Would This Fix the OL?

The Den
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Decker gone, Ragnow gone, Glasgow gone and Dan Skipper gone. Kevin Zeitler gone (left in 2025). How we gonna fix that?

What about signing Jedrick Wills. 27 years old in May. Then, draft Kayden Proctor to play LOG but also give tackle insurance. I am also in favor of signing Brock Hoffman to fight for the starting center position. 27 in July.

With those three likely affordable moves the Lions would have:

OT: Sewell, Jedrick Wills, Proctor (depth) and Miles Fraser. Manu?

OG: Kaydn Proctor, Tate Ratledge, Mahogany, Juice Scruggs

C: Hjalte Froholdt (with a trade, 5th rd pick)/ sign Brock Hoffman, Juice Scruggs and Seth McLaughlin.

That is 9/10 guys Manu dependent.

Two free agent signings, neither top of market guys, and 1 high draft pick. Competition everywhere. Is Wills isn’t great Proctor might step in OR Sewell to LOT and re-evaluate. Proctor likely forces Mahogany to the bench at LOG (upgrade there). Fraser is fighting for a spot as is Manu. Maybe Tate at center still? In that case lots of fight for ROG. SO many options with those three moves.

No one gets a free pass as each spot has competition. I feel like we could all smile with this line up:

LOT Jedrick Wills, LOG Kayden Proctor, C Hjalte Frohold/Brock Hoffman, ROG Tate Ratledge and ROT Sewell. Depth in Christian Mahogany, Miles Fraser, Juice Scruggs and Seth McLaughlin. Proctor gives us flexibility. That could be elite. Thoughts?

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Kayden Proctor has to be a top consideration.

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I would puke my guts out if we draft Kadyn Proctor.

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What Davicus said earlier

we draft Proctor, im out on Holmes im ngl

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Me three.

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drafting for The O-line in a sizable way will somewhat affect the Defensive drafting.

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If you think Wills and Proctor are going to fix this line…lmfao

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My opinion on what to do may change depending on how much we end up restructuring and freeing up cap wise.

Assuming we end up in the mid range of money to spend outcomes here is what I think I think.

I think I think that Cade Mays is the primary OL FA and perhaps the top FA overall. I think we want some power at the pivot. You can critique the athleticism out in space but I don’t think it’s terrible given the extra 20 pounds he carries compared to many starting Centers.

I think LG is a spot where we let guys compete. Mahogany/Frazier/Suggs sounds like a promising bundle from which one will emerge.

I think the second OT will be a veteran FA, I’d hope for something more certain than Wills but I get the gamble. If he’s matured and is healthy you might have a durable solution and then we can add a Tackle early but with the discipline to not reach.

We don’t know how we view the idea of flipping Penei so it’s difficult to handicap the particular OTs.

That is what I’m expecting. I do not think it’s a recipe for a top tier OL but OL is weird. It’s five as one, so strange things happen year in and year out.

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Birkett said yesterday we are likely to move Sewell to LT, but who knows if he’s just speculating.

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Thanks. That eases the degree of difficulty a bit.

If it’s a double dip at RT I think Aamil Wagner will appeal quite a bit. May need to move up from round 4. Character in the stratosphere. Good OL program. Legit length and athleticism. Just not there strength wise yet. If he’s at a clean 315 by 2027 and I could see him being a solid starter with three years left on a rookie deal.

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IF Wills is the FA Tackle we bring in (hope that’s not the one btw), a 1st round OT has to be drafted without question. If we drafted Freeling, Miller, or Lomu (in order) I guess, if you held a gun to my head, I wouldn’t be beating down the door that Wills is our Swing tackle.

But with that being the tackle scenario, we better have spent the money it takes to get Linderbaum, McGovern, or Mays for OC.

This OP plan for fixing the line would he absolute worst case scenario.

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It’s definitely not. He may not be a savant at Frank’s level, but not only is a pretty decent athlete, he has that preternatural gift for timing and squaring up blocks, which makes him more effective at the 2nd level than some of the more athletic guys who go flying around. He’s not a Linderbaum/Dalman type out there, but he’ll be a plus and hold up much better in pass protection.

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This is exactly how I feel about the Oline solution. I think Braxton Jones is who I’ve zoned in on as my preferred FA tackle signing. The only problem I can see with that, is maybe BH would think tackle isn’t the primary need in the draft and doesn’t worry about it with our 1st. That would be a pretty major mistake imo. I guess if Wills is the FA tackle signing, I would feel pretty certain we walk away with a OT in round 1.

Now if we miss out on the top 3 centers, I want a top tier, granted likely overpriced guard brought in. I don’t want Ratledge moving there. But in actuality, from what I’ve heard from you and others about McLaughlin, I would expect at least what GG was in 2025. With a pretty good chance of obvious growth moving forward at the position. I’ve seen you mentioned AVT but also not love his contract projection, but I think it’s what we are looking at after missing out on the OCs.

So in my hopeful, worst case scenario…we look like this.

LT Sewell, Manu

LG Mahogany, Frazier

OC Ratledge, Scruggs, McLaughlin

RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (or other/better)

RT 1st round rookie, (Wills)

Man even after looking at that, I just can’t be satisfied…god I hope they do much better than this.

LT Sewell, Manu

LG Mahogany, Frazier

OC McGovern, Scruggs

RG Ratledge

RT 1st round rookie, Braxton Jones

That just looks so much better even if it’s minimally better. This should be at minimum the plan or I’m probably gonna start down the cliff

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I like the idea of signing Linderbaum and having a C that is drop and play

Sewell to LT
Competition at LG off current roster
Linderbaum at C
Tate at RG
And you gotta find a RT as I am not sure they exist in roster

I think if you can either draft or procure a respectable RT you would have an top 10 Oline for next season and maybe have the ability to make a run

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AVT is OL version of FA version of Davenport the first year that we signed him. I think AVT is even more talented but the track record of availability is bleak. Sounds like he’s going to be too pricey given that degree of risk.

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Yeah I get it. I’ve really liked the guy since the Jets traded up for him which feels like a decade ago because of how little he’s played. But here’s where we are if we brick out on all the OCs. One thing I really like about him is you can probably plug him in at all 5 spots if you absolutely had to. Which is pretty valuable considering the state of our OLine.

Just pay up for a center Brad so we all can breath a sigh of relief :folded_hands:t2:

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Left to right wish list for me

penai, mogs, rats, dunker (rd 2), miller (rd1)

Grab coogan in rd 7 and put on practice squad

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Man that’s what you prefer to happen? Yikes

No Way Abandon Thread GIF

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Darian Kinnard is the one RFA that intrigues me. It would be an original tender so we’d lose a 5th and we’d have to put an offer together that GB would not match which might be tricky. But he seems to have improved during his time with Southland. You’ll probably have to help him in pass pro sometimes. But he’s an absolute unit in gap scheme stuff. We’d have to flip Penei of course.

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A couple trade downs before grabbing them. Add some picks