A modest O-line proposal

[Quigonginger]

https://overthecap.com/position/left-tackle/

https://overthecap.com/position/traditional-linebacker/
https://overthecap.com/position/wide-receiver/
https://overthecap.com/position/defensive-line/

I counted 21 total players who are making more AAV than the most paid left tackle, not including QB.

I find it funny that this is being brought up in the current state of OL where we have literally what? one? two? who's sustained activity over the past twelve seasons or so.

I'm all for offensive linemen, but making teams use them is just dumb. As timeconsumer and many other sim wizards will attest, using bot offensive linemen over human offensive linemen is a disadvantage enough. Everyone knows that some positions will be valued over others. Such is life. Teams in real life don't evaluate tight ends and running backs to the same standard as they do edge rushers and quarterbacks, believe it or not.

Man I was speaking broadly like they say in The Broadside first you pay your mortgage, then you pay your home insurance. LT is a critical position for keeping a QB alive and they do get paid well as a position.

Second of all, I don't wanna make a TE. I get other people want to play it but that doesn't appeal to me. Why not just have back up bots for every position? It messes with the labor market and value assigned to the position just having the one like that.

Third, if a team has an opening at RB (or literally any non-OL position) they are going to prioritize it. They HAVE to draft a RB. If they don't then they're gonna be looking at 150 TPE dudes and getting wrecked. There's no 350 bot to fall back on so they can get that WR they actually want and deal with the RB problem later. The draft stock is so low for OL that GMs literally laugh about it.

Lastly, there are 10 that just got made. We'll be kicking around DSFL long after our peers get called up. The drawbacks for not taking us are so much lower than any other role that it forces OL to kick around in DSFL longer, burn out, or change positions (sometimes pressured by the drafting team to switch to TE) at higher rates or avoid it completely. We're not competing with aging superstars. We're competing with an unending legion of competant-but-not-great bots. If we say things will be changing in 3-5 seasons, the position will absolutely grow. Phase it out slowly, like gradually regress one bot and teams will temporarily put a premium on OL until they all are used to having one and players see value in making them. "Nobody plays this because it sucks" is a poor reason to make it keep sucking.