yinzer-inseattle
04-27-2008, 02:17 PM
This was on Steelers.com buried in the Tony Hills conference call. I think this sheds a little more light on the OL draft strategy.
http://news.steelers.com/article/88790/
"Coach, we haven’t talked to you since Alan Faneca left. What are your thoughts on him moving on, and potential guys to replace him at that left guard spot?"
LZ-- Chris is going to get the shot. I’ll tell you what, I have a lot of confidence in that guy. Aside from the physical thing, he’s a big kid. He was ready to play last year. He was ready, and Kendall kind of won the thing, but it was close. When we came out of training camp, preseason games, the grades were close. But this kid is ready to play. The thing that I told him the other day, “It’s obvious to me, when you see blitzes, you understand it all. Just become a little more verbal.” He understands things. I like him, I really do like him. I think he’s going to be a good player.
"After watching Max last year it’s usually rare that a guy’s better at left tackle then right. Do you think he’s possibly better as a left tackle?"
LZ--Well here’s what you have to understand about Max you know the one thing that happened with him is that we had to take care of Marvel (Smith) in pre-season. Max had worked strictly at right tackle hardly any left and Marvel would play a few snaps and then we would put Max over there and Max didn’t look very good and it’s because he hadn’t been there. But to his credit throughout the season as he was not even playing he was working and he was working his techniques. If you can remember what he looked like in pre-season compared to what he looked like at the end of the season when he was called on or what he looked like in these two OTAs we have had, which I know you all haven’t seen he has improved substantially his techniques and I think he is better on the right and left side now. We have tried to change some things and he’s gone along with it and it’s helped him. He played left side in college and he can play the left side, but for me to say he’s more of a left side guy then a right side guy I don’t know for sure but I do have confidence in him on both sides.
IMO....If Kemo is really our next left guard then the FO probably feels set at the interior line, or at least that they feel that they have personnel that are better than anyone they could draft this year. Also the comment on Starks looks as though they will try to keep him long term as they would be hard pressed to find someone who can start at either tackle position and would at a minimum give them another option if Marvel is unable to play. Hills brings some additional talent and competetion in that area as well.
They have so much flexibility with guys who can play multiple OL positions that they really need to get player and positions set ASAP. LZ should know exactly what he has now, so we should see the line shaping up quickly.
http://news.steelers.com/article/88790/
"Coach, we haven’t talked to you since Alan Faneca left. What are your thoughts on him moving on, and potential guys to replace him at that left guard spot?"
LZ-- Chris is going to get the shot. I’ll tell you what, I have a lot of confidence in that guy. Aside from the physical thing, he’s a big kid. He was ready to play last year. He was ready, and Kendall kind of won the thing, but it was close. When we came out of training camp, preseason games, the grades were close. But this kid is ready to play. The thing that I told him the other day, “It’s obvious to me, when you see blitzes, you understand it all. Just become a little more verbal.” He understands things. I like him, I really do like him. I think he’s going to be a good player.
"After watching Max last year it’s usually rare that a guy’s better at left tackle then right. Do you think he’s possibly better as a left tackle?"
LZ--Well here’s what you have to understand about Max you know the one thing that happened with him is that we had to take care of Marvel (Smith) in pre-season. Max had worked strictly at right tackle hardly any left and Marvel would play a few snaps and then we would put Max over there and Max didn’t look very good and it’s because he hadn’t been there. But to his credit throughout the season as he was not even playing he was working and he was working his techniques. If you can remember what he looked like in pre-season compared to what he looked like at the end of the season when he was called on or what he looked like in these two OTAs we have had, which I know you all haven’t seen he has improved substantially his techniques and I think he is better on the right and left side now. We have tried to change some things and he’s gone along with it and it’s helped him. He played left side in college and he can play the left side, but for me to say he’s more of a left side guy then a right side guy I don’t know for sure but I do have confidence in him on both sides.
IMO....If Kemo is really our next left guard then the FO probably feels set at the interior line, or at least that they feel that they have personnel that are better than anyone they could draft this year. Also the comment on Starks looks as though they will try to keep him long term as they would be hard pressed to find someone who can start at either tackle position and would at a minimum give them another option if Marvel is unable to play. Hills brings some additional talent and competetion in that area as well.
They have so much flexibility with guys who can play multiple OL positions that they really need to get player and positions set ASAP. LZ should know exactly what he has now, so we should see the line shaping up quickly.