If Nelson is healthy, this is our best starting 5 Oline in a long time
- Thread starter grinagrin
- Start date
Does Nelson need to be healthy?
Our offense averaged 30ppg when he was healthy and 40ppg when he was injured last year.
Our offense averaged 30ppg when he was healthy and 40ppg when he was injured last year.
Wright is more of a guard than tackle. And if I'm not mistaken, Nelson preferred RT more than LT and Mahon did well at LT last year before the injury, a lot better than at guard.
I say that because it allows Wright to play guard which he has the body for. He did well at tackle, filling in with all the injuries, but he may be even better at guard.
As long as Bates and McGovern are healthy, we'll have the best OL in a long time. We have plenty of guys now to fill all the other OL positions well!
at 6'7" I wouldn't say Wright is more of a OG than OT. I think he started there last year at OG because we had more questions marks inside than outside. that all said, I like your line up if all are healthy. That will be a big question mark for some time.
I think there are 7-8 guys on the depth chart right now that several combinations could be the best OL in quite a while.
There are so many potential starters and so many combinations, I wouldn't be surprised if the staff doesn't have to settle on a starting 5 until late preseason. Really they want to have 10 guys ready and knowing their roles, not 5.
I do love the thought of Bates-McGovern-Wright in the interior. That's around 1000 pounds of speed power and brains. Too much for most of the DLs out there.
I do love the thought of Bates-McGovern-Wright in the interior. That's around 1000 pounds of speed power and brains. Too much for most of the DLs out there.
Regardless of Nelson's health we will have the best Offensive Line we have had in the last 8-10 years as a result of depth. We will have several guys on the two deep team that could start without losing much too much from the 1st team
We will have a good core of guys to impose their will on the defensive 7. Couple that with the offensive firepower, this season can be as much fun or moreso than last year.
Not sure Nelly is top 5 on the squad, OR top two at tackle. All the time he's missed the last two year's, no contact work, and all the while, younger prospects getter better. Can't count on him till we see him performing in August. And I'm starting to think Bates stays at LT till Mahon is ready, possibly even after Brendan is ready. I'm not biased, I want the best five out there, and Bates, McGovern and Wrigt have/continue to prove their mettle. If Mahon is , he's in there too. And don't sleep on Gonzo; may be too heavy for coaches liking, but when the lights are on, he's performed very well.
No mention here of Michal Menet?
I guess that's testimony to the quality of competition for starting positions. No inside info, but I expect to see Menet as a starter.
I guess that's testimony to the quality of competition for starting positions. No inside info, but I expect to see Menet as a starter.
Bates
Mahon/Menet
McGovern
Gonzalez/Nelson
Wright/Fries
Mahon/Menet
McGovern
Gonzalez/Nelson
Wright/Fries
I feel like our o-line will look like it did vs Iowa most games. That was with Palmer at left Tackle. They were dominant that night, pushing Iowa's defense off the line of scrimmage. That same Iowa defense shut down Michigan a week later. The O-line doesn't have to be dominant for this offense to be successful but the ability to get 3rd or 4th and short increases tremendously. Still think lining up under center could be beneficial.. I mean.. the snap could be fumbled, but I've seen snaps over our qb's head, one which resulted in a td in a conference championship game.. sorry, off topic
That is because they really opened up the offense in the second half of the year. I don't think Nelson being out was a cause for the increased production.
I think Menet is gonna inch (inch equaling one game) his way into the starting line at G.
Reports have been very positive for Gonzo this Spring and I don't see Wright beating out both Gonzo and Menet inside. If Nelson and Mahon are playing I don't see Wright starting, but who knows. Nice depth and competition that will make any injuries much less worrisome....
Bring Wright in for short yardage package... playing him at Tackle and moving Nelson and Mahon out to TE. It's not gonna happen, but I would like to imagine Wright mauling Bosa in a package like that.
Yep, our short yardage and goal line run game should improve.
Agree that played a big role in the overall production.
However, I still think our best o-line play last year came after the Maryland game. Nelson is not that physical in the run game, IMO, and the chronic knee injuries are absolutely an issue affecting his performance and not going away.
If he's our starter next year, I'm not feeling as confident as I would with Mahon, Wright, or Fries at RT.
IMO Wright is not going inside and he will start week 1 - we will see if he stays starting after Nellie gets fully healed.
We have Bowers back this year. Nobody talking about that? He was considered a huge loss last year because he was our "only" blocking tight end
I suppose that isn't thought of as such a factor this year?
I suppose that isn't thought of as such a factor this year?
If he's a good blocker, I'm sure Coach JoMo can find a good use for him, esp. in short yardage situations, where PSU should be markedly improved.
Seems like we have some good competition inside without Wright moving inside. McGovern, Menet, Gonzo, Miranda, and possibly Mahon and Bates. Most believe Mahon will move inside but for now it seems the staff is playing Bates at OT. I also believe Wright stays at OT, along with Bates (probably) Fries, Nelson, Gellerstadt, Jenkins..... and that if Nelson is not ready to go at the start of the season that Bates and Wright begin the season as the starting OT's....
Right now, I don't think the staff has a starting O line. They have a starting center, McGovern, and a starting left tackle, Bates. That's it.
Again, this is a GOOD thing, not a bad thing, this year.
Again, this is a GOOD thing, not a bad thing, this year.
With that said, I don't see any way you keep Gonzales from being a starter, somewhere on this line: I think at the end of the year, last year, he was outstanding. If he isn't starting this year, that means we are that much better up front, for that kind of competition to keep him as a 6th or 7th man.
Menet will get reps for sure. Expecting him to start, barring injuries, may be a bit premature. I'm a star-gazer like the rest of us, but they're all at square one once on campus. I want the 5 best performing NOW, w/o regard to high school rep or stars.
Some players peak in HS, some peak in college, the best peak in the Pros. Not the OL, I know, but Franco is a great example of this. He wasn't the best RB in the backfield here, Lydell Mitchell was. But I don't think anyone would say Mitchell was the better pro. Systems/injuries can account for some of that, but Franco didn't peak till well into his NFL career, kept getting better, and now wears a golden sport coat, prob same size as when he was drafted, too.
I agree with others, Wright is not likely to play inside at his height and Wright is more road grader to Nelson's finesse.
If Nelson is healthy and beats out Wright, then use Wright in the second half of games where we are ahead and would prefer to run the ball.
What is the low down on Mahon? Is his injury/illness still a mystery? If it is known, is he still "recovering" from whatever it was?
If Nelson is healthy and beats out Wright, then use Wright in the second half of games where we are ahead and would prefer to run the ball.
What is the low down on Mahon? Is his injury/illness still a mystery? If it is known, is he still "recovering" from whatever it was?
Bates/Gonzales or Menet/McGovern/Mahon or Menet/Wright or Mahon
Bates, Mahon, McGovern are 3 starters. Wright, Menet, Gonzalez compete for the other two spots with the best two getting the start and Mahon playing guard or tackle depending. Whoever doesn't win the spot will still play real reps during the game as part of a rotation. Also think that you see JFF pull the trigger on the second string Oline a little bit quicker than last year to get those guys more reps as he has more faith in them. I don't see Nelson getting real healthy this year. He was having mobility issues with his knees before he hurt them bad last year. I doubt he even sees real practice reps until mid-September and probably isn't even game ready until half way through the year. Hoping out of Nelson some quality leadership in practice and film room and able to play come late October in case of another injury along the Oline and being able to step up and get by with his veteran experience.
The second string Oline will be interesting, probably..Fries/Miranda/Simpson/Menet/Gellerstadt or Jenkins
Bates, Mahon, McGovern are 3 starters. Wright, Menet, Gonzalez compete for the other two spots with the best two getting the start and Mahon playing guard or tackle depending. Whoever doesn't win the spot will still play real reps during the game as part of a rotation. Also think that you see JFF pull the trigger on the second string Oline a little bit quicker than last year to get those guys more reps as he has more faith in them. I don't see Nelson getting real healthy this year. He was having mobility issues with his knees before he hurt them bad last year. I doubt he even sees real practice reps until mid-September and probably isn't even game ready until half way through the year. Hoping out of Nelson some quality leadership in practice and film room and able to play come late October in case of another injury along the Oline and being able to step up and get by with his veteran experience.
The second string Oline will be interesting, probably..Fries/Miranda/Simpson/Menet/Gellerstadt or Jenkins
...or Wright might just be a starting tackle. For someone who wasn't really seen as a tackle, he did really amazingly well there last year and got better every game. I hope Wright makes the starting 5 because his size is something PSU has never really had -- plus he is very athletic. I'm not expert but Wright seems to have a really high ceiling. Anybody remember Joe Jacoby when you have a guy that big who can run like that on a counter, he just annihilates ends and linebackers. Can't get around him, certainly can't go through him.
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