Have we done enough to improve our O-Line?

**ctchiefsfan** · 07-21-2015, 01:25 PM

I think we can all agree that our offense was our downfall last year (injuries too). Our WRs couldn't get the job done and our O-Line had Alex Smith running for his life much of the time. Despite that we still had a winning season and were in the playoff hunt right to the end. Being honest between the loss to the Titans and the damned Raiders we should have been 11-5. But we lost 2 "gimmes".

Our Defense was ranked #7 over all and while I'm not sure where we ranked in points allowed, at something like 17.5 points allowed per game a good argument can be made that last year we had a truly elite Defense....despite all the injuries.

But in the end a Stone Wall as a Defense was NOT ENOUGH. Our Offense just didn't get the job done.

Which brings up the key point.....

Alex Smith is a VERY GOOD QB (I did NOT say "elite") when he has time. But if he is running for his life 2 seconds after the ball is snapped...well....let's just say that under those circumstances he looks pretty mediocre.

So the question is....did we improve our O-line enough to make a difference this year?

Fanaika probably helped a bit, but I'm not at all sure he is a "difference-maker". An improvement? Yes. But being honest, he ain't no superstar.

Then there is Grubbs. He is no "young buck" any more, but no doubt in my mind he is a HUGE improvement. I think having him on the left side along with Fisher will help Smith's weak side A LOT.

We lost Hudson and I have no clue if Kush will be good enough at center.

You can never have "too good" an O-line, but did we improve our O-line enough to make a difference over last year?

What do y'all think?

**brdempsey69** · 07-21-2015, 01:56 PM

They must improve all the way across the line this year or else the Chiefs will be going nowhere. Simple as that.

**ctchiefsfan** · 07-21-2015, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by brdempsey69

They must improve all the way across the line this year or else the Chiefs will be going nowhere. Simple as that.

NO DOUBT they need to improve SUBSTANTIALLY from last year. My question was more a matter of "Have they done enough in the off season to make a difference this year?"

I respect your opinion, so what do you think?

**brdempsey69** · 07-22-2015, 05:12 AM

Originally Posted by ctchiefsfan

NO DOUBT they need to improve SUBSTANTIALLY from last year. My question was more a matter of "Have they done enough in the off season to make a difference this year?"

I respect your opinion, so what do you think?

OK, and sorry it has took me this long to respond in this thread. On paper, I would say, YES.

Adding Grubbs, Fanaika, and Morse to their interior HAS to be a huge upgrade over last year and I don't believe there is going to be any dropoff with Kush replacing Hudson at Center. And LDT should also be much less raw than what he was last year. Fulton, I don't know about this year, but he really went through rookie struggles last year. Most of the pressure on Alex Smith came straight up the middle.

Fisher doesn't worry me at all at LT, as long as he's healthy. At chiefs.com, they said he allowed only 4 hits on the QB in the last 14 games, and I'd have to go back and review the games to confirm that, but I do distinctly remember that he wasn't allowing repeated hits on Alex starting in game three. He should be better this year, as I believe that last year had to give him confidence that he could stand up against the NFL's best, because he did. He wasn't as bad as many make him out to be, and we didn't repeatedly hear "False start -- #72, Offense", like we repeatedly heard "False start -- #76, Offense", in previous years -- and many at critical times, at that.

RT, for me, is the biggest question mark. Who is going to be manning that position? It was Stephenson's for the taking and keeping last year, but he blew the opportunity and it remains to be seen if he can bounce back this year. Jeff Allen may be a candidate there, as well, as he has never looked comfortable playing Guard, and was a 4-yr starter at Tackle in college. Maybe Tackle really is a better position for him.

Will this line be equal to the O-Line to the Dick Vermeil days? I don't think so, but they might be pretty good and I certainly believe they should be better than what the Donkeys have and that might get them over the hump in one of their games against the Donks (hopefully both). The left side of the O-Line with Fisher and Grubbs should be pretty good and the Chiefs need to run behind those two OFTEN this year, as both Charles and Davis excel at running left and now they'll have blockers in front of them.

**Eydugstr** · 07-22-2015, 12:25 PM

Gotta play the games to find out the answer to that one, ctc. But I will say this...The front office has done their part so far. The two biggest problem areas on the team (WR and O-line) received the most attention. Everyone's signed, including Justin Houston, so that bodes well for everyone being on the same page once the regular season starts.

Kush does need to prove he can step up, and the RT position is a big question mark, as Brd pointed out. Let competition in camp sort that one out. While we've got a long ways to go before we'll have an O-line that rates alongside the one we had in the mid nineties, let alone the one Dick Vermeil had in the early to mid 2k's, don't see Reid being too patient or content with the O-line.

**ctchiefsfan** · 07-22-2015, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by brdempsey69

OK, and sorry it has took me this long to respond in this thread. On paper, I would say, YES.

Adding Grubbs, Fanaika, and Morse to their interior HAS to be a huge upgrade over last year and I don't believe there is going to be any dropoff with Kush replacing Hudson at Center. And LDT should also be much less raw than what he was last year. Fulton, I don't know about this year, but he really went through rookie struggles last year. Most of the pressure on Alex Smith came straight up the middle.

Fisher doesn't worry me at all at LT, as long as he's healthy. At chiefs.com, they said he allowed only 4 hits on the QB in the last 14 games, and I'd have to go back and review the games to confirm that, but I do distinctly remember that he wasn't allowing repeated hits on Alex starting in game three. He should be better this year, as I believe that last year had to give him confidence that he could stand up against the NFL's best, because he did. He wasn't as bad as many make him out to be, and we didn't repeatedly hear "False start -- #72, Offense", like we repeatedly heard "False start -- #76, Offense", in previous years -- and many at critical times, at that.

RT, for me, is the biggest question mark. Who is going to be manning that position? It was Stephenson's for the taking and keeping last year, but he blew the opportunity and it remains to be seen if he can bounce back this year. Jeff Allen may be a candidate there, as well, as he has never looked comfortable playing Guard, and was a 4-yr starter at Tackle in college. Maybe Tackle really is a better position for him.

Will this line be equal to the O-Line to the Dick Vermeil days? I don't think so, but they might be pretty good and I certainly believe they should be better than what the Donkeys have and that might get them over the hump in one of their games against the Donks (hopefully both). The left side of the O-Line with Fisher and Grubbs should be pretty good and the Chiefs need to run behind those two OFTEN this year, as both Charles and Davis excel at running left and now they'll have blockers in front of them.

No worries about the time to respond! 15 hours is pretty quick in my book and for some silly reason we all have lives beyond ChiefsCrowd! :)

If I read your post correctly, you figure we have a substantially better O-line that while not overpowering may well be "enough" to eradicate most of last year's problems. Have I got that about right?

And my compliments on pointing out that JC and KD like to run left. If Grubbs and Fisher can regularly spring those two into the enemy secondary that should do A LOT to ease the pressure on Alex. If the running game is truly effective it sets up the passing game. In the end the biggest thing is we MUST have a threat that keep the enemy from stacking up on the LOS. If we can do that both the running and passing game will work.

**brdempsey69** · 07-22-2015, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by ctchiefsfan

No worries about the time to respond! 15 hours is pretty quick in my book and for some silly reason we all have lives beyond ChiefsCrowd! :)

If I read your post correctly, you figure we have a substantially better O-line that while not overpowering may well be "enough" to eradicate most of last year's problems. Have I got that about right?

And my compliments on pointing out that JC and KD like to run left. If Grubbs and Fisher can regularly spring those two into the enemy secondary that should do A LOT to ease the pressure on Alex. If the running game is truly effective it sets up the passing game. In the end the biggest thing is we MUST have a threat that keep the enemy from stacking up on the LOS. If we can do that both the running and passing game will work.

That sums it up. They should be better, but they will face a series of tough Defensive Front 7's, so they will get tested severely.

**ctchiefsfan** · 07-22-2015, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by Eydugstr

Gotta play the games to find out the answer to that one, ctc. But I will say this...The front office has done their part so far. The two biggest problem areas on the team (WR and O-line) received the most attention. Everyone's signed, including Justin Houston, so that bodes well for everyone being on the same page once the regular season starts.

Kush does need to prove he can step up, and the RT position is a big question mark, as Brd pointed out. Let competition in camp sort that one out. While we've got a long ways to go before we'll have an O-line that rates alongside the one we had in the mid nineties, let alone the one Dick Vermeil had in the early to mid 2k's, don't see Reid being too patient or content with the O-line.

I agree that management has done pretty good job of addressing the problems at WR and O-line. Of course, it's not as much as I'd have liked to see, but I think they have done a good job given what they had to work with. If Conley (or someone else) were to prove a difference-maker this year I think we'd be pretty well set at WR. The O-line still makes me nervous, but I do feel it will be substantially improved over last year. Be nice to have a "stone wall" for an O-line but with the weapons we have....JC, Maclin, Davis, DAT, etc I think we can get by with an O-line that is simply "good enough".

**brdempsey69** · 07-25-2015, 02:44 PM

Here is what Center Eric Kush has transformed himself into in 2 years since being drafted.

erickush.jpg

As you can see, he looks like a wrecking machine. Morse will be his backup, but Morse may also challenge for a starting spot at RG. This may be the Next candidate that the Chiefs are bringing along in the same manner as Kush.

ldt.jpg