Isidora will be the guy next up. We'll see what he's got.
Scratch that: it'll be Compton, just reported.
Sucks for Easton. Hard working dude. But some of you picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.
We're talking an undrafted free agent in 2015 that worked his way into a starting role. Pretty much a League Average player with upside.
Can you honestly tell me that between Compton, Collins and Izzy, who all played last year, that this team can't replace him?
This Edison kid has performed so far. Andrews and Gossett could develop quicker than expected.
Jesus, people. It's not like the cupboard is bare and Willie Beavers is the only available option. Nearly every team will enter the season down a Starter. If all Minnesota has to replace is a League Average Guard they're ahead of the curve.
Quote: @"FSUVike" said:
Sucks for Easton. Hard working dude. But some of you picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.
We're talking an undrafted free agent in 2015 that worked his way into a starting role. Pretty much a League Average player with upside.
Can you honestly tell me that between Compton, Collins and Izzy, who all played last year, that this team can't replace him?
This Edison kid has performed so far. Andrews and Gossett could develop quicker than expected.
Jesus, people. It's not like the cupboard is bare and Willie Beavers is the only available option. Nearly every team will enter the season down a Starter. If all Minnesota has to replace is a League Average Guard they're ahead of the curve.
He was the starter. Edison has 'performed well'?? Its freaking training camp. They haven't even played a preseason game yet. Easton has proven himself a starting guard in the league at least.
Act like its not a big deal if you want, but this team had an average line at best and now its down a starter. Already. Elflein has been out how long now? When is he coming back? One month to the day when the team opens against San Fran and Cousins hasn't practiced with a full starting offensive line.....and now he won't. Its a guard position, easiest on the line to replace, I will give you that. But that's all I'll give you. The sky isn't falling but this isn't some kind of good news, either. The player that replaces Easton will be a 'lesser than' plug in.
p.s. the team reached out to Berger and he's staying retired. And its been reported that Compton will replace Easton in the lineup. Probably makes the most sense as Compton has started something like 17 games in his career?
Yep, it does suck, like the OP stated. But guess what Zim probably says: "Next man up!".
Skol!
And how many games has Easton started? Remember how he was stuck behind an established player in Boone?
Who's to say whomever replaces doesn't turn out to be just as good or better. Happens all over the League.
This team went 13-3 last year with an O-Line that got zero snaps together in pre-season. And rarely had all 5 Starters for an entire game. With a Rookie Center. Who will come back. And lost their RB early on.
As for Kirk, he's used to it. Washington rarely had all 5 Starters in front of him. They used 5 Centers, IIRC. Clemmings played Tackle, for the love of Benjie!
Still had a great season despite the constant O-Line shuffles. And he's got far better weapons here. Good QBs and good teams deal with this every year and are still successful. Hell, the Eagles won it all with their All-Pro LT on I and a 5th rounder taking his place.
Quote: @"SFVikingFan" said:
Ugh, trying to refrain from thinking, "Here we go again".
It really would have been nice to have made the offensive line more of a priority this offseason. After all, how many years in a row now has the offensive line been the team's greatest weakness???
Preach it...this choir is all ears.
Dang it!!!
Quote: @"FSUVike" said:
And how many games has Easton started? Remember how he was stuck behind an established player in Boone?
Who's to say whomever replaces doesn't turn out to be just as good or better. Happens all over the League.
This team went 13-3 last year with an O-Line that got zero snaps together in pre-season. And rarely had all 5 Starters for an entire game. With a Rookie Center. Who will come back. And lost their RB early on.
As for Kirk, he's used to it. Washington rarely had all 5 Starters in front of him. They used 5 Centers, IIRC. Clemmings played Tackle, for the love of Benjie!
Still had a great season despite the constant O-Line shuffles. And he's got far better weapons here. Good QBs and good teams deal with this every year and are still successful. Hell, the Eagles won it all with their All-Pro LT on I and a 5th rounder taking his place.
That O-Line that you mention also got their asses completely handed to them for the last 6 quarters of the season, mostly because injuries popped up (like they always do) and we didn't have the depth to make up for it which necessitated shuffling almost the entire line around during the most important stretch of the season.
I think some of us would just like to see a little more emphasis placed on the O-Line than we've seen for many years now.
Quote: @"FSUVike" said:
And how many games has Easton started? Remember how he was stuck behind an established player in Boone?
Who's to say whomever replaces doesn't turn out to be just as good or better. Happens all over the League.
This team went 13-3 last year with an O-Line that got zero snaps together in pre-season. And rarely had all 5 Starters for an entire game. With a Rookie Center. Who will come back. And lost their RB early on.
As for Kirk, he's used to it. Washington rarely had all 5 Starters in front of him. They used 5 Centers, IIRC. Clemmings played Tackle, for the love of Benjie!
Still had a great season despite the constant O-Line shuffles. And he's got far better weapons here. Good QBs and good teams deal with this every year and are still successful. Hell, the Eagles won it all with their All-Pro LT on I and a 5th rounder taking his place.
As good or better? No, it doesn't happen all over the league. Its extremely rare a backup player plays as well or better than the starter, especially on the offensive line. And as far as Kirk being used to it, we all know that isn't optimal. Probably not even close. But there's no choice now. As you say, the team can try and gameplan around it, but the schedule is an absolute killer this year. Not many easy outs, if any.
We can only wait and hope it turns out ok.
Quote: @"SFVikingFan" said:
Ugh, trying to refrain from thinking, "Here we go again".
It really would have been nice to have made the offensive line more of a priority this offseason. After all, how many years in a row now has the offensive line been the team's greatest weakness???
Part of that is parity in a league with a hard cap though isnt it? If you want star players at WR, RB, QB, CB, S etc etc then there's got to be some give somewhere else
Quote: @"SFVikingFan" said:
@"FSUVike" said:
And how many games has Easton started? Remember how he was stuck behind an established player in Boone?
Who's to say whomever replaces doesn't turn out to be just as good or better. Happens all over the League.
This team went 13-3 last year with an O-Line that got zero snaps together in pre-season. And rarely had all 5 Starters for an entire game. With a Rookie Center. Who will come back. And lost their RB early on.
As for Kirk, he's used to it. Washington rarely had all 5 Starters in front of him. They used 5 Centers, IIRC. Clemmings played Tackle, for the love of Benjie!
Still had a great season despite the constant O-Line shuffles. And he's got far better weapons here. Good QBs and good teams deal with this every year and are still successful. Hell, the Eagles won it all with their All-Pro LT on I and a 5th rounder taking his place.
That O-Line that you mention also got their asses completely handed to them for the last 6 quarters of the season, mostly because injuries popped up (like they always do) and we didn't have the depth to make up for it which necessitated shuffling almost the entire line around during the most important stretch of the season.
I think some of us would just like to see a little more emphasis placed on the O-Line than we've seen for many years now.
No DC. No Elf. Remmers miscast at LG. And if the TOs hadn't turned the game into a squeaker you would have seen a very different team against Philly.
Bit the biggedt sifference is Kirk. Did Case keep plays alive with his often miraculous scrambling skills? Yes.
Did Case make up his mind pre-snap to go to Adam or Diggs and hold the ball until one popped open enough to throw it? You know he did.
Kirk not only reads Defenses better pre-snap, which will aid in getting the ball out quicker, he is also fast through his progressions. If the Defense fools him or Diggs or Thielen arent open right away he'll move to the next read.
Keenum saved our asses last year as fans. No question. But he also ignored Treadwell no matter how open he was. And left easy check downs to wide open RBs in the flat for an easy 4-5 yard gain in favor of trying the chunk plays. It worked because of his mad good scrambling skills and awesome contested catches ability of his 2 favorite targets.
That won't happen with Kirk. He will consistently make faster decisions. But unlike Sam he's got some wiggle to him to extend a play and go deep and not always settle for the underneath stuff.
Let's not forget bootlegs and RPO either. And jumbo sets. And spread formations. And whatever else D-Flip has concocted in that lab of his.
I'm not saying this is nothing. But it isn't a season killer. This team routinely survives QB and RB nightmares. Left Guard should just be a flesh wound.
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