How does the current O-line stack up to the '93 version?
Same ballpark or not even close?
Replies to: How does the current O-line stack up to the '93 version?
Hard to say. Different types of offenses. Current OL has to do much more in pass protection. '92/93
were all about smash-mouth run blocking to fuel the option and occasional play-action passing. Hindsight lets us know that line was stuffed with guys who played in the NFL for a long time. There's no way to compare a mid-season set of results with all the data we have from those early 90s teams. This much is certain: to earn the comparison, this year's team still has a lot of work to do....
Agree but that line had a couple of early picks in the draft. This line fine though, very fine.
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Delete.
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Not close.
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not even close.
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1992's was better, overall
I think 1992's line would be a better comparison.
LT: Lindsay Knapp vs Liam Eichenberg - Eichenberg gets the nod here. Knapp was good in pass protection and had good technique, but there were times he got overrun by someone with superior strength. Yes, I know we criticize Eichenberg for his false starts, but he's been a pretty solid LT for us.
LG: Aaron Taylor vs Aaron Banks - Looks to be about even here, with maybe a slight edge to Taylor.
C: Tim Ruddy vs Jarrett Patterson - Ruddy was one of the best centers we ever had to play the game. It took him all of his freshman year to get used to the college game, but he came through big time for us later. Patterson has good technique and decent strength, but Ruddy outclasses him in both areas by a good bit at this time. By this time next year, Patterson will probably close the gap a good bit (another year of S&C under Balis, another year of experience), but in the end, I think that Ruddy still takes it.
RG: Todd Norman vs Tommy Kraemer - Kraemer gets a slight nod here. Todd Norman was an excellent player for us, but his footwork wasn't among the best. He was an excellent guard, but when he got moved to tackle in 1993, he had some troubles with the speed rushers (Mike Mamula had a field day).
RT: Justin Hall vs Robert Hainsey - Edge goes to Hall. Hainsey is a solid player, but I've seen him get blasted back by the more powerful defensive tackles and ends in college, as well as getting outrun by the faster ones. Hall took on some of the best in college football, which includes a pretty good list (Kanavis McGhee, Russell Maryland, Sean Gilbert, Sam Adams, Eric England, Tyoka Jackson, etc) and came out on top. If anything, that 1990 Miami game where we were able to do some pretty good running against them was because Russell Maryland got completely obliterated.
Thus, in my biased opinion, 1992's squad is better. Call me quaint, but there's a special place in the heart for those Joe Moore lines.
Re: 1992's was better, overall
Banks is even to Taylor in what world???
Just for the specific scheme
Aaron Taylor was better suited as a tackle, instead of as a guard, but because you had NFL draft picks already playing the quick tackle / left tackle position (I think we switched from tight / quick to left / right around that time), and because he was head and shoulders above anyone else at the guard position, we put him there.
Aaron Taylor as a left tackle in 1993 is a better lineman than Aaron Banks, for sure. Aaron Taylor as a left tackle in 1992 would have better as well, but again, we needed to put the five best out there, and Lindsay Knapp wasn't suited for a guard position.