There are a lot of issues with the present OL and we don't really know yet how much of it is circumstances, coaching, or talent and so on.
But if people were saying that every year, they're ignoring a lot.
In 2013 the OL was actually decently effective for most of the year (in fact PFF ranked it 13th. You don't have to take PFF too literally---is it really 13th or 15th? That kind of thing...the point is, PFF is in the ballpark. And all other indications are, yeah, the OL was decently effective in 2013.)
In 2012 it's a tale of 2 seasons. The first half of the season they were extensively injured, and I mean extensively. Up to I think 8 different guys played the same 3 spots. AFTER THAT, in the 2nd half of the season, when the OL was relatively healthy, by any measure you want to use they played well (look at yards per carry, sack percentage, and also not coincidentally the record).
In 2014 they were injured early and often. A different animal entirely. And I don't have patience for the "all teams have injuries" thing--no, not all teams have extensive injuries to a key unit like the OL to the point where it reduces their effectiveness. Some qbs can still do well under circumstances (Wilson, Brady) but most can't.
2015, it was VERY inexperienced AND extensively injured.
2016...who knows. It was a perfect cluster storm of a lot of different things at the same time.
BUT my point is, anyone who says that we have always had the same line issues as 2016 is just simply not being accurate. It has been way more up and down than that.
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