(01-01-2023 09:06 AM)emu steve Wrote:  "Offensive line
Should be back: Rewolinski, Howie, Douglas, Johnson, Dooley
Gone: Sow, Bates
Excitement level: 8 out of 10

Sow is obviously one of the greatest players we've had and will be a huge loss. Thankfully we have three guys (Howie, Johnson, Dooley) all back who have started for years and are good players. Rewolinski and Douglas both have started in spots and should be able to fill in and play well. I've also read or heard good things about some of the young guys (Jackson, Warnsman, Indestad, Anderson, Lee) so there should be a healthy competition for those spots. We may take a slight step back losing Sow, but overall this should be a good group."

I would have given a '7' before the loss of Johnson. I now give it a '5' and hope Douglass can step in at center.

If so, the right side of our OL will be our strength, the opposite of 2022.

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I think 2023 will be a reload/rebuild year. I see a lot more question marks that many posters:

1). 60% new OL,

2). New QB,

3). Replace all-American DE,

i read an article that in CFB now the difference between a decent/good team and a very good/great team is QUARTERBACKING. We are far now, January 2, from having very good quarterbacking. This makes 2023 a big, big question mark for us. Inexperienced line and new QB can be problematic.

Got to see what comes out of spring ball at QB and OL!!! A good OL and a good QB helped Evans look really good. Evans is really good BUT a RB needs a lot of help just like a QB needs a good OL and receivers.

I see a lot of parallels to the Lions. The Lions built a very sturdy OL (and w/out all of the 2021 injuries) and Goff and runners thrived behind it. Sounds parallel to what we had in 2022. As we know the left side of our OL ate up their side of the SJSU DL/LB. We have memories of Sow blocking his OL and then getting to the 2nd level and hitting the LB.