Ron Rivera gave an update on the left guard battle between Saahdiq Charles and Chris Paul on Wednesday, saying that the competition is 'very good' and he 'likes what we've got' from both players – as well as Ricky Stromberg, the third-round draft pick center that has also gotten some work at guard.
Rivera also said that they'll have to make a choice soon, but 'if they continue playing the way they have, we may have to find a way to play them both.'
"That's interesting – it sounds like maybe they do the Week 1 guard rotation move?" Grant Paulsen said after hearing that audio. "I've never been a fan of that rotation, because I feel like if it was a good idea, more teams would do it. When you get into a rhythm, it's probably beneficial to be playing; keeping guys fresh is nice, I guess, but again, if it was smart to do, why not just do it at more positions."
Danny dropped the old 'if you have two, you don't have one' idea, and that led Grant to reminisce and admit he doesn't hate the idea in Week 1 if it's a means to naming a winner."
"I do remember Mike Shanahan in Week 1 one year had Jamal Brown rotating with Tyler Columbus at right tackle, and everyone was stunned, but it was kind of a continuation of their competition," Grant recalled. "Soon enough, it was Columbus, and not the guy they made the big splash to go get."
Is there another idea, though?
"Maybe the thinking is Charles can't stay healthy, and if he plays less, you can keep him on the field when you need him," Grant said. "Otherwise, if he plays all the time, they know he won't be able to last."
"That could be part of the equation, or should be, anyway," Danny replied. "All you're doing as the head coach is analyzing data points. Missing time has been a theme in Charles' career, so what's the best way to maximize this offense? Is it having him play all the time, or a rotation?"
Take a listen to that convo above, and also some thoughts from the guys on how, based on Rivera's comments and other things we've seen, the offensive line may NOT be the biggest weakness.
Follow Grant & Danny on Twitter: @granthpaulsen & @funnydanny
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