12/21/24
October 02, 2013
Jaguars Trade Eugene Monroe to Ravens: The Jacksonville Jaguars have traded starting left tackle Eugene Monroe to the Baltimore Ravens for draft picks. Monroe, 26, was the eighth overall pick in the 2009 draft. He is a free agent after this season. The trade moves rookie Luke Joeckel, the second overall pick this year, back to his college position. Reports indicate that either two or three picks from rounds 4 through 7 in 2014 are being sent to Jacksonville.
It seems like it's a really bad move for the Ravens, who've let go of seemingly half of their championship team, to start giving away draft picks. Tricky judgement call though, especially if they're getting one decent player. How many decent players could you get out of two or three later round picks? One seems like it would be doing pretty well.
posted by LionIndex at 01:12 PM on October 02, 2013
Building an empire from parts. It's the Shahid Way. Don't bet against him.
(He's also trying to find out if Gabbert has any college eligibility left so he can send him back).
posted by beaverboard at 01:26 PM on October 02, 2013
How many decent players could you get out of two or three later round picks?
I think especially because Monroe seems like a pretty decent left tackle, those are tougher to fill through the later rounds.
Of course, they might've been able to sign him as a FA after the season - but getting to the playoffs with a subpar LT is going to be a challenge, and getting him integrated on a potentially winning team is a step towards resigning him.
posted by dfleming at 01:54 PM on October 02, 2013
I like Monroe and think he's got a lot of years ahead of him in the NFL.
I'm puzzled by the logic of NFL rebuilding. Monroe's a good starting left tackle and he's only 26. The Jags are blowing the entire team up. If it takes at least three years to become good, which is an optimistic estimate, anyone they draft will be around 26 by the time that happens.
What kind of rebuilding plan would exclude a good 26-year-old offensive lineman?
If the Jags are certain he won't re-sign, then the trade makes sense. But if there's any chance at all he could be signed for a long-term deal, isn't that worth more than a couple 4-or-higher picks?
posted by rcade at 02:35 PM on October 02, 2013
If the Jags are certain he won't re-sign, then the trade makes sense. But if there's any chance at all he could be signed for a long-term deal, isn't that worth more than a couple 4-or-higher picks?
I think the logic is probably that Joeckel is going to be a top LT - it's his natural position, and RTs are generally cheaper (as they're not on the blindside) so a more efficient way to build the line might be to draft/sign an RT for less and hang on to Joeckel long-term.
posted by dfleming at 03:04 PM on October 02, 2013
Is there a difference in skillset somehow between LT and RT, or is it just that you put your better better tackle on the QB's blind side, and more QBs are right-handed? Put another way, if you had a right-handed QB one year and got a new lefty the next year, could you swap sides with your tackles and expect similar results?
posted by bender at 03:09 PM on October 02, 2013
Typically right tackles are very good linemen who aren't strong pass defenders, so they tend to be better run blockers. Here's a lot more info on it.
posted by yerfatma at 03:36 PM on October 02, 2013
is it just that you put your better better tackle on the QB's blind side
Generally, it's a function of right-handedness vs left-handedness. Not only is it the blind side of the QB, but also which way the offense can run more easily. When a righty QB turns around to make a hand off, it is better for the back, and thus the play to move toward the left side of the line mainly because the QB is making the handoff with his naturally more capable hand. Thus, a left tackle for a right-handed QB needs to be not only a better pass blocker but also a better run blocker. It is possible for offensive linemen to switch sides, but the techniques can be just different enough that this is a problem for all but the best of them. Injuries to offensive linemen have caused a guard or tackle to switch sides, and sometimes there is no real difference. At other times, it is a disaster. Like everything else in life, it all depends on the individuals and the situation.
On edit: having just read the Dumonjic piece that yerfatma linked, I agree with much of it, but disagree that the right tackle is more the run blocker. Look at running plays across the NFL, and I wold suggest that the balance between left and right is nearly equal. I would also suggest that one of the reasons for a left or right preference is the blocking ability of the guards, and particularly how well a guard is a able to pull and lead the blocking on the opposite side. The NFL is a passing league right now, so QB protection occupies most game planning, but if a solid running game can be established early, the play-action pass tends to act as a bit of an "extra" blocker, causing the pass rush to hesitate slightly.
posted by Howard_T at 03:45 PM on October 02, 2013
Put another way, if you had a right-handed QB one year and got a new lefty the next year, could you swap sides with your tackles and expect similar results?
It really depends on the linemen, their handedness and their versatility. Yerfatma and Howard_T nail it.
Lefty QBs do really test a team's versatility - often times running backs end up running more to the opposite side than they're used to, receivers need to get used to receiving the ball with the opposite spin/fade to it. That said - the defense are also tested - their primary pass rusher will often switch sides to rush from the blind, which mean their bullrush/spin/hand moves need to adjust, and corners need to deal with different trajectories for the ball coming in.
I have a theory, with nothing more than confirmation bias, that one of the reason some of the more prominent lefty QBs (Young, Vick, Tebow) were very mobile was one part survival and another part thriving. Starting in high school, if your line broke down because it wasn't used to the angles/switching sides, you'd get killed if they could straight rush you. A couple of ways to avoid that would be to run the ball and use play action to draw the D in. Being able to roll out meant opening the field up and offering more chances to run.
So, as a result, perhaps lefty QBs saw more reasons to run the ball, got better at it, and arrived in the pros a little more mobile as a result. Again, an unproven theory, but one I kinda like as a lefty QB with all of one year of high-school experience.
posted by dfleming at 04:13 PM on October 02, 2013
Moving from right to left is not as easy as it sounds. First alot of teams ahem you in a left handed stance on the left side of the line. coming out od a left handed stance can be very hard to learn for a natural righty. The footwork is very different. 2nd, the angles all change. Its like playing 2nd vs 3rd base. You are still a good fielder but it would be crazy to ask most 2nd and 3rd basemen to switch.
posted by Debo270 at 01:40 PM on October 03, 2013
Other reports indicating that Shahid Khan is looking at his Fullham staff to see if one can be his English Ted Lasso, come over and give the Jags a kickstart.