Your buddy Riley Reiff

[Guest]

@StickyBun said:
Dudes, lol. I love you guys, I do. But you are wearing purple tinted glasses. Lets see what happens.

Yes, you're right and the same holds true for the doomsayers as well...

[Guest]

Any update on Reiff, is he backing practicing yet?

[Guest]

@StickyBun said:
Honestly, neither one is worth much. Reiff could be a decent RT, because that's what he is in the NFL, and that's where Detroit had moved him.

Best thing that could happen: Viking's draft a starting LT in next year's draft, move Reiff to starting RT, Eason wins the starting center job and Elflein is the starting RG. Isadora might surprise at guard. Remmers is a stiff, which will be proven out this year unfortunately.

Wasn't he a pretty good LT two years ago? Sure they moved him back to RT because they ended up using a high pick on LT.

Best thing that could happen, is Reiff works out a LT, Elflein excels at C, the Rhino stops running his mouth and plays up to the level of his talk and we draft a RG or RT and slide Remmers in.

[Guest]

@StickyBun said:

@twgerber said:

@StickyBun said:
Honestly, neither one is worth much. Reiff could be a decent RT, because that's what he is in the NFL, and that's where Detroit had moved him.

Best thing that could happen: Viking's draft a starting LT in next year's draft, move Reiff to starting RT, Eason wins the starting center job and Elflein is the starting RG. Isadora might surprise at guard. Remmers is a stiff, which will be proven out this year unfortunately.

Sorry but I couldn't disagree more - Reiff was per PFF a lot better at LT than RT.  He played badly at RT.  Way out of position.

I like Hill at LT long term - has potential.  Easton to guard/center backup .  Isidora at guard next year replacing Fusco who will retire.

Hill, Boone, Elflein, Isadora, ?? in 2018.

If that were the case, then why did the Lions move him to RT and draft a LT? I trust a team's coaching dynamics and assessments more than I do PFF. The Lions had pretty shitty lines when Reiff was there, giving up a bunch of sacks. If he played well, they wouldn't have drafted a replacement, moved him to RT and then let him leave the team in FA, bottom line. LT's are golden. Signing him to a big contract means nothing, look at what Matt Kalil got in Carolina.

Ultimately, I hope you are right: I want the team to succeed. I just think the offensive line is going to be the achilles heal of this team again.

The why is very simple  They drafted a new LT and moved him to RT to shore up both positions - or so they hoped.  They thought the drafted guy at LT would be an upgrade at LT (and it probably is) and move Reiff to RT because he was better than anything they had available.

I'm not saying he is a great top 5 LT but he is easily better at LT than he was at RT.  

They weren't going to move him back to LT so they didn't keep him.  Simple.

[Guest]

There are two facts that seem to be lost in this conversation:

1. Decker was seen by most as a RIGHT tackle in the draft, so the notion that Detroit drafted a LT to replace Reiff is not entirely accurate. 
• Kevin Weidl, espn.com: "Decker is an experienced three-year starter who has played at both tackle positions. He doesn't have elite athleticism, and combined with his lack of length he projects as a right tackle at the next level. Decker doesn't have a lot of flash in his game, but he's one of the steadier offensive linemen on tape. He's a technician with the right makeup to become a very solid starter for a decade in the NFL."

SOURCES TELL US "I hope you kill this guy because I would love for him to fall to us. He's strong and tough. You can beat him up with this or that, but he'll be a long-­time starting right tackle in the league for years." -- AFC regional scout

2. According to PFF Riley Reiff played better at LT than at RT



Now, does this mean that Reiff is going to come in and be the answer to our prayers at LT? No. I see him as a very mild upgrade from Kalil. But let's at least get the facts straight.