I’m not talking about either all-pros or 1st-rounders. I’m talking about continuity.
New starters at four positions is decidedly not the way to build continuity and chemistry along the OL – even if one of those positions is held down by Penei Sewell.
Is that a controversial point?
No, and frankly my comment wasn’t directed at you at all. Well, except for the one about the Bears replacing 80% of their line.
The Panthers spend a lot on o-line and they still kind of suck.
Do you remember when we weren’t going to miss Ben Johnson? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
I find it entertaining that some people think Mays is the answer at center (I’m not saying he isn’t an improvement), but scoff at the idea of moving Tate over. Like, Mays was average last year, barely (PFF 24th/40) and that was playing between 2 above average guards. I think the money could be spent better elsewhere… Or a trade
Did you watch this year ? I think that’s a little hyperbole, asking for guys better then a grade of 50 , isn’t asking for all pros ever where, plus it a depends on the team, some teams rely on defense some passing, we relie on that Oline and our run game our bread and butter is running and Goff with play action. So that Oline success controls our whole season. I think we showed what our offense is with out that dominant Oline, I changed everything.
1st to 4th… Just sayin… Still top 5, against a 1st place schedule
Christian Mahogany had one of the highest PFF grades on the team his rookie year and was the highest rated player on the team in the playoff game. That’s why asked what his grade was in 2024 and you didn’t respond.
That’s why I thought it was weird to use PFF grades post hoc about last year when all those dudes were better the year before. Well except Graham. Graham was one of the worst offensive lineman in the NFL the last 7 weeks of 2024 so yeah I would have moved heaven and earth to that avoid having him start but such is life
At C, I want someone who’s played the position at a decent level before.
That’s a self defeating argument… Mays was a guard the 1st 2 years in the NFL… There’s no guarantee he’s better than GG in Detroit either. It’s like people are okay with signing JAG bc it’s someone different, but the idea of shifting a player on the roster already is awful bc he might not be good 
but it’s equally different as adding a FA. You don’t know Tate will improve, he could regress like Mahogany, especially if Sewell shifts to LT.
Wrong way to think about it, IMO. Yes, still a very good offense statistically, but not so good against good defenses, not so reliable over all.
The Lions need an offense that can carry this team while we continue to wait for a defense that can be average.
Things can go south with the offense really quick if Goff plays behind a poor o-line. You won’t think of him as a top 10 QB anymore, I can safely say that.
One more thing. The line took a step back last year but if those dudes were healthy for certain games it wouldn’t have looked as bad.
The guys we had to run out there on Christmas day for example
I think THAT’S the wrong way to think about it… So top 5 isn’t good enough? Lions need the #1 offense to succeed?
“Self-defeating” doesn’t mean what you think it means.
Yes, with change you introduce uncertainty. Although some folks insist otherwise, OF COURSE there’s a chance that Sewell will be less dominant at LT than he’s been at RT. In fact, it’s likely.
There’s a much more significant chance, IMO, that Tate will be a less effective center than he is a RG. Given his playing history, I think it’s weird to get pushback on that.
So I say: keep them at those positions, if possible.
I don’t know much about Mays one way or another. If Brad thinks he’s not very good, okay. If they’re no solid starting Cs that can be acquired in FA or by trade - starting a rookie there seems like a bad idea - then you move Ratledge.
But let’s not pretend the risk isn’t real.
If their defense sucks yet again, YES.
“Complementary football” means that if the D gives up 40, the O needs to score 41. If the O scores 7, the D needs to hold the opponent to 6.
The O was infinitely better than the D last year, as is true every year, but neither was good enough. Which is why they were 9-8.
It’s all risk… Tate may turn into a top 5 center, he’s got all the tools to do it. I’ve said it a lot, finding a good guard is MUCH easier than a good center.
Panthers O-line helped Rico Dowdle look like a pro bowler.
I just think the how the Oline plays effects us more then others and is huge to our success. We live and die with our offense.
You understood the point then… It’s not like the offense fell off a cliff with a non dominant offensive line, it went from 1st to 4th. The return on a DOMINANT offensive line is less than making the defense adequate. It’s nice to want both, but resources and money are finite… Using some existing resources in different places may very well be the most realistic and best solution
