Offensive Line Coach Mike Solari
April 1, 2016
Q: There is always so much talk about chemistry with the offensive line. Does that have to come with the coach, too?
A: Absolutely. Yes, absolutely it starts with being a good communicator, being a good teacher and that is very important, just like everybody learns different. Part of being a good teacher is being able to communicate and doing a great job of explaining it so that it is crystal clear.
Q: What did you make of Ereck Flower’s rookie year?
A: Ereck Flowers is a good football player and I look forward to working with him and he had a great learning experience. It is a great opportunity for a rookie to come in and start in the NFL --- it is a tremendous task and we looked at the film and kind of have some things that we need to work on and improve our play.
Q: Did you see improvement in Ereck’s technique?
A: Absolutely, yes, you saw that throughout the season in his play and as a rookie coming into the NFL, it is a challenge, especially now with how college football is going more to the passing game and less in three-point stances, so there are some things that are a tremendous learning curve as far as technique and fundamentals for young offensive linemen coming into the NFL. There is always a sense of urgency getting them up to speed.
Q: What qualities do you look for in your offensive linemen?
A: The qualities you want are the core strength, the agility, the mobility of the offensive linemen, and you are always looking for agile and mobile linemen.
Q: Is Justin Pugh a guard or a tackle?
A: We are going to find the best spot for Justin, and he did a nice job last year at guard and did a nice job when he had to step in at tackle. The nice thing about Justin is he gives you that versatility, but [Ben and I] will find the best position for him.
1. He loves him, but he is really going to challenge him early on; don't even THINK about getting comfortable at LT.
2. Others' comments about Erik being the LT of the future are not set in stone.