Seth Emerson takes a crack at a post-spring depth chart for the offense here. It’s as good a place to start as any, but I think the main thing it illustrates is that, at least with regard to the offense, all that coaching talk about how most of the starting positions are up in the air is a stretch.
I mean, look at Emerson’s list. Quarterback is set. So are the running backs. The only issue at wide receiver is whether Bennett is healthy by the Clemson game (early signs are indeed promising on that front). Artie Lynch is your starter at tight end.
All that’s left is the offensive line, and even there, it’s not as fluid as they’d have you believe. Andrews and Burnette are set. John Theus is going to start at one of the tackle positions. Gates will be plugged in somewhere. The real issue is whether Xzavier Ward is ready to grab hold of the starting right tackle spot. If he is, Gates moves inside and they’re set. If he’s not, Gates plays tackle opposite Theus and Lee takes the other guard slot.
The good news to take from that is that there looks to be some real depth on the line for once. The bad news is that in the spring, that depth didn’t make too much of a difference. So I guess that’s why the coaches are trying to sell some uncertainty.
Get The Picture 
I find it somewhat strange that the Georgia beat writers have bought into the notion that OL is in flux. Andrews and Burnette are locks as are Gates and Theus. The only thing up for grabs is one OT spot and where they’ll play. We know who 4/5 OL will be come 8/31 (pending injury of course). It seems odd that the writers are hinting at so much panic based on coaches’ comments. Comments, mind you, that scream “we want to make sure no one lets up, so we’re going to say spots are open that really aren’t.” I do think TE theoretically COULD change as Rome and Lynch are so close to one another, but as stated in the post, 9/11 or 10/11 spots you could pencil in today and do very little (if any) erasing in August.
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+1
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Your perspective would yield a short column of little interest.
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Essentially, it boils down to Ward, Lee, and perhaps Beard fighting for the last spot on the line. Lee at LT and Gates at LG make a serviceable combination, so anything that moves Gates inside is just icing on the cake.
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I am less concerned about the actual “starters” from game to game, but glad that is significant to the players. OL is a fluid dynamic to me and I am only concerned with enough quality depth to field a good unit at any given time. I think we can do that when it comes to pass blocking, but when it comes to facing a team where we need to grind out some tough yards in crucial situations, or eat clock to preserve a win, I just want us to develop some run blockers that can move 1-2 players backward. Starters can vary every single game and not indicate that group as a problem. Mix and match often is fine with me, develop and cross train them all.
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Very true, but we need a true LT to emerge. Gates is good and would be a beast at guard, but he got exposed too often in pass-blocking. At this point, it looks like the only real candidate is Theus.
At least there is plenty of time b/w now and Clemson.
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I’m with Mac – I just want some breathing room where if we lose somebody (or a couple of guys) due to injury we’re not freaking out. I also want the depth on both O and D lines where we sort of see the future coming into its own gradually, instead of having to install freshman starters because we didn’t have any choice.
It would be especially nice if we can eventually develop both lines where we’re able to put in fresh horses and let some different guys get game experience with only a minor talent dropoff. The O line obviously performed well enough last year for AM to set a few records and for Gurley and Marshall to deliver the goods, too.
To me, the biggest question is whether or not our D can stop the run against top tier teams. I know it’s Alabama, but it was a weird feeling watching them line up and RTDB right at us in the SECCG and to just know we were powerless to prevent it. That was about as clear a case of “they just beat us” as I can remember seeing.
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Teams have personalities, and I think the Dawgs have become more effective using the pass to set up the run. I love the power I, but I look forward to more multiple WR sets next season provided Rumph continues to improve and everybody is healthy. The Clemson game should be a real shootout. My old High School coach just called and I have to go run laps for typing this shit, later.
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