Arian Foster's offensive line (1 Viewer)

[Badgers Fan]

I still consider Foster the #1 player. This was touched on a bit in his spotlight, but I wonder, can he still be super affective without Eric Winston and Mike Brisiel? He lost Leach last year but didn't skip a beat. He had a rookie quarterback and didn't skip a beat. Albeit the preseason and vs the Niners, outside of 1 run, he didn't do a whole lot. I realize this probably doesn't affect him a whole lot, but I wonder if it is enough to knock him down to #3 behind Rice and McCoy (all though some people already have it that way). Anyone who follows the Texans closely know how this o-line has looked?

 

[Shutout]

They look good. They have a lot of faith in their line and a couple of the guys they still ahve were ranked very highly last year by the sites that typically rank and chart these guys.

All in all, they are still as good a unit as there is.

Its hard to read a lot into pre-season in some aspects. Teams aren't going to show much and teams have different agendas when they have their players out there. But in watching what I have seen so far, the lanes appear to be opening up just as they ever have, foster looks good, and they have their QB back (and in cases where Yates was in, he did a fine job and would also use foster in the short game).

People might make a case for one guy or another, but we are all picking nits here. I can't imagine much of a case being made for the o-line of baltimore or Philly over Houston if that's what we've drilled down to here in making this decision. I would still be fine taking foster.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

typically, the ZBS is all about the system, for the most part the linemen are plug n play if they fit the system properly.

 

[LawFitz]

typically, the ZBS is all about the system, for the most part the linemen are plug n play if they fit the system properly.

OL are somewhat marginalized in a good ZBS. And Kubiak's had one of the best for a long while.Foster himself is a man's RB. Dude can play. Closest to Priest Holmes since that time. Video game vision behind that ZBS. And bigger than Priest so you get the beastly play too, especially against DBs. Current fantasy football PPG Champion at RB.

 

[Matt Bitonti]

I have Houston as the 18th ranked OL in the league. If you believe the texans were a top 10 OL then yes they should be a concern. Cohesion isn't good and word around the campfire is that the new starters aren't exactly stepping up. Concern? I guess it all depends on context.

 

[Bobble Fett]

Don't overreact to Foster's performance against SF. It was san francisco's starters and they set an NFL record for least rushing yards per game last season. They are the best weve seen against the run for quite some time. I actually just watched the first half of that game on my lunch break today and besides the LBs being exactly where they should be in the holes, the blocking was pitch perfect. SF is just a beast against the run.

Houston's schedule looks great for Arian Foster's performance to me: http://www.nfl.com/schedules/2012/REG/TEXANS .

The only thing that bugs me about Foster is Tate's performance. You gotta grab Tate if you have Foster.

 

[zamboni]

I wouldn't be concerned, and there's really no way of knowing anyway about the OL. As much as the so-called "experts" think they have a good handle on an OL, you really never know until the games are played and see how they gel. Often happens that a team's OL seems to be a weakness going into the season, and turns out the be a strength. And the other way around as well.

ETA: I tend to focus more on talent and situation, since that's what generally wins out in the end. And Foster scores very favorably in both.

 

[Lord Fantasy]

I wouldn't be concerned, and there's really no way of knowing anyway about the OL. As much as the so-called "experts" think they have a good handle on an OL, you really never know until the games are played and see how they gel. Often happens that a team's OL seems to be a weakness going into the season, and turns out the be a strength. And the other way around as well.ETA: I tend to focus more on talent and situation, since that's what generally wins out in the end. And Foster scores very favorably in both.

I appreciate your saying this. I enjoy reading OL reports but am suspicious about grades for things like "cohesion" (age, injury and yearly personnel changes would seem to make that hard to judge in the off season) and "depth" (rookies, unproven guys and mediocre veterans come in and surprise in the right context). I think with Foster you know you're getting a very special back in a system that suits his talents well on an above-average-to-good offense that wants to feature him. Not much more you can ask for in a first round pick.

 

[Stewy]

I have Houston as the 18th ranked OL in the league. If you believe the texans were a top 10 OL then yes they should be a concern. Cohesion isn't good and word around the campfire is that the new starters aren't exactly stepping up. Concern? I guess it all depends on context.

WTF does "word around the campfire" mean?

 

[Ilov80s]

I have Houston as the 18th ranked OL in the league. If you believe the texans were a top 10 OL then yes they should be a concern. Cohesion isn't good and word around the campfire is that the new starters aren't exactly stepping up. Concern? I guess it all depends on context.

WTF does "word around the campfire" mean?

It is an idiom for the scuttlebutt.