StephenRKass

January 17th, 2018 at 4:49 PM ^

I haven't believed in the OL for a long time. However,

  • if Newsome came back healthy,
  • Even better, if Calvin Anderson transferred in,
  • even better, if Patterson was able to play next year,

Well, that could be a huge, huge jump start for next season. Badly needed.

I am waiting and hoping about all the redshirt freshmen on the OL. But adding a solid starter would take pressure off, and provide even more depth.

  • With meritocracy,
  • with two solid incoming tackles,
  • with three upperclassmen tackles
  • with two redshirt freshmen tackles,
  • with two true freshmen tackles,
  • with potentially TWO MORE true freshmen tackles

There's gotta be a solid two guys, with a solid two backups. I would really hope that with a pool of 11 guys, you'd come up with a couple who were decent. Right?

KC Wolve

January 17th, 2018 at 5:00 PM ^

If the line isn’t significantly improved next year, it has to be a coaching issue. I’m not saying elite, but the line should be at least average. They will have several guys to choose from and should be able to form a decent line overall. If not, fire everyone associated with the Oline aside from Harbaugh.

An Angelo's Addict

January 17th, 2018 at 5:13 PM ^

I just think for our Oline to be great we need to be able to reload. For instance let’s say Newsome comes back and then we have another injury or two on the line, then are we screwed again?

OwenGoBlue

January 17th, 2018 at 5:22 PM ^

Going to be good-to-great inside for the next several years. Tackles will be better pass blockers in '18; athletic redshirt tackle X/Rice Guy/Newsome will be a pass pro upgrade on Cole if a run game downgrade and JBB/whoever beats out JBB will be better than '17 JBB.

Most importantly, the communication and blitz pickup should improve with experience and time on task together. 

I'm predicting they're better pass blockers, rush for 200+ game, land three guys on the All-B1G lists, and have a bunch of people on here whining about them. So basically 2016 OL prior to the Newsome injury-ish overall performance. 

Kevin13

January 17th, 2018 at 5:32 PM ^

should get their hopes up about Newsome. Really love this kids attitude and work ethic, but to return from what he went through and play tackle in the B1G, taking into account he hasn't played in 2 years???? I think it's a long shot he can really add much to the OL next year.

Now if Bredeson can shift to tackle and play well we should be in decent shape, especailly if he can play LT. Then you have Hudson, Horningford, Filiaga, Stueber and Ulizio to compete for RT and would hope out of all of those bodies we can find a serviceable RT.

Inside Ruiz should be a very good center and Onwenu at one guard is very good. Then you have Runyon Vastardes and Spanellis to compete for the other guard position and feel out of them you should be able to get a very good interior line.

If we can somehow land the Rice transfer this line could be vastly improved  next year.

LSA84

January 17th, 2018 at 6:52 PM ^

But a solid (and hopefully improved) 3rd-year starter with an imperfect skillset for LT is probably better than one of the kids coming off redshirt.  Only a fully recovered Newsome or the Rice grad transfer is likely to be better than Bredeson at LT.  

Remember, the staff trusted Bredeson to start as a true frosh once Newsome was injured.  They did not yet trust any of the guys who redshirted in 2017, or you would have seen one of them at RT this year.  

Mr. Owl

January 17th, 2018 at 11:37 PM ^

Onwenu needs to get into shape.  Early in the season he couldn't play a full game, so we saw a lot of Runyan.  Once Ruiz got up to speed we didn't see him again until bowl time when he was playing LG for the first time due to Bredeson working through something.  If you can't stay on the field...

Pepto Bismol

January 18th, 2018 at 10:21 AM ^

I just don't understand this Calvin Anderson hype. You say nobody should get their hopes up about Newsome (Are you close with him? How's his leg?), and that our gang of offensive tackles will max out at "serviceable". Quite pessimistic.

And in the next breath say our line could be "vastly improved" by landing a former 2-star recruit who just finished up 4 years with one of the worst football programs in all of FBS. All of our guys are shit, but this guy is a the best?  Based on what?

No offense. Just pointing out the mentality. This is how the board ends up convincing itself that John O'Korn is the next Steve Young. 

LSA84

January 17th, 2018 at 5:40 PM ^

Ruiz >> Kugler

RS So Onwenu > RS Fr Onwenu

Jr Bredeson > So Bredeson 

Spanellis or anyone > JBB/Uluzio
 
So we should be better at all 4 positions other than Mason Cole, who was an NFL-level talent but not built for LT anyway.   Get someone (Newsome, Filiaga, transfer) who is even close to Cole's quality, and the OL will be much better.  
 
[EDIT:  and, by the way, it's difficult to imagine getting someone as good as Cole in quality, but his size being more of an LT might make it possible to be close enough in production.  And if Newsome comes back as good as we was (not impossible), I'd take him at LT over Cole.]

BarkerC

January 17th, 2018 at 7:16 PM ^

Long time viewer and fan.  First time creating an account on a message board.  Bear with me.  If you watched the bowl game you saw Spanellis come in for Kuglar at center and he did a very good job with the line calls and pass blocking.  The ability to have a large dominant center allows the horseshoe to form for the pocket and lets the qb have a place to step into his throws.  I think ruiz will be a good gaurd.  If the line play takes a step forward with age and experience and gets decent tackle play we could be very good.  Our problem with stunts will improve with practice and having a dominant physical center.

 

 

 

 

SirBentham

January 17th, 2018 at 7:32 PM ^

I think it's a mistake on ESPN's part - believing he has no eligibility left.

Anderson would be a nice pick-up and like many on this board, I'm not so certain we can count on Newsome to contribute this season.

LT: Hudson vs Stueber vs Anderson?

LG: Bredeson, Spanellis

C: Ruiz, TBC (Runyan vs Vastardis as back-up?)

RG: Onwenu, Filiaga, Ulizio, Honigford

RT: JBB vs Hudson vs Stueber vs Filiaga

The Fan in Fargo

January 17th, 2018 at 8:42 PM ^

One must not forget the hire of a new S&C coach who is young and full of vigor. He developed some great offensive lines at Wisconsin so if he’s still in the business of kicking ass, Michigan is in good hands. If he is allowed to have all the resources he feels he needs, nothing should slow is process. A lot can be done in six months with stallions who are barely of age to have a beer.

UMProud

January 17th, 2018 at 8:43 PM ^

I'm just not seeing how Newsome can regain all that lost strength, muscle and athleticism in such a short amount of time.  Hope he can do it but it would be superhuman if he got back to fighting form in time for the 2018 season.

Pepto Bismol

January 18th, 2018 at 11:08 AM ^

The video is still pinned to his Twitter account.  August 2017, 10 months after his injury but only 9 months after he completed his 40-day/6-surgery hospital stay, he was running down the Michigan practice field. He went from dead-legged near amputee in October '16 to running down the field 10 months later. 

He will have had 13 months (from that video until Notre Dame) to go from relatively recovered running to the necessary strangth and agility to play tackle. Is that asking a lot?  I have no idea.  Maybe?  It depends?  How much agility did he have at that point in August?  Could he only run straight lines?  Was he able to shuffle side-to-side?  Does anybody know? 

And if you don't know the answer to any of those questions (which I definitely don't), how can you assess the probability of his return, positive or negative?

 

JFW

January 18th, 2018 at 10:00 AM ^

That's been the biggest disappointment for me for a decade. We get good guys and they end up being terrible to meh. Why? How? We've had good coaches teaching them, or coaches who have had success in prior stops. 

 

And in the same time we've rebuilt and relaoded the D line. 

It's vexing. 

mgowill

January 18th, 2018 at 8:36 AM ^

We've just got to be able to pass block.  Our power success rate was 79.5% which was good for 7th best in the country.  The OL ranked pretty bad on standard down sack rate (118), passing down sack rate (104), and adjusted sack rate (117).  I know this is pretty much an obvious statement that we all witnessed, but unless we can pass protect better it's going to be another frustrating season.

Blue in PA

January 18th, 2018 at 10:13 AM ^

Whether Newsome makes it back or not, hopefully this year the O'line takes a step or two forward.

Hopefully the new o'line coach and s&c coach are improvements, but either way these guys are going to be adjusting to a new coach and his methods, most likely different than the last.  If Drev is the O'line guy at least he's a familiar one.

Go Blue