Ezra to G?

[Bullazin]

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2020/5/4/2...-cleveland

[Guest]

Article seems pretty down on Cleveland.  Hopefully they coach him for NFL and gets strength training he needs.  We'll see, hope they keep him at tackle rather than move to guard.

[Guest]

FWIW, as a guy who was totally wrong on O'Neill, I think we got the left side equivalent in Cleveland. All the athletic traits are there for him to be a better than average to very good LT in short order. 

But, taking about a position switch, with no rookie camps or OTAs, I think is foolish...it would not be what is...better for Ezra...

[Guest]

What I get from that article is Reiff is going no where unless Hill takes over LT and Ezra will be a spectator this year.

[Guest]

This article mirrors my own thoughts, which I got just from reading the draft profiles of him.  I think he could probably be pressed into service his rookie year and it would probably look similar to Bradbury's rookie year.  He'd probably be immediately competent in the outside zone run scheme and sufficient in the PA's that come off it, but I think he'd just get bullied whenever we had to fallback to a more traditional look where strength is more important.  I think his lack of strength would be magnified against the larger DTs.
I kind of cringe at a starting interior OLine that looks like Cleveland - Bradbury - Samia just because it's so inexperienced and undersized.  I'd really like for there to be just some steady veteran in there somewhere.  If Bradbury takes a solid step forward this year, and Samia is solid than Cleveland at LG isn't as big of a deal, but that's depending on two if's.
That said, I think there's some hope for the situation, because by all accounts he needs "functional strength", but his bench press is solid.  I think that begs the question on if he actually needs muscle mass (core strength or whatever) or if he mostly needs technique improvement.

[Guest]

Everything in that article + lack of pre-season screams "REDSHIRT" season for Ezra. 

[Guest]

Scouting profiles are written for all schemes. Vikings are looking for only zone blockers. The vast majority of zone blockers are going to "lack functional strength." Still, I think Ezra is red shirted in '20. But that's mostly due to Covid. 

[Guest]

I think they downplay his turf toe -- an injury so bad he did not practice most of the season.  I am sorry but I believe it is hard to anchor and gain leverage with turf toe.  You could flip this and talk about how tough he was and what a team player he was to play with turf toe every week though he couldn't practice during the week.

[Guest]

@purplefaithful said:
Everything in that article + lack of pre-season screams "REDSHIRT" season for Ezra. 

Yep. This is my thought too. I think he's going to be a good player for the Vikes, and I'm loving the O'Neill comps. But the Vikings only started O'Neill his rookie year after Reiff got hurt. So I wouldn't be shocked if the team is totally fine having him backup Reiff to start the year.

[Guest]

It would be a complete waste to put him at guard where he has never played before.  He is only on a 4 year deal too.

They need to see him develop like O'Neill before hopefully extending him.

Spending one year at guard does nothing for his development at tackle.