Way too early look at 2017 O line

As far as the O line goes.

I would have to say the constant penalties that were coming from the group for a few years has greatly diminished.

 
BlitzFirst said:
Barnett looks to be a complete bust at this point, and I wouldn't count on Decker ever playing again.
Unfortunately, I can't argue with these assessments.

I can...he's a RSFr. Sometimes, it takes guys a couple of years to learn fundamentals if they are raw. He used to just bull rush people with very little technique in high school and his brute strength was just far and away better than most he faced.

I think we see him take a very large step forward in the next 2 years to become a very good lineman. He needs time with Cav and the playbook.
Well, he is going to go one way or the other. He's either going to do what you just said or wash out.

I hope you are correct because we need him.

 
BlitzFirst said:
Barnett looks to be a complete bust at this point, and I wouldn't count on Decker ever playing again.
Unfortunately, I can't argue with these assessments.

I can...he's a RSFr. Sometimes, it takes guys a couple of years to learn fundamentals if they are raw. He used to just bull rush people with very little technique in high school and his brute strength was just far and away better than most he faced.

I think we see him take a very large step forward in the next 2 years to become a very good lineman. He needs time with Cav and the playbook.
And apparently we have true freshmen picking things up faster than he is. They were on campus for about four months. He's been on campus for over a year.

You can continue to wildly speculate. Or you can look at who was actually being considered to play this year.

 
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I hope Farniok is able to start at RT. That guy was supposed to be the stud O-lineman from the 2016 class and most thought he could have played this season. If he's beaten out by a walk-on and an underachieving Knevel, then I don't see the o-line improving much on the right side.
I'd give Farniok every opportunity to start....at LT.
That would be pretty high hopes for Farniok to displace a 2-year starter in Gates, and one who the coaches moved from RT to LT this year.
I don't think Gates lived up to either his hype or potential this year. I don't think getting pushed would be the worst thing in the world for him.
I agree that Gates struggled at times, but he was also the best lineman on the field for most of the year. Nothing wrong with Farniok pushing him, but it probably would be best to start him out on the right side in his first year as a starter.
And he was hurt.

Gates isn't going anywhere. He's an NFL talent. Farniok will push for the RT spot.
He needs to play like an NFL talent.
Oddly enough, just because you say he wasn't doesn't mean that he wasn't.

 
BlitzFirst said:
Barnett looks to be a complete bust at this point, and I wouldn't count on Decker ever playing again.
Unfortunately, I can't argue with these assessments.
I can...he's a RSFr. Sometimes, it takes guys a couple of years to learn fundamentals if they are raw. He used to just bull rush people with very little technique in high school and his brute strength was just far and away better than most he faced.

I think we see him take a very large step forward in the next 2 years to become a very good lineman. He needs time with Cav and the playbook.
And apparently we have true freshmen picking things up faster than he is. They were on campus for about four months. He's been on campus for over a year.

You can continue to wildly speculate. Or you can look at who was actually being considered to play this year.
The main thing that showed me that Barnett has a LONG WAY to go, is he that couldn't beat out walk-on players who clearly struggled. I don't know if it's his weight or he can't learn the playbook, but he has to improve a lot, just to become a serviceable lineman for NU.

 
BlitzFirst said:
BlitzFirst said:
Barnett looks to be a complete bust at this point, and I wouldn't count on Decker ever playing again.
Unfortunately, I can't argue with these assessments.
I can...he's a RSFr. Sometimes, it takes guys a couple of years to learn fundamentals if they are raw. He used to just bull rush people with very little technique in high school and his brute strength was just far and away better than most he faced.

I think we see him take a very large step forward in the next 2 years to become a very good lineman. He needs time with Cav and the playbook.
And apparently we have true freshmen picking things up faster than he is. They were on campus for about four months. He's been on campus for over a year.

You can continue to wildly speculate. Or you can look at who was actually being considered to play this year.
Sure, considered to play through SPECULATION.

Nice try Mav...all we have is speculation. Nothing you say is any more concrete than anything I say.
So Riley saying they were considering playing Wilson because he was the next one in line is speculation to you?
 
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BlitzFirst said:
BlitzFirst said:
Barnett looks to be a complete bust at this point, and I wouldn't count on Decker ever playing again.
Unfortunately, I can't argue with these assessments.
I can...he's a RSFr. Sometimes, it takes guys a couple of years to learn fundamentals if they are raw. He used to just bull rush people with very little technique in high school and his brute strength was just far and away better than most he faced.

I think we see him take a very large step forward in the next 2 years to become a very good lineman. He needs time with Cav and the playbook.
And apparently we have true freshmen picking things up faster than he is. They were on campus for about four months. He's been on campus for over a year.

You can continue to wildly speculate. Or you can look at who was actually being considered to play this year.
The main thing that showed me that Barnett has a LONG WAY to go, is he that couldn't beat out walk-on players who clearly struggled. I don't know if it's his weight or he can't learn the playbook, but he has to improve a lot, just to become a serviceable lineman for NU.
Sometimes, it's not about beating anyone.

Sometimes, it's about coaching making the call that someone doesn't play until they're ready. But hey, thanks for sharing your non informed opinion. Lots of linemen don't see the field until 2nd or 3rd year.
This is Barnett's 2nd year in the system. He's not a true freshman. The o-line desperately needed a quality guy at guard this year and his name was never mentioned as a possibility. That's a red flag to me. I don't know what his issue is, but if he isn't ready to be even a backup then something there concerns me that he may never be able to do anything significant at NU.

 
I count 12 and if you are correct that we have but one lonely senior (Utter) leaving, then we are sure short about 8 or 10 linemen. 5 positions X 4 deep = 20. Just my math but where o' where has our pipeline gone? Even using scholarship guys we shoud have 82 or so divided amongst 22 positions (or 3.5 PER position). We sure don't need 3.5 receivers across about 4 spots so that means we got room for 4 deep on scholarship at each line spot! Just asking? Where are they?
Everyone's favorite Coach Cav doesn't rotate linemen during games, so he is probably good with only 2-3 deep at each spot.
Which some have said directly relates to the injury issues we had this season...and I'm inclined to agree, to an extent.

Plus, there's something to be said about rotating your linemen to give them a breather and get more experience in case someone goes down.

 
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