Here’s TexasRam...
My personal take, as someone who watches our O-line tape on replay very carefully and repetitiously after each game is Blythe is the weakest link physically. Lots of other posters watch tape and have differing opinions but here is mine:
First off PFF's grading of our guards Corbett and Edwards is pretty accurate. Both were from my review very solid this year. Nothing Pro Bowl worthy but solid enough to win with. Corbett has shown excellent run blocking at times and solid pass pro, but he did miss a few team blocks and assignments this year. That does not at all concern me because he is still very new to this system and position. Edwards is very solid all around, both technique and scheme. That doesn't mean he has the run game push as Corbett but he is very assignment sound. He can get a little overpowered in pass pro a bit which leaves him in the solid category. Not Elite and never will be. When he took over for Noteboom at LG the improvement was big. Noteboom cannot sustain a block or get his man engaged like Edwards.
Whitworth still top level but missed several games. Noteboom filled in pretty good, much better at tackle. But Noteboom is still years away from being at Whit's level and I am not sure he ever will. He just lacks the hands and balance.
Havenstein is what he is. He is a consistently excellent run blocker that can really open holes. He is not completely useless in pass pro but he is a liability when facing certain speed types and top end rushers.
Blythe is mostly scheme sound but he can just get overpowered both in the run game and pass pro. We saw this multiple times this year. It really adds up in the run game over the course of an entire game. If you can't get push at the LOS on short yardage and at the Goaline it creates major issues such as settling for FG's, needing to pass on 3rd and 2, putting yourself in 3rd and long and allowing sacks or rushed QB reactions.
Other blocking concerns that in my opinion are just as huge as the starting 5 Olineman are TE's, WR's and backup O-lineman. The TE's play such a huge role in our run game. Even if all 5 block well, if your TE gets blown back it often results in a loss or no gain. That happened so many times this year I cannot even count. Everett was a nightmare and Higbee was real bad at times as well. Hig's was injured and playing injured quite alot so this was part of it. We have to view the blocking improvement as more than the starting 5 Olineman. Our TE's, WR's and backup Olineman all play a huge role. Kupp tends to be solid but had a few games where he was getting beat. Woods is usually solid. The others are mostly bad, especially Reynolds. We must upgrade the TE and find someone that can really seal edges and get some creases for our run game. The Depth of O-lineman can also be upgraded. The 2017-2018 offense was blessed with health. When you have Noteboom filling in for Whitworth and Evans filling in for Edwards and getting pummeled in a playoff game, that means you need better depth.
PFF overall ratings for our Oline has been argued repeatedly on this board. When your QB is constantly rolling out because the pocket is breaking down that is a sign of a bad Oline. It really screws up the metrics and shame on PFF for not taking that into consideration.
We all saw what a top O-line looked like when we played Green bay. That is a top Oline. We also saw a bad one in the Superbowl when Mahomes could do nothing with those backups in. That is what ours was like with Blythe and Evans. Or when Havenstein is facing a top rusher, or when Noteboom is filling in for Whitworth.
Get a new Center, a new TE, a replacement for Reynolds that can block and establish the run game with Akers. Who, by the way was hurt a good amount. Get a capable depth guy. Move the ball in the run game. Convert short yardage for first downs and at the goaline. Force the defense to commit resources to stop the run and in Mcvays system the play action will be a force. The downfeild shots open up and the rest is history.
