenly reinvent himself as a 17 game starter.

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

Based on the talent level on the roster, the picks at #2, #36 and #40 should be starters.

All we have at tackle is Andrew Wylie and now a resigned Cornelius Lucas who was only a part-time starter when he was in his prime.

So, that's not a high bar to clear

And we traded the only real competition to start at quarterback. Mariota at 30/31 is not going to suddenly reinvent himself as a 17 game starter.

Mariota may be viewed as a one-year starter. It depends on how they look at rookie QBs, what their general plan is, etc. If their plan is to go long-term, they view models such as what made Jordan Love and other young QBs ultimately seem successful (jury is still out on Love) as models to follow; they could also look at Aikman and others (as you pointed out elsewhere). It just depends. The one other aspect they may look at in terms of starting Mariota would be putting a team out there that is OK but maybe will get them a better near-term draft position.
I don't think that he will try that here, but that is just in the back of my mind on why he kept Rivera the extra year at least. Win-win, there were some business reasons to do so, some PR reasons to do so, and he gets a high-draft pick. Trust the process!

 

[Neophyte]

Based on the talent level on the roster, the picks at #2, #36 and #40 should be starters.

All we have at tackle is Andrew Wylie and now a resigned Cornelius Lucas who was only a part-time starter when he was in his prime.

So, that's not a high bar to clear

And we traded the only real competition to start at quarterback. Mariota at 30/31 is not going to suddenly reinvent himself as a 17 game starter.

Trent Scott is still on the roster as well and I thought he did a better job at RT than Wylie had been doing.

Granted, Scott is listed as a G.

 

[Bulldog]

I saw what you saw - Trent Scott was signed to a two year deal last year and I questioned that in my mind at the time - but he held up well when he was on the field last year.

Wylie in my mind is a guard. He got paid as a tackle and there's nothing we can do about that now - but I am wondering if the new coaching staff decides to move him inside to compete at LG - ironically against another guy we just got from the Chiefs

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I saw what you saw - Trent Scott was signed to a two year deal last year and I questioned that in my mind at the time - but he held up well when he was on the field last year.

Wylie in my mind is a guard. He got paid as a tackle and there's nothing we can do about that now - but I am wondering if the new coaching staff decides to move him inside to compete at LG - ironically against another guy we just got from the Chiefs

I doubt it. Unless they sign somebody else to play Right Tackle. Or, they think honest to got Trent Scott could play RT, which, I mean, maybe, but I'm not sure I'd be comfortable going into the season with that as "the plan."

The reason is I'm absolutely convinced they are drafting a left tackle in the first or second round of the draft. Either they get one they think can play immediately at 36, or they package some picks to move up and grab one.

I also don't think they want a rookie QB, rookie LT and rookie RT. That's too many rookies which are going to have a hand in protection.

I think Wylie is the RT. He was better than a lot of people want to say he was. That doesn't mean "good." But he wasn't an absolute train wreck on every single play. He had moments where he lost, and he lost too much, and in critical situations. But he wasn't helped out by the offense or offensive play calling either.

So we'll see. I think there's a vet at RT. It MIGHT be Trent Scott. I wouldn't think that would be "the plan" with a rookie QB. They could also sign somebody who gets released.

Sadly, tackle is a premium position, and we needed 2, and there weren't many options you weren't going to massively overpay for, who might not have been that much better than Wylie to begin with.

It stinks. It's going to take a couple drafts and a couple development years to get the pieces together.

The key for Peters actually is less hitting on the QB. No matter who they select, the odds would tell you there's at least a 50% chance they won't work out.

The key is hitting on the second - fourth round picks to rebuild the base of the team, particularly the OL and CBs. They need to find guys who can be more than just rotational players in those rounds. They need solid starters.

If they can do that, even if they miss on the first swing on QB, they'll at least have a foundation to build on.

Right now there's no foundation.

 

[Bulldog]

Wylie gave up 9 sacks which was up there for tackles in the NFL.

Of course a more sane game plan and split between passes and runs will help out the line tremendously.

I also wouldn't discount drafting the left tackle but signing a late career vet to start at RT - one that gets released or is made available for trade after the draft in the second wave of free agency, etc.

That's how we came up with Charles Leno Jr. a few years ago. While not a star, Leno Jr. was one of Ron's best free agent moves in the four years he was here.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Wylie gave up 9 sacks which was up there for tackles in the NFL.

Of course a more sane game plan and split between passes and runs will help out the line tremendously.

I also wouldn't discount drafting the left tackle but signing a late career vet to start at RT - one that gets released or is made available for trade after the draft in the second wave of free agency, etc.

That's how we came up with Charles Leno Jr. a few years ago. While not a star, Leno Jr. was one of Ron's best free agent moves in the four years he was here.

I agree, but the thing is, the late career vet has to be better than Wylie, because he's most likely going to be on the roster, and why would youIf downgrade?

Also, at least early in the season, Howell was taking sacks at an extraordinary rate, and A LOT, and I mean A LOT of those were on Howell. In one of the first few games of the season, Cooley did a breakdown and said he thought (I think) 3 of the 6 sacks were 100% on Howell, one was debatable, and 2 were protection/OL issues. I noticed the same in a bunch of games. So I'm not sure Wylie's sack numbers aren't inflated because of those situations as well. I think Howell improved in that area as the season went on as well.

The thing with Wylie, he would be fine for long stretches, but then when he needed to be good on a specific down, he wasn't.

The other thing I would point out, forget the run to pass ratio, the bigger problem was the number of known-passing situations the team was in. With a shaky OL (at best) and a QB who's biggest knock was holding the ball and taking sacks. You can't have that.

One of the things which completely drove me bananas last year was the number of times we would run on second and 10. Incomplete pass on first down, run on second down for < 3 yards, and then WHAMMO, 3rd and 7 plus. It was like an incomplete pass on first down was a drive killer, because EB would invariably call a run play for no yards on second down. More than the overall run/pass ratio, that drove me crazy. Not only did he not call enough runs, he didn't call the ones he did call at the right time.

Anyway, the play calling last year was bad. I am one of those who actually likes a pass-first approach. So, being above league average in pass attempts, I'm ok with that. Being as far above league average as we were was a mistake.

And to bring it back to Wylie, I don't think he's great. Maybe not even good. Maybe he's average. But he looked worse because of the situations he was in, partly due to EB and partly due to Sam.

 

[Bulldog]

We just don't know at this point. Even though it is a LT vs. RT comparison, you would have to admit that when Charles Leno Jr. was cut by the Bears 3 years ago and hit the market he was a better OL than Wylie.

So, there could be a veteran that for salary cap reasons or age or whatever gets released in a post-draft move and provides the opportunity to upgrade.

Recall that Wylie only became a starter at RT for the Chiefs due to injury. He played well in the playoffs and Super Bowl and that punched his ticket for Washington to sign him as part of the post-Super Bowl euphoria losing teams tend to have for players off the SB winning squad.

Funny, to me it's always the sign of a lousy front office when a team goes out and chases complementary players off a Super Bowl winner, overpays them and somehow they think that player is going to bring magic dust with them once they are signed.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

We just don't know at this point. Even though it is a LT vs. RT comparison, you would have to admit that when Charles Leno Jr. was cut by the Bears 3 years ago and hit the market he was a better OL than Wylie.

So, there could be a veteran that for salary cap reasons or age or whatever gets released in a post-draft move and provides the opportunity to upgrade.

Recall that Wylie only became a starter at RT for the Chiefs due to injury. He played well in the playoffs and Super Bowl and that punched his ticket for Washington to sign him as part of the post-Super Bowl euphoria losing teams tend to have for players off the SB winning squad.

Funny, to me it's always the sign of a lousy front office when a team goes out and chases complementary players off a Super Bowl winner, overpays them and somehow they think that player is going to bring magic dust with them once they are signed.

No argument. However I think the key is they are going to look for a player who’s obviously better than they think Wylie could be in this system who they’re not going to overspend for.

If that guy exists, they’ll jump at him.

And you never know what’s going to happen after the draft.

I put the odds of Wylie starting at RT right now at 66%. 4% rookie, and 30% they find a guy in roster cuts after the draft.

I don’t think they’re going to sign a guy to start from final roster cuts though. If the situation is that dire, they could roll with Lucas.

I just don’t think he’s going to last more than 8-10 games max as a full time starter.

 

[Neophyte]

OP updated post-draft