The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
In his autopsy of the Falcons' season an Atlanta writer noted recently that the Falcons O-line decline was anticipated this season by application of former ESPN writer John Clayton's "Rule of 150"
I had never heard of that "rule" but it goes as follows
If a team lets its starting offensive line exceed the total age of 150 years for five starters, the clock is ticking on its remaining success.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/8...g-fits-coaches
Assuming Gilbert should still be included as a starter, the ages of the Steelers OL starters are AV (30), DeCastro (28), Foster (32), Pouncey (29) and Gilbert (30) - a total of 149
https://www.steelers.com/team/players-roster/
I have assumed Foster was gone after this season but taking this factor into account leads me to guess with his extended absences over the past 2 years Gilbert probably will be released after this season as well as the Steelers move to avoid getting old all at once across the OL
Just another benchmark on the clock ticking more loudly for the current group of starters
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
fatass marcus is gone after this year
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
With Feiler at 26 and Finney 27, those probable replacements for Gilbert and Foster put us back down to... 140. A little more breathing room if you believe in this "Hocus Pocus". Tomlin says different. :chuckle:
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
Well, that certainly is a better rule for the offensive line than Rule 34. (gross)
All that aside, Gilbert basically is not the starter anymore at this point, and the line is doing just fine with the others there, so I predict he'll be let go.
Was kind of worried something like this might happen after he got busted for PEDs; a lot of players who get nabbed for that have a tendency to break down afterward once they are not taking them anymore. Or just decline in performance, also because they are not taking them anymore. Not always, but enough that you have to watch out for it. Which it seems we have been doing.
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SteelMember
With Feiler at 26 and Finney 27, those probable replacements for Gilbert and Foster put us back down to... 140. A little more breathing room if you believe in this "Hocus Pocus". Tomlin says different. :chuckle:
Chuks would drop that even more :chuckle:
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
Who cares....we have Munch
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
steelreserve
Well, that certainly is a better rule for the offensive line than Rule 34. (gross)
If you Google the right words... well... think Lemon Party with 350 lbs dudes.
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
teegre
If you Google the right words... well... think Lemon Party with 350 lbs dudes.
https://media.giphy.com/media/5KyYuIyRe1KeI/giphy.gif
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Craic
“I didn’t have to miss”.
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
On the surface, the 150 rule makes a lot of sense. There is a finite end to the abilities of players. Most players will see their skills start to fall off after they turn 30, and for some it could be drastic. Others are able to continue to stay at a high level into their mid 30's. It all depends on the player, but usually it is the supremely talented offensive linemen that are able to carry on with slightly diminished skills because they were so far superior to begin with.
In the case of the Steelers, I don't think this rule is going to apply. We are likely already seeing where this is going. Gilbert has barely been on the field for 2 years now since the PED suspension. I imagine that the team may be ready to move on from him.
Foster has been solid, but his age, along with his lack of athleticism, surely has him standing near the edge of his professional performance cliff. His play is going to rapidly decline any day now, and he likely won't be re-signed.
We have been seeing men on the roster take their spots without a significant drop in performance. There have also been more OL drafted and showing signs of skill.
Here is the current OL on the roster and age:
Zach Banner 24
Matt Feiler 26
Marcus Gilbert 30
David DeCastro 28
B. J. Finney 27
Ramon Foster 32
Chukwuma Okorafor 21
Alejandro Villanueva 30
Maurkice Pouncey 29
After this year, there is a chance that only Pouncey, DeCastro, and AV will be returning as starters. Insert two younger replacements and the ages are fine again, so long as they can replicate the performance they have shown to this point or improve upon it.
AV is another guy that doesn't have a lot of miles on him. He is 30, but this is only his 4th year and he is very athletic. I expect his level of play to stay high for at least another 3-4 years.
I think the OL will be OK without Gilbert and Foster. Foster is almost never on the field anymore, so they know exactly what the situation will be without him. Foster is more difficult to predict. He is a leader in the locker room, but he has never been able to match AV, DeCastro, and Pouncy for athleticism. His talents are not irreplaceable by any means.
I believe the real dilemma could come in a few years when Ben retires, and the three OL listed above are 30-33. Those are three players that will be hard to replace, and being able to protect whatever quarterback is going to take the team into the future. If Munchak is still coaching and they continue to draft well, it may not be a major issue. Let's hope that is the case.
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
As little as he has shown and as often as he has been injured, Hawkins is still young and plays OT, so he will get a few more chances to impact as well.
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AtlantaDan
In his autopsy of the Falcons' season an Atlanta writer noted recently that the Falcons O-line decline was anticipated this season by application of former ESPN writer John Clayton's "Rule of 150"
I had never heard of that "rule" but it goes as follows
If a team lets its starting offensive line exceed the total age of 150 years for five starters, the clock is ticking on its remaining success.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/8...g-fits-coaches
Assuming Gilbert should still be included as a starter, the ages of the Steelers OL starters are AV (30), DeCastro (28), Foster (32), Pouncey (29) and Gilbert (30) - a total of 149
https://www.steelers.com/team/players-roster/
I have assumed Foster was gone after this season but taking this factor into account leads me to guess with his extended absences over the past 2 years Gilbert probably will be released after this season as well as the Steelers move to avoid getting old all at once across the OL
Just another benchmark on the clock ticking more loudly for the current group of starters
Does the Rule of 150 apply with AV? He has a lot less mileage on his body than most players his age, and mileage matters more than when you were born.
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
Looks like everyone's reputation is up for reconsideration with this slide
Analysis: Steelers' offensive line fails to live up to the hype
The Steelers very well might have the best pass-blocking offensive line in the league, but if the Steelers really had the best offensive line, they wouldn’t have been embarrassed by a Raiders defense that entered the game Sunday afternoon with the worst rushing defense in the NFL....
There is plenty to dissect from the Raiders game, and we’ll get to those gory details later. But it’s important to note the problems with the line can be traced back to the Jacksonville game.
The Jaguars are the NFL’s 26th-ranked rush defense. The Steelers ran for 26 yards on 11 carries.
The next week, the Steelers faced Denver. The Broncos are 21st against the rush. The Steelers ran for 75 on 16 carries.
Notice a trend?
The Steelers are 29th in the league in rushing (89 yards per game). They’re 25th in yards-per-carry average (4.1).
The stats don’t lie, and neither does the video. This isn’t a very polished unit when it comes to run blocking....
At this point, it’s fair to wonder if offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner and line coach Mike Munchak devise game plans and calls plays with the realization their personnel is more finesse than power....
What’s done is done. It’s too late to develop the running game now. The Steelers are a passing team and they’ll either make or miss the playoffs based on how Roethlisberger throws the ball over the final three games.
After that, the front office has many decisions to make on an offensive line that is descending rather than ascending late in the season. Foster, who will turn 33 in a few weeks, is in the final year of his contract. Gilbert is 30 and has dressed for just 12 of the past 29 games. He will count $6.8 million against the cap next season. Pouncey is 29 and will count $7.8 million toward the cap. Both players have one more year remaining on their contracts.
It’s only a matter of time before a full rebuild of the line commences.
https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...s/201812100103
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mojouw
As little as he has shown and as often as he has been injured, Hawkins is still young and plays OT, so he will get a few more chances to impact as well.
I agree, but he may still not have what it takes in pass protection. But, Hawkins has shown great ability as an inline blocker and could potentially move inside to Guard. I also think Finney is G/C and Feiler is a better guard than RT.
All in all, this could likely be the last season for Foster in B&G and look to somebody like Finney, Feiler to replace him next season. I think Gilbert comes back another season if healthy, but any mix of Chukks, Banner, Hawkins could be his successor at RT in 2020. By 2021 Big Al will finish his contract and the hopes will be that Chukks or a draft pick will be at LT.
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AtlantaDan
The Steelers are 29th in the league in rushing (89 yards per game). They’re 25th in yards-per-carry average (4.1).
The stats don’t lie, and neither does the video. This isn’t a very polished unit when it comes to run blocking....
Everyone was getting all over Bell for his poor rushing average last year, but there are several threads where I said the problem with the O line. So, this doesn't really suprise me at all. This line does not blow people off the line of scrimmage.
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AtlantaDan
At this point, it’s fair to wonder if offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner and line coach Mike Munchak devise game plans and calls plays with the realization their personnel is more finesse than power....
So Shittipaldo thinks that Ramon Foster, Pouncey, DeCastro are "more finesse than power"? I guess he thinks that backup RT Matt Feiler is a finesse guy. What a joke of an assumption.
The O lineman on the team are built to run, but the offensive playcalling and design is not that of running the football, but more bubble screens, crossing patterns and zone read looks from pistol formations. Steelers have the O linemen with ability to run the football, but don't commit to it. Sunday was just a case of having a pass receiving rookie RB that isn't as good of a ballcarrier than a pass catcher.
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Godfather
Does the Rule of 150 apply with AV? He has a lot less mileage on his body than most players his age, and mileage matters more than when you were born.
IDK not sure of the math to translate airborne ranger to nfl LT mileage
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dwinsgames
IDK not sure of the math to translate airborne ranger to nfl LT mileage
https://i.gifer.com/V8qR.gif
Re: The Steelers O-line and potential decline with the "Rule of 150"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Craic
:rofl2:
