Major OL Decisions Loom Ahead.................

mpbears68
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Major OL Decisions Loom Ahead................. Jan 29, 2018 12:16:12 GMT -6

Post by mpbears68 on Jan 29, 2018 12:16:12 GMT -6

Jan 29, 2018 12:05:10 GMT -6 @bearsinhouston said:

I still wonder if White will ultimately be a fail. There is no argument that to date he has been, but I wonder if he can turn it around. I give it less than 50%, but I would like to see what this group of coaches does with him.

I'm still waiting on our head trainer and strength and conditioning hires to see if they are at the same level as the new coaching hires. We need some studs there. They affect all the players.

I think you are probably being too generous there (Kool-Aid!) but we shall see. He’s going to have to have a monster season to justify re-signing him so in all likelihood any success he has in the NFL, assuming there is any and he doesn’t bust completely out of the league, will be eventually with a new team. Thus, at the very least he will have become a fail to the Bears who invested a lot of resources in him for practically no production.

If KW has another major injury, he need to just retire. Frankly, if he wasn’t a #7 pick with a big guaranteed money contract he probably wouldn’t even make the team this year. It’s possible he still doesn’t. The only reason he’s even a consideration at this point is draft status/contract size (with no dead cap relief).

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Last Edit: Jan 29, 2018 12:20:16 GMT -6 by mpbears68

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Major OL Decisions Loom Ahead................. Jan 29, 2018 12:19:20 GMT -6 riczaj01 likes this

Post by mpbears68 on Jan 29, 2018 12:19:20 GMT -6

Jan 29, 2018 12:12:33 GMT -6 riczaj01 said:

Jan 29, 2018 11:47:11 GMT -6 mpbears68 said:

Actually “athletic ability” was supposedly Grasu’s main selling point, IIRC. His main con was that he was a bit undersized and under-strong for the NFL. That’s fine for a rookie season but an NFL S&C program is supposed to remedy that in a year or so (Floyd clearly added weight and functional strength between his rookie and sophomore years).

Problem is, it hasn’t happened. At least it hasn’t happened enough to make a noticeable difference on the field. Grasu is still getting consistently stood up and shoved backward much more often than the opposite. With Kush being as good or a better than Grasu AND able to competently back up all 3 interior OL positions, I don’t see how his career is Chicago isn’t over.

Not really, he was merely seen as underszied but able to play against larger players b/c of his other qualities, he was looked at as strong enough w/intangibles.

www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/hroniss-grasu?id=2552245
BOTTOM LINE While Grasu isn't a powerful center, he does display enough functional strength and movement skills to be able to assimilate into any offensive philosophy. Grasu can play bigger than his listed size and while he doesn't possess any overwhelming qualities or traits, there aren't any glaring holes in his game that should derail him. His leadership and winning pedigree should be a plus with GMs.

IIRC he came into the NFL at 290-295 which is a bit small even for a C these days. He also clearly didn’t have NFL caliber strength for the OL his first year (which admittedly he was prob intended to sit out). Remember him consistently getting manhandled and knocked on his ass that year? I do.

It it wasn’t all that much better in 2017 even if he’s now up to 300 or so.

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Major OL Decisions Loom Ahead................. Jan 29, 2018 12:20:13 GMT -6 mikegolf likes this

Post by shark86 on Jan 29, 2018 12:20:13 GMT -6

Jan 29, 2018 12:05:10 GMT -6 @bearsinhouston said:

I still wonder if White will ultimately be a fail. There is no argument that to date he has been, but I wonder if he can turn it around. I give it less than 50%, but I would like to see what this group of coaches does with him.

I'm still waiting on our head trainer and strength and conditioning hires to see if they are at the same level as the new coaching hires. We need some studs there. They affect all the players.

good questions. Personally, I think White will fail, but who really knows? What I saw when he did play was a kid with great physical talent and nothing but a vacuum upstairs. Part of that may be Fox/Logjam's inability to teach or gameplan, but until we see what the new coaching staff can do with him, it's all conjecture. Will that vacuum suck in knowledge and hold it? or is the filter bag ripped and all that stuff just blows through without being retained? Can he finally learn the route trees in his 4th year? Will he figure out how to run the proper routes, properly? The new coaching staff, unlike the last one, is going to give him every chance to succeed.

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Major OL Decisions Loom Ahead................. Jan 29, 2018 12:22:13 GMT -6

Post by JABF on Jan 29, 2018 12:22:13 GMT -6

I was okay with the White signing because I thought he'd be pretty solid... and had no idea he'd struggle with injuries like he has. I don't know if he can turn it around this season, but I sure hope he can. The guy has a lot to offer the Bears if he can get healthy and stay healthy. If not, then he's just another busted draft pick and we've had too many of them.

When Grasu was first drafted I was thrilled. I honestly believed he could be a great C for us. It's hard to accept that he may be another busted player. But it may be the case.

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Major OL Decisions Loom Ahead................. Jan 29, 2018 12:28:06 GMT -6

Post by shark86 on Jan 29, 2018 12:28:06 GMT -6

Jan 29, 2018 12:22:13 GMT -6 JABF said:

I was okay with the White signing because I thought he'd be pretty solid... and had no idea he'd struggle with injuries like he has. I don't know if he can turn it around this season, but I sure hope he can. The guy has a lot to offer the Bears if he can get healthy and stay healthy. If not, then he's just another busted draft pick and we've had too many of them.

When Grasu was first drafted I was thrilled. I honestly believed he could be a great C for us. It's hard to accept that he may be another busted player. But it may be the case.

Me too. But grasu is a rag doll and that hasn't changed since he was drafted. I guess like unforseen injuries, Pace didn't know the guy couldn't bulk up and develop strength. Although I really like busts, I hate them on the Bears - unless it's the honeybears.

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Major OL Decisions Loom Ahead................. Jan 29, 2018 12:29:34 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2018 12:29:34 GMT -6

Jan 29, 2018 12:20:13 GMT -6 shark86 said:

Jan 29, 2018 12:05:10 GMT -6 @bearsinhouston said:

I still wonder if White will ultimately be a fail. There is no argument that to date he has been, but I wonder if he can turn it around. I give it less than 50%, but I would like to see what this group of coaches does with him.

I'm still waiting on our head trainer and strength and conditioning hires to see if they are at the same level as the new coaching hires. We need some studs there. They affect all the players.

good questions. Personally, I think White will fail, but who really knows? What I saw when he did play was a kid with great physical talent and nothing but a vacuum upstairs. Part of that may be Fox/Logjam's inability to teach or gameplan, but until we see what the new coaching staff can do with him, it's all conjecture. Will that vacuum suck in knowledge and hold it? or is the filter bag ripped and all that stuff just blows through without being retained? Can he finally learn the route trees in his 4th year? Will he figure out how to run the proper routes, properly? The new coaching staff, unlike the last one, is going to give him every chance to succeed.

So, you think he has a pretty mouth?

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Major OL Decisions Loom Ahead................. Jan 29, 2018 13:42:23 GMT -6 Whisky Beer Bob likes this

Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2018 13:42:23 GMT -6

Jan 29, 2018 9:04:17 GMT -6 dachuckster said:

Jan 29, 2018 8:38:47 GMT -6 Whisky Beer Bob said:

I am pretty sure it was he was very athletic but was a bit undersized. Was he not from Oregon and a teammate of Longs. I think they were hoping he could bulk up a bit and the Grasu/Long connection from the Ducks would pay huge for the OL. But besides the injury bug he has had troubles adding weight, poor bastard lol.

I don't know if Grasu is undersized for an OC. The Raiders OC who is ranked as one of the top OCs in the league (certainly in the top 5) is 6'2" and 300. The Eagles OC is about the same size (I believe he is under 300). There are several other solid OCs in the NFL in the 300 to 310 range. Grasu is something like 6'3" and 301 or 302.

His injury issues have been a bigger deal IMO than his size. If he can stay healthy I'll be interested in seeing what Heistand thinks of Grasu and what he tries to do with him.

This is from his college scouting report and some of it has proven quite accurate.

Weaknesses
Doesn't utilize length effectively. Uses inconsistent hand placement. Handles power players pretty well at point of attack but tends to lose balance when engaging the same players on the move. Marginal acceleration around the corner when asked to pull. Not a leverage winner in short-yardage situations. Needs additional weight.

Draft Projection Round 3

Sources Tell Us
"He grows on you over time, but he's got some warts. I don't know how he got away with as much holding as he did at Oregon. They will catch that in the pros." -- NFL offensive line coach

NFL Comparison Brian Schwenke

Bottom Line
While Grasu isn't a powerful center, he does display enough functional strength and movement skills to be able to assimilate into any offensive philosophy. Grasu can play bigger than his listed size and while he doesn't possess any overwhelming qualities or traits, there aren't any glaring holes in his game that should derail him. His leadership and winning pedigree should be a plus with GMs.

IMHO it's that last one that nails him. He lacks power. Olin was even smaller but far stronger and he came with an "attitude" we've never seen from Grasu. He's also failed to add the weight and added strength to handle bigger, better, DTs and NTs. Unless he somehow finally emerges under Hiestand I wouldn't be at all shocked is he was released before the 2018 season begins.

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Major OL Decisions Loom Ahead................. Jan 29, 2018 13:48:59 GMT -6 JABF likes this

Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2018 13:48:59 GMT -6

Jan 29, 2018 9:50:34 GMT -6 JABF said:

Jan 29, 2018 8:59:13 GMT -6 @bearsinhouston said:

Glennon was a huge mistep. I could not get why people were defending him. Well, to be fair, it wasn't everyone but just a few vocal ones. It was a mystery as to what anyone saw to defend in his record.

I was one that trusted Ryan Pace, and thought that if HE believed Mike Glennon was "The Guy" then I trusted his judgement. The last few months I have reconsidered the entire body of work for Pace since he's landed here. He's had some missteps to be sure, both in the draft and in free agency. I still am cautiously optimistic that he can get the players the coaches need, and make fewer mistakes now. We will see.

LOL though. We have switched positions. I used to be the kool aid guy here, and you would question a lot of moves that I did not. Now, I am in a "wait and see" mode and cautiously optimistic, while you are more positive than me. LOL, we've flipped :-)

I see that and this uh.....mammal would like a word with you.

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Major OL Decisions Loom Ahead................. Jan 29, 2018 13:56:34 GMT -6 JABF likes this

Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2018 13:56:34 GMT -6

My feeling is now that we have an offensive minded GM and HC many things that were either ignored or given a lower priority will change. Offense will no longer be the red haired bastard step child when it comes to adding talent. This much I believe.

It all starts in the trenches so hopefully Pace and Nagy are on the same page with this. It's nice to have game changing talent at skill positions but not nearly as important as having a top shelf QB and a top shelf OL to protect him. Keep the OL strong and deep.

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Major OL Decisions Loom Ahead.................

Post by mpbears68 on Jan 29, 2018 12:16:12 GMT -6

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