The 2023-24 league year

kerouac9

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At least draft a C to develop and he may be ready by next year

There was Ben Jones from the Titans who I was thinking of at least to fill the middle in the mean time

Ossie already should be familiar with him

Ben Jones will be 34 years old when the season starts. What's the objective here if you're not concerned especially with winning games?

We have three players who are young and we're (ostensibly) developing to play center in the NFL. Lecitus Smith (25), Jon Gaines (24), and Froholdt (27) are young players competing at the position.
 

dreamcastrocks

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Can't do everything in one offseason. :shrug:

I'm convinced that there aren't a lot of quality Day-one starters at center in the draft. You can get Guys, but they're still going to take a year or two to develop as often as not. Maybe there's an argument to start that process now, but they're kind of already doing that with two or three different dudes already on the roster.

As for free agency, Sam Mustphier moved from Chicago to Baltimore for $0 guaranteed, and Evan Brown moved from Detroit to Seattle. That's the list of centers under 27 years old who played more than 10% of their teams' snaps in 2022 and were free agents.

Most of the other guys were not going to be on the roster when the Cards are competing again.

Center is a weird obsession here. Sendlein and Shipley were fine. Mason Cole played 97% of the snaps for a nine-win Pittsburgh team.
All of this, well except you saying Sendlein was fine.
 

BullheadCardFan

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Ben Jones will be 34 years old when the season starts. What's the objective here if you're not concerned especially with winning games?

We have three players who are young and we're (ostensibly) developing to play center in the NFL. Lecitus Smith (25), Jon Gaines (24), and Froholdt (27) are young players competing at the position.
I would like to at least protect the QB from being blown up the middle

1-2 year contract would have worked

At least give them a fighting chance to learn how to read the D without guys in their face immediately

Especially when it creates happy feet, bad habits and if we are starting Tune this would stunt his growth

The three guys we have are not what I would consider quality C prospects

I could be wrong, but I see missed opportunities by the FO
 

Stout

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“We always believe in trying to be strong up front,” Beane said. “We really tried to solidify our O-line and then now this just gives us another body, another pass rusher. Protect your quarterback and get after the other team’s quarterback.


I hope the FO is reading this

Build the lines

What have we done to improve the Oline and Dline?

Draft a tackle to play guard and a guard to play C

Sign a guy with very little experience to play C and other players who couldn't make it with other teams

Dline signing are weak at best and who are our starters?

The same guys that looked like a sieve last year?

What's going to change

I get the rebuild is going on, but I still want to see improvement and an effort by the FO
All of this. If/when Kyler comes back, Frodo won't be able to stop him getting mauled by the pass rush coming from right up the gut. Ugh.
 

Chopper0080

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Ben Jones will be 34 years old when the season starts. What's the objective here if you're not concerned especially with winning games?

We have three players who are young and we're (ostensibly) developing to play center in the NFL. Lecitus Smith (25), Jon Gaines (24), and Froholdt (27) are young players competing at the position.
My hope would be that after OTAs and prior to training camp, the Cardinals can determine if they have a league average starting C on their roster and if not, sign a guy like Ben Jones.
 

Stout

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My hope would be that after OTAs and prior to training camp, the Cardinals can determine if they have a league average starting C on their roster and if not, sign a guy like Ben Jones.
My hope would be that they wake up, smell the coffee, and realize they never addressing the starting C position, let alone have a league average one. Ben Jones on a 1-year contract would be fine. No thanks to anything longer. At leas he would keep our QBs, meaning Kyler later in the season mainly, from getting clobbered. Without a viable starting center, we will have zero clue what we have in Kyler by year's end.
 

Chopper0080

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My hope would be that they wake up, smell the coffee, and realize they never addressing the starting C position, let alone have a league average one. Ben Jones on a 1-year contract would be fine. No thanks to anything longer. At leas he would keep our QBs, meaning Kyler later in the season mainly, from getting clobbered. Without a viable starting center, we will have zero clue what we have in Kyler by year's end.
All I care about is being able to evaluate the offense, scheme, and individual players. Tough to do when there is immediate pressure up the middle due to a terrible C.
 

kerouac9

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My hope would be that after OTAs and prior to training camp, the Cardinals can determine if they have a league average starting C on their roster and if not, sign a guy like Ben Jones.

Oh, I don't think Monti cares at all if we have league average players anywhere on the roster. He probably prefers we have replacement level players all over it.

Every OL's first responsibility is to block from the inside out. Either Will Hernandez or PJJ's first responsibility will be making sure the C is covered and they're not mugging the A gap with no help. You'd prefer a guy who can get the snap off and not need help 100% of the time, but you're keeping The Captain on the roster (and extending him!) because you don't plan on giving him help, which frees four other dudes to block three or four rushers, plus help from the TE, RB, or both.

I care very little about protecting the development of Clayton Tune. I doubt Gannon and Monti are losing sleep about it, either.
 

kerouac9

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I'm with you, and not. If Sendlein is fine, any of the three of Smith/Gaines/Froholdt can at least do that well.
I disagree, but it's such a minor cavil that I must be really bored to reply to it.

Lyle Sendlein started 124 regular season NFL games and nine playoff games. Two different professional NFL coaching regimes considered him a high-enough quality starter to not give him serious competition for 10 years.

We hope and pray that Gaines or Froholdt can have Lyle Sendlein's career trajectory. I know a lot about football, but interior OL play is almost impossible to grade without knowing what players were supposed to do and what actually happened, which doesn't always show up well even on the Coaches' Tape.

This isn't Lecitus Smith getting benched for Cowaard.
 

dreamcastrocks

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I get it. I always wanted us to replace him. Still, Sendlein was good enough to help get the team to the playoffs. We have no idea if any of these schmoes are capable of that. I would say evidence to the contrary, if anything.
He was the weakest part of the line, just about the entire time he was there. Not exactly his fault; it just is what it is. (IMO)
 

Chopper0080

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Oh, I don't think Monti cares at all if we have league average players anywhere on the roster. He probably prefers we have replacement level players all over it.

Every OL's first responsibility is to block from the inside out. Either Will Hernandez or PJJ's first responsibility will be making sure the C is covered and they're not mugging the A gap with no help. You'd prefer a guy who can get the snap off and not need help 100% of the time, but you're keeping The Captain on the roster (and extending him!) because you don't plan on giving him help, which frees four other dudes to block three or four rushers, plus help from the TE, RB, or both.

I care very little about protecting the development of Clayton Tune. I doubt Gannon and Monti are losing sleep about it, either.
We can definitely agree that Monti and I view what is best for the Cardinals very differently.
 

ajcardfan

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I get it. I always wanted us to replace him. Still, Sendlein was good enough to help get the team to the playoffs. We have no idea if any of these schmoes are capable of that. I would say evidence to the contrary, if anything.
Yes. Sendlein was at least serviceable. His best skill was making protection calls. We have no idea if anyone on the roster is going to be any good at that. I know we are looking at one to two wins this year. But at least give the QB something resembling a legit NFL center.
 

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