Originally posted by dtg_9er:
Originally posted by NCommand:
Originally posted by SofaKing:
Originally posted by NCommand:
Preach on. And as to the OL we're about to learn a lot about player development and coaching to make this ZBS work. Could be some guys you didn't expect.
Yup. In the past we were better suited for power-blocking, and that was the scheme Gore felt most comfortable in. Now we're adapting to fit the current personnel. I think this is a change that we've been planning for a few years now.
We got young guys like Looney, Martin, Thomas, Kilgore who are best suited for ZBS. Staley is an excellent athlete and perfect for it. Pears played his best ball under Chan Gailey in BUF playing in a ZBS. Hyde and Hunter are dynamic, one-cut runners.
All that combined with Kap's running ability, we could lead the league in rushing by a landslide. Hopefully the new scheme also translates into better pass-blocking as well.
With the Redskins, Ravens last year, Hawks every year, etc. it sure seems like the ZBS is the way to go for a number of reasons, one being that it seems like teams could just plug-n-play along the OL and still find success in it (some lines were devastated like Seattle and were still able to effectively run). I'm very curious to see this OL battle, the scheme, the RB's in it (along with CK), etc. To me, it's the bottom line for our season but I'd take that now with Foerster/Wolford over Solari and the predictable power scheme now any day!
To me, ZBS is intellect over power, so the team doesn't have to find five guys who can overpower the defense. Iupati is a powerful guy, perhaps the most powerful OG in the NFL, but did he open holes regularly againt the best defenses? No. The further you go in the playoffs the better the defenses tend to be. ZBS depends on guys knowing their assignments and being able to move nimbly...much easier to find these guys but it takes longer to have them all in sync. Once they all know the offensive blocking schemes then they can be more versatile. Take a power guy out of the line and you usually have a hole that can't be filled easily.
The only power lines I can think of that were capable of winning big games consistently were the hogs of Washington and Dallas during Allen's time.
My prejudice toward quick thinking and moving guys is deeply ingrained. They tend to adjust better and see ways to defeat the D rather than just powering through. Plus...they tend to be rated lower and are cheaper to maintain. If the niners wanted to keep their OL intact it would eventually be unsustainable with Davis, Iupati and others getting top OL salaries.
Finally, someone brought up the salary cap piece. It's like someone mentioned the other day. ILB is the easiest position to plug-n-play in the 3-4 and get terrific production from...we had a ton of money tied up in two all-pro ILB's. That's rare...but also hurts the cap too. We don't want a dominant 2-gap NT like Wilfork b/c you have to pay him top dollars? Instead, we have average-paid 1-gap NT's in Dorsey/Williams but younger, cheaper DE's in Dial, Carradine and AA.
Is OL becoming that as well? Cheaper, younger, smarter, more talented and well-rounded OL that can be coached up by the best in the biz in the Foerster/Wolford tandem? Spend a bit more on coaching and scheme to ensure we're cap friendly, yet very productive and don't have to worry as much about a crippling loss of Iupati, Boone and Davis in a power-scheme-only offense? Kilgore goes down, Looney/Farrell step in.
Great point!
[ Edited by NCommand on Jun 22, 2015 at 8:06 AM ]