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10 years ago Zone blocking was all the rage. (below is a solid description of what zone blocking is so I won't get into that)

In todays NFL, Zone blocking is an instant tip to the LB and Safety as to where you're running with the football. ESPECIALLY with young inexperienced linemen. The guard and center's hips turn, boom get ready for an A-gap run. The entire right side stands up, waits for you to hit them and turns left... boom it's going outside to the right. The Zone Blocking Scheme is doing the same thing to Seattle it did in Pittsburgh. Sure, it won a lot early on, but now it's just telegraphing plays. The plays that don't telegraph, require a significant amount of gracefulness and intelligence that our OL doesn't possess. Without reverting to good, hard hitting man blocking this team cannot be successful. If nothing else happens this off-season, THAT needs to change.

What we need is Royce Freeman, a big fullback and a left tackle worthy of an NFL contract.

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/5/27/4363750/zone-blocking-running-football-breakdown-highlights-analysis-diagram

Sox-n-hawks wrote:10 years ago Zone blocking was all the rage. (below is a solid description of what zone blocking is so I won't get into that)

In todays NFL, Zone blocking is an instant tip to the LB and Safety as to where you're running with the football. ESPECIALLY with young inexperienced linemen. The guard and center's hips turn, boom get ready for an A-gap run. The entire right side stands up, waits for you to hit them and turns left... boom it's going outside to the right. The Zone Blocking Scheme is doing the same thing to Seattle it did in Pittsburgh. Sure, it won a lot early on, but now it's just telegraphing plays. The plays that don't telegraph, require a significant amount of gracefulness and intelligence that our OL doesn't possess. Without reverting to good, hard hitting man blocking this team cannot be successful. If nothing else happens this off-season, THAT needs to change.

What we need is Royce Freeman, a big fullback and a left tackle worthy of an NFL contract.

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/5/27/4363750/zone-blocking-running-football-breakdown-highlights-analysis-diagram

To me too many rule changes have been implemented against things that are important to the ZBS. Also the athleticism of DTs in the league has increased tremendously over the past 7 or 8 years while the athleticism of the OL has seen a sharp decline (hence our continued attempts to convert DT to OL). I agree with the idea of mixing in way more man blocking/power football into our run game. It neutralizes some of the athleticism of the DL because you are not trying to block them on the move, especially a reach block on a DT lined up inside your gap. That was an easy cut block 10 years ago, but now that DT is just too athletic.

I did think we have a very good LT in Brown. He has been playing injured and has done a good job for us, IMO

Do we need an asteroid to hit Pete on the head, because the dinosaurs were killed off by one.

Bevell & Cable are our Triceratop and Stegasaurus.

This article shows that the fundamentals are different for the 2 blocking schemes and responsiblities and to expect young Offensive Linemen who have not been properly trained in either system to learn both as well as learn 2 positions is a huge mistake. Too much thinking about what is required slows down the response to what the opposing Dlineman is trying to do.
At least they seem to have given up the experiment of also throwing DL into the mix on the OL and adding another layer of complexity not to mention the time required to convert that could be used in coaching legitimate Offensive Linemen.
Use one system - whichever it is, stick to it, and learn it well. It's the only way to get results quickly.