New Offensive Line Coach - Joe D'ALessandris

[RavensFanMania]

I'm a little frustrated that we don't have an offensive line coach yet or even an interview set up for that matter.

 

any ideas on who should be the new ol coach?

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

16 hours ago, RavensFanMania said:

I'm a little frustrated that we don't have an offensive line coach yet or even an interview set up for that matter.

 

any ideas on who should be the new ol coach?

i wouldnt assume that we havent talked to anyone about it.

It was mentioned in the State of the Ravens presser that theres an internal candidate for at least one of the open positions... and ive seen several media guys mentioned that Harbs has been scouring the NFL and NCAA ranks for candidates, from OC (when that was still being decided) and I imagine for OL, QB, and DBs coaches.

We usually seem to be good at keeping things quiet until we're serious about hiring someone.

[Sunday QB]

with everyone in Jupiter FL. I don't think we'll hear anything news worthy until they get back.

[The Raven]

In recent years, we've had a trend of going to the college ranks to fill position coach vacancies. I'd like to see us find someone in the Big 10 or SEC with a record of sending college guys to the NFL. Someone from Iowa or Alabama, maybe. Alabama has sent a bunch of guys to the pro's, though they haven't always panned out (probably because they tend to be slower guys).

Notre Dame's offensive line coach Harry Hiestand may be a guy to watch. He coached up our own Ronnie Stanley and Dallas's Zack Martin, both of whom are among the top young linemen in the NFL. Nick Martin, Zack's younger brother, was a second round pick by the Eagles in 2016.

[trevorsteadman]

Though there is nobody with the exact title of 'offensive line coach' for the Ravens yet that doesn't mean they aren't already signed. Roman came here before Castillo left. He may be the 'senior offensive assistant and tight end coach' but do realize he came here before Castillo was fired. I think he has a bigger say than most say when it comes to the o-line. I think that is why he was named more than just the tight end coach. That 'senior offensive assistant' gives him some flexibility there. I think a lot of fans need to realize is all these coaches work together and work with more than what their title indicates. Craig Steeg may also help fill this role. 

[Ravenseconbeast]

The titles are just that.  Juan Castillo was basically our OC #2 in command.   He wasn't strictly a OL coach at all.   Just like Roman would not be a 'TE/Assistant' coach.   
 

[BmoreBird22]

1 hour ago, The Raven said:

In recent years, we've had a trend of going to the college ranks to fill position coach vacancies. I'd like to see us find someone in the Big 10 or SEC with a record of sending college guys to the NFL. Someone from Iowa or Alabama, maybe. Alabama has sent a bunch of guys to the pro's, though they haven't always panned out (probably because they tend to be slower guys).

Notre Dame's offensive line coach Harry Hiestand may be a guy to watch. He coached up our own Ronnie Stanley and Dallas's Zack Martin, both of whom are among the top young linemen in the NFL. Nick Martin, Zack's younger brother, was a second round pick by the Eagles in 2016.

I think the offensive line coach from Wisconsin would also be a really solid choice.

[jazz1988]

51 minutes ago, trevorsteadman said:

Though there is nobody with the exact title of 'offensive line coach' for the Ravens yet that doesn't mean they aren't already signed. Roman came here before Castillo left. He may be the 'senior offensive assistant and tight end coach' but do realize he came here before Castillo was fired. I think he has a bigger say than most say when it comes to the o-line. I think that is why he was named more than just the tight end coach. That 'senior offensive assistant' gives him some flexibility there. I think a lot of fans need to realize is all these coaches work together and work with more than what their title indicates. Craig Steeg may also help fill this role. 

It's possible that this  is true but I like to think John Harbaugh already knew about Castillo situation before he hired Greg Roman.

Edited January 17 by jazz1988

[The Raven]

15 minutes ago, BmoreBird22 said:

I think the offensive line coach from Wisconsin would also be a really solid choice.

I just looked into that. There's been a lot of turnover in that position, I believe. Right now, I think their OC Joe Rudolph serves as the acting OL coach. The OL coach who started 2016 was fired after two games. Bob Bostad was there 06-11 but is now at a no name school after bouncing around a bit in the early 2010s.

[allblackraven]

1 hour ago, The Raven said:

In recent years, we've had a trend of going to the college ranks to fill position coach vacancies. I'd like to see us find someone in the Big 10 or SEC with a record of sending college guys to the NFL. Someone from Iowa or Alabama, maybe. Alabama has sent a bunch of guys to the pro's, though they haven't always panned out (probably because they tend to be slower guys).

Notre Dame's offensive line coach Harry Hiestand may be a guy to watch. He coached up our own Ronnie Stanley and Dallas's Zack Martin, both of whom are among the top young linemen in the NFL. Nick Martin, Zack's younger brother, was a second round pick by the Eagles in 2016.

Going off topic here but I'd rather poach Alabama's DL coach Karl Dunbar, Cullen doesn't impress me much.

[Inqui]

15 hours ago, The Raven said:

Notre Dame's offensive line coach Harry Hiestand may be a guy to watch. He coached up our own Ronnie Stanley and Dallas's Zack Martin, both of whom are among the top young linemen in the NFL. Nick Martin, Zack's younger brother, was a second round pick by the Eagles in 2016.

Not to mention current LG Quenton Nelson and LT Mike McGlinchey. They've been quietly building an OL factory these past few years and it's only a matter of time before everyone notices.

I was hoping we'd be able to nab Mike Tice, who's clearly been pretty handy for Oakland but is off contract, but I hadn't thought of Hiestand and I'd be pretty stoked with him too. Then as you say, if in doubt you can't go wrong with some Big 10 OL coach.

[BmoreBird22]

21 hours ago, The Raven said:

I just looked into that. There's been a lot of turnover in that position, I believe. Right now, I think their OC Joe Rudolph serves as the acting OL coach. The OL coach who started 2016 was fired after two games. Bob Bostad was there 06-11 but is now at a no name school after bouncing around a bit in the early 2010s.

Damn, that's interesting. I would have figured they had a consistent presence because they're generally so solid. I remember reading an article where a scout said he thought Ryan Ramczyk would be the next Joe Thomas, so maybe it's just a system type deal.

[The Raven]

Joe D'ALessandris, formerly of the San Diego Charges, has been hired for the position.

I didn't follow the Chargers closely from 2013-2015, while he was there, but I believe they've always run a man/gap scheme.

One recent pick, DJ Fluker from Alabama, is a 6'5 340 pound behemoth who is about as nimble as an oak tree. This may reflect what this guy looks for in an olineman. This is not to say he prefers huge, plodding mammoths, but I think it shows a preference for brute strength over athleticism. 

Edited January 19 by The Raven

[AsianRice]

Link from the the Ravens front page, Joe D'ALessadris is our new O-line coach.

 

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Ravens-Hire-Joe-DAlessandris-As-Offensive-Line-Coach/497d315d-9b73-4808-9f8f-e96e9615d59c

[LosT_in_TranSlatioN]

13 minutes ago, The Raven said:

Joe D'ALessandris, formerly of the San Diego Charges, has been hired for the position.

I didn't follow the Chargers closely from 2013-2015, while he was there, but I believe they've always run a man/gap scheme.

One recent pick, DJ Fluker from Alabama, is a 6'5 340 pound behemoth who is about as nimble as an oak tree. This may reflect what this guy looks for in an olineman.

If I recall correctly Fluker isn't very good either. 

Not sure what to think tbh. 

[The Raven]

3 minutes ago, LosT_in_TranSlatioN said:

If I recall correctly Fluker isn't very good either. 

Not sure what to think tbh. 

He was a very promising prospect but is just too slow for the NFL.

[jazz1988]

17 minutes ago, The Raven said:

Joe D'ALessandris, formerly of the San Diego Charges, has been hired for the position.

I didn't follow the Chargers closely from 2013-2015, while he was there, but I believe they've always run a man/gap scheme.

One recent pick, DJ Fluker from Alabama a 6'5 340 pound behemoth who is about as nimble as an oak tree, may reflect what this guy looks for in an olineman.

 

That's not what I'm getting  when reading these pieces about him link and link. I will say expect versatility with the blocking scheme but zone blocking is not going away at all . I never watched DJ Fluker play before but he has similar height and weight as K.O so it helped me realize not all bigger guards aren't considered a good fit in the zone blocking scheme.

[The Raven]

8 minutes ago, jazz1988 said:

 

That's not what I'm getting  when reading these pieces about him link and link. I will say expect versatility with the blocking scheme but zone blocking is not going away at all . I never watched DJ Fluker play before but he has similar height and weight as K.O so it helped me realize not all bigger guards aren't considered a good fit in the zone blocking scheme.

Note that these pieces were written at the time of the hire, and not during the man's actual tenure as offensive line coach. If you actually look at the personnel and watch the play, you'll see it wasn't really zone heavy.

For example, DJ Fluker is the antithesis of the zone blocking prototype, as is Orlando Franklin, one of their guards. 

I don't think zone will go away but I think we'll see a preference towards not zone. Of course, that's just an inference from their personnel choices and from the limited times I've watched the Chargers in recent years. Who knows what Marty, Harbs, and this guy will want to do? It wouldn't be the first time scheme didn't match up with personnel.

Chan Gailey, who he worked under in Buffalo, has always been a zone/spread guy, so that may be why they ran zone while he was with the Bills.

Edited January 19 by The Raven

[Ravensfan23]

Not sure exactly what type of system he'll install and I really don't care. All long as he can continue to develop Stanley and Lewis, while getting the most out of whomever the Center is. I think both Yanda and Wagner(i believe he stays) will speak for themselves. I won't act like I now enough about the guy to say what he'll do. But I did enjoying listening to his breakdown as a oline coach for the Bills. link

The part about studying other teams to see how to get the most out of the screen game was very exciting. The Ravens have been so poor in the screen game for years and it seemed like they never had a interest in practicing it. For as good as Jaun is as a coach, he seems to really do well at developing younger guys but not really the line as a whole. 

So far the Ravens are allowing their actions to match their words. They want to have an improved focus on the running game, so hiring Roman and  D'ALessadris  seems like they are placing huge emphasis on improving the oline and TEs. I think retaining both Wagner and Juice is the next step. We'll see how things play out. 

 

[Deflated Football]

Well he has a cool last name

[ellicottraven]

1 hour ago, Ravensfan23 said:

Not sure exactly what type of system he'll install and I really don't care. All long as he can continue to develop Stanley and Lewis, while getting the most out of whomever the Center is. I think both Yanda and Wagner(i believe he stays) will speak for themselves. I won't act like I now enough about the guy to say what he'll do. But I did enjoying listening to his breakdown as a oline coach for the Bills. link

The part about studying other teams to see how to get the most out of the screen game was very exciting. The Ravens have been so poor in the screen game for years and it seemed like they never had a interest in practicing it. For as good as Jaun is as a coach, he seems to really do well at developing younger guys but not really the line as a whole. 

So far the Ravens are allowing their actions to match their words. They want to have an improved focus on the running game, so hiring Roman and  D'ALessadris  seems like they are placing huge emphasis on improving the oline and TEs. I think retaining both Wagner and Juice is the next step. We'll see how things play out. 

 

Thanks for the link. He does sound pretty good breaking down film. But, out of curiosity the cut blocking to create a passing lane for the QB in that quick throw where both the LG and LT cut block their assignments is still legal right?

[The Raven]

4 minutes ago, ellicottraven said:

Thanks for the link. He does sound pretty good breaking down film. But, out of curiosity the cut blocking to create a passing lane for the QB in that quick throw where both the LG and LT cut block their assignments is still legal right?

It is legal so long as now other offensive player is engaged with the defender at the time of the cut.

I have strong opinions about cut blocks on pass plays. They're risky. If you miss, or if the defender evades it, your QB is going to eat turf. You better make sure that DL goes down if you try and cut. 

Edited January 19 by The Raven

[The Raven]

1 hour ago, Ravensfan23 said:

Not sure exactly what type of system he'll install and I really don't care. All long as he can continue to develop Stanley and Lewis, while getting the most out of whomever the Center is. I think both Yanda and Wagner(i believe he stays) will speak for themselves. I won't act like I now enough about the guy to say what he'll do. But I did enjoying listening to his breakdown as a oline coach for the Bills. link

I feel like it's interesting to think about. Could help project future moves and how the line looks next year. If he's as married to the zone as some think, I think Wagner may end up getting re-signed. If it's a more versatile approach, or with more on the power side, I doubt Wagner (or Zuttah) stays. Hell, if he's a zone guy through and through, we may be keeping Zuttah. 

One thing I like is that it looks like, at least in Buffalo, Joe preferred the wide zone, which is the only zone worth using in my book.

[Ravensfan23]

8 hours ago, ellicottraven said:

Thanks for the link. He does sound pretty good breaking down film. But, out of curiosity the cut blocking to create a passing lane for the QB in that quick throw where both the LG and LT cut block their assignments is still legal right?

Cut blocking is legal, it's chop blocking with @The Raven described is illegal. So if he were to add that technique to the oline it'd be completely legal and welcomed by me .

8 hours ago, The Raven said:

It is legal so long as now other offensive player is engaged with the defender at the time of the cut.

I have strong opinions about cut blocks on pass plays. They're risky. If you miss, or if the defender evades it, your QB is going to eat turf. You better make sure that DL goes down if you try and cut. 

I like cut blocks on passing plays when designed right. In most cases(should be all) the cut block is taking place on a short drop and to the play side of the QB. So even if a block is missed, the QB can see it and deliver the ball quickly. It's a technique that needs to be taught but can be very effective slowing down pass rush. 

8 hours ago, The Raven said:

I feel like it's interesting to think about. Could help project future moves and how the line looks next year. If he's as married to the zone as some think, I think Wagner may end up getting re-signed. If it's a more versatile approach, or with more on the power side, I doubt Wagner (or Zuttah) stays. Hell, if he's a zone guy through and through, we may be keeping Zuttah. 

One thing I like is that it looks like, at least in Buffalo, Joe preferred the wide zone, which is the only zone worth using in my book.

It'll be interesting to see how things play out. I think Zuttah is gone either way, I think the question at Center is do they feel a guy like Urschel can step up at that position or do they need to address it with a new addition.