I have been throwing around an idea, that I wanted to present to you guys. I know none of you trust Vlad in a starting roll on our o-line, but how about a reduced roll. Vlad is a very big guy, who is physical as anything. It would be a shame to let his size and strength go to waist on our bench. When Robert Turner went down for the year, we lost our main blocker in Jumbo sets. He would come in as a TE/extra lineman. Wouldn't it make sense to fill that roll with someone like Vlad? His pass blocking skills leave something to be desired, but he is a decent run blocker.
This Sunday, we face a powerful pass rush. The Ravens' secondary is banged up and thin. If Sanchez has time, he can pass on them all day. The Titans were able to tear them apart through the air by going 4 or 5 wide. I am confident that we have better receivers than Tennessee, so us going 4 wide should work out great for us. The only problem is the o-line giving Sanchez the time to be effective. Maybe instead of using LT as a blocker, why not use Vlad as that extra blocker. We will never know what we have in vlad if he never plays. Why not use him in a reduced roll, so we can get a look at him, and reduce the risk of him making a costly error.