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RockRam
I've asked this before and don't think I got an answer, so I'll ask again:
Who on O did the Rams under Fisher take from a rookie and develop into a solid to good starting player? Anybody? In 5 years?

First, I never buy into scorched earth style coach blame, for anyone. I think it's a simplistic way to just find too easy answers. And that's true even of coaches I could not stand, like Brooks and Linehan. No one is ever 100% the complete bum some angry fans want to act like they are.

Second, let's be absolutely clear here. Who am I defending? In this case it's Boudreau. Not interested in another round of Fisher Wars.

So if Tom Mack disappoints me by talking like a wide-eyed angry simplifying fan instead of acting like he knows better, well, so it goes. You should just accept that people might have different views on that.

But here goes. On Boudreau.

Boudeau was an NFL coach for 30 years, with some very good OLs in his past, including ones he made out of nothing (see Atlanta in 2008). The odds of a 30 year veteran OL coach NEVER teaching technique are just plain zero. Mack's just wrong about that. In fact I am kind of baffled about HOW wrong he is about that.

In terms of the Rams OL under Boudreau, who have they developed? Well starting in 2012, the Rams had a long list of players who never did anything before the Rams, played well WITH the Rams, and then never did anything since. The one exception to that last part (never did anything since) was Barksdale. Anyway it was a long list of guys who got decent FA contracts because the Rams got something out of them no one else had before---including Richardson, Turner, Williams, and Smith.

Here btw is Boudreau talking about developing Barksdale:

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[www.espn.com]

When the Rams claimed Barksdale in 2012, they were simply searching for help on the offensive line after some injuries had struck. That's been a familiar refrain in recent seasons.

Offensive line coach Paul Boudreau saw the 6-foot-5, 326-pound Barksdale as his next great reclamation project, if only he could get Barksdale to have the same belief.

For as much work as Barksdale needed on footwork, hand placement and understanding of angles, he needed regular reminders he could get there.

"His thing is more confidence in everything," Boudreau said. "Joe is his own worst critic. He's his own worst enemy. I tell him I will do all the worrying for you and you get out there and you play."

That confidence came quickly for Barksdale, who said he genuinely started buying into Boudreau's belief when he started at left tackle against Green Bay on Oct. 21, 2012. He started again the following week in London against New England and graded out well in both games.

Barksdale credits Boudreau with teaching him not only technique but confidence. He then outpriced the Rams in free agency and moved on and played pretty well.

When did the Rams OL play well? Here's a breakdown:

The first half of 2012 they had a long list of OL. As bad as 2007-9.
But they were then relatively healthy in the 2nd half of 2012. They played well by any measure anyone wants to use, including sack percentage and yards per carry for Jackson.

For most of 2013 the OL played well. PFF even ranked them 13th in the league. Then at the end they were undermined in the last 3-4 games by multiple injuries.

2014 was just a mess. Long and Wells never practiced during the summer. The first time all 5 starters practiced together was the week before game 1. They then lost Long and had to start a completely green GR at LOT. They then had another long series of injuries which resulted in guys having to play hurt, including both Wells and Saffold (Wells played with a brace on his snapping arm leading to some errant snaps, which some people to this day just blame on Wells without thinking about the injury and the brace). Maybe a Russell Wilson could still play behind that beat-up OL, but Hill and Davis couldn't (to no one's surprise I assume.)

Because of 2014 they started over in 2015, and while not consistently good overall---plus having a mid-season multiple injury epidemic---they actually settled down and were decent overall. That';s in spite of being in general the least experienced OL you have ever watched.

In 2016 everything went wrong for everyone and it was never one thing. Gurley for example had his OWN issues (and to me it's just blind to avoid noticing this). Though to be fair I thought Donnal came through (except at left tackle.)

But yeah, Boudreau taught technique (ALL OL coaches do, Mack is just into some kind of fan-style hyperbole for some reason), and he has fielded good lines.

So what am I defending? Well I am dismantling the idea that a 30 year veteran OL coach never taught technique. That's just completely over the top preposterous. OL coaches who NEVER teach technique do not get re-hired. They don't become 30 year veteran OL coaches with good resumes.

Now in terms of the rest of the Fisher Wars stuff, another time. This board is hard on minority views so one has to pick one's moment or that's all that one would ever end up posting about. Take it to PM if you have to. Fair enough?


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Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/2017 05:27AM by zn.