Mikefive wrote: ↑Tue Nov 16, 2021 2:44 pm
All of this Madden-esque talk... Jenkins in... Peters out... Mustipher out... move guys around... Ignores some very important things.
1. Offensive lines suffer from lack of cohesion when guys are in and out of the lineup. The sum is greater than the parts... Unless you're changing everything around. Ask Nick Foles.
2. We have a rookie QB who is just getting to know the 1's. Changing everything up and adding more variables for him to process is a really counterproductive idea, particularly when you don't have to.
3. Jenkins is coming off back surgery a few weeks ago. There's no guarantee of anything. Extra rest before rigorous action might be a good thing.
Not a fan of throwing Jenkins into the fire this year. If you're going to play him, I'd start him on STs and see how he does. And if we don't play him at all this year when we're going nowhere, I'm fine with that. He's a big investment in a completely new and unknown circumstance. Protect that investment. He won't turn into a pumpkin. I promise. We can pretend he's our 2022 first round pick and be happy.
Cohesion and continuity impact the line, no doubt.
But the 2 things that really matter in the remaining Bear season are:
- Developing Fields.
You can argue that maintaining the line or (maybe) improving the line are better for him. Probably the former, though.
- Knowing what you have before the draft.
And nowhere is more unclear, unsettled, and (probably) more necessary to draft than OL. And you can also argue that having OL properly settled and staffed for 2022 is also very important for Fields' development.
So you have 2 goals to balance, which are a little bit contradictory.
For me, I think some shifting on the line is less of a problem than going into next year with another crap shoot on the line.
Jenkins, I certainly wouldn't rush back. But, if it's safe, I really want something to evaluate. Maybe 3 games of sitting, 2 of light duty, and 3 starting?