DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns to interview two for O-line position...

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As reported first on tonight's OBR Radio Program, the Browns will interview two NFL assistants for the team's now-vacant offensive line coaching job. Here are the details, available first on the OBR...


The OBR radio program is probably where Browns fans first heard the name of Alfredo Roberts, the team's new tight ends coach, as Jeff Schudel related his hiring at the top of the show at 9PM.

Later in the broadcast, Scout.com's Adam Caplan reported that the Browns will interview two NFL assistants tomorrow for the team's vacant offensive coaching position. The job became available when Jeff Davidson agreed to become the new offensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers - a development we told you was in the offing quite a while back.

The two assistants are Mike Maser, recently of the Carolina Panthers, and Steve Loney, who was relieved today in Arizona when Russ Grimm joined the staff of that ballclub.

The 59-year-old Maser has worked his way up as a coach in the college and professional ranks, starting with Marshall in 1973, and graduating to the NFL as Jacksonville's line coach from 1995-2002. He then joined the Panthers staff and was with them from 2003 until this year.

Loney was moved aside for Grimm, but is also an experienced coach, and has bounced between the NFL and top colleges since 1993 after starting his coaching career with Missouri Western in 1975. Loney has had two stops with the Cardinals, as well as stints with the with the Vikings, Iowa State, and the University of Minnesota.

Thanks BpG, Not sure what happened there.

No thanks to either one! Arizona's line absolutely sucked!

I agree but that shouldn't condem the coaches because there team sucked. If that was the case Bill Bellicheck never found another job after the Browns...same fo Marty....same for Botch


I agree, not exactly WOW!!!

As a football coach, I know of Steve Loney very well. I actually have a couple of his coaching video's, and his book of offensive line drills. He is widely regarded around the league as a premiere expert on zone blocking. We should consider ourselves very fortunate to have someone like Steve Loney apart of the Browns' coaching staff.

I know the gripes and moans are going to be coming from every which way about the Cardinals offensive line, but then again, who hasn't been fired in the NFL because their position group didn't fare very well. Having listened to Loney speak on several different occassions, I can tell you that he is down to earth, detail oriented, fundamentally grounded, and very experienced at various levels of football. I'm very excited about the possibility of Steve Loney coming to cleveland.

LOL Kardiac,
I'm not his agent...just happen to know a lot about him being a coach and trying to learn more about zone blocking techniques.

Nice to get this info. I am hopeful that we have a better coach. arizona stunk, but not sure it was coach but their line folx. Incidentally, after all the knocks, I was glad to see Faine have a respectable run and some success in spite of his perhaps deserved treatment in Cleveland. Still want that horse Bentley to be our monster of the Midline, but hey, I think simpler zone blocking makes sense.
Use the Force, Phil! And may the Elf be with you! Go Browns!

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agree but that shouldn't condem the coaches because there team sucked. If that was the case Bill Bellicheck never found another job after the Browns...same fo Marty....same for Botch

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Then why are the Browns blaming their coaches for the team's failures?

Additionally, Bill did win a playoff game in Cleveland and won multiple playoff games and a Super Bowl as a d-coordinator.

Marty won division titles and playoff games.

Hell, even Butch got to the playoifs. But......he did have the least amount of success. And he is no longer coaching in the NFL

poundawg: Thanks for the info. Hope it's legit.

Not having watched many Chargers games, I don't know what type of blocking scheme they employ. Are they a zone blocking team? If we go to a zone blocking scheme, what players do we have who have the capability of playing such a scheme? Certainly mobility and a degree of foot speed is required, but what other attributes play into the scheme, and what guys on (or available in the draft or free agency) have these attributes?

ChargerDawg is the guy to ask about the Chargers. He knows the team and he understands football.

I do think SD used zone blocking schemes. And it is becoming more and more popular in the NFL.

I think most guys can play either. It's primarily about having an area instead of man-on-man blocking. I think continuity would be a bigger issue. I will say that Fraley looks like a guy who would do well w/zone blocking. I don't know about the rest. Fact is........they are so bad that no system will help.

I would like to hear poundawg's take on zone blocking. Looks like he has been studying it and can give us more up-to-date insight.

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Then why are the Browns blaming their coaches for the team's failures?

Additionally, Bill did win a playoff game in Cleveland and won multiple playoff games and a Super Bowl as a d-coordinator.

Marty won division titles and playoff games.

Hell, even Butch got to the playoffs. But......he did have the least amount of success. And he is no longer coaching in the NFL

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On the relative scale they did the same as butch.

MArty and Bill both had better overall teams, and by overall I mean talent, depth, and versatility.

Butch still go us to a playoff game with a far inferior team.

None won a superbowl, and botch did it without a probowler.

so really it is the players that make the teams IMHO

This was Steve Loney first season as Cardinals OL coach and I had chance to observe his work at training camp, up the hill in Flagstaff. The OL progressed very well during the season and I too would like to see him signed and headed for Berea.

i hope we dont get the Cardinals o-line coach.. i mean they suck just as bad as we do...

they had EDGE running behind him and he didnt produce at all this year!!

if anything.. get the Panthers o-line coach... PLEASE!!

Versatile Dawg,
In the 1980's Man blocking was primary blocking scheme used by most NFL teams. Along with man blocking, gap schemes were also very prevalent with the power and counter gap play being popularized by Joe Bugal with the Redskins. Man blocking was doable back in those days because defenses were very basic. You either played a Pro 4-3, Miami 4-3, or the 3-4. In the 1990's, the trend was to become "multiple". Teams started using all sorts of fronts, stunts, zone dogs, and blitzes to "mess up" offensive line blocking schemes. Now don't get me wrong, zone blocking did exist in the 80's but to very few teams. So to combat this trend in defensive football, offenses decided to zone block (basically to take a step playside and block whoever comes in your gap). Zone blocking is just a few double teams on the defensive line, waiting for the LB's to commit to a Gap, and then coming off the double team to the LB.

Alex Gibbs' claim to fame was zone blocking on the playside, man blocking the weakside by chop blocking the backside defenders, while sending the FB up on the weakside LB. the playside defenders would flow with the play creating HUGE cutback lanes on the backside because all the defenders were chopped to the turf. The NFL outlawed this tactic, but Gibbs just instructed his backside lineman to work in front of the D lineman, then cut them.

In terms of what the Chargers do offensively, from what I can tell they are a base 2 back offense with regular personnel most of the time. Their favorite play is the "Power O". If you are an ohio state fan, you know what the power o is. The FB will kickout the end man on line playside, the tackle and tight end combination block to the backside LB, the center and playside guard block backside, the backside guard pulls and wraps up on the playside LB. A smash mouth play, an attitude play. Their counter to this is the Counter Gap Play which either the Guard pulls and kicks out playside and the FB wraps up the backer OR, the FB fills for the backside tackle while the Guard kicks out and the backside tackle wraps up the to playside LB. The chargers are primarily a "Power running" team, which means they pull lineman, while Zone blocking advocates don't pull lineman.

Sorry for the rant!

dont be sorry, good stuff really.

We hear a great deal about building a team, with team chemistry. One thing that is overlooked by fans, is coaches chemistry. I think it is overlooked in all sports. Sometimes a coach is better off, with an average position coach, that he trusts like a brother, than one that is excellent, and can't trust. I'm in now way saying this is what the problem is here, but the coach chemistry should be considered. Just one theory of why some of the coaches are going elsewhere.

General Reply

Loney had that Cards OL playing pretty damn good the last half of the season. Look at what Edge did down the stretch. Also I thought the Vikings OL performed better than their talent when he was there. I know everyone says Cards OL coach are u crazy but the guy gets the most out of the talent.

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but the guy gets the most out of the talent.

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Exactly, and that is what you want from EVERY single coach.

j/c based on a comment.

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but the guy gets the most out of the talent.

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Exactly, and that is what you want from EVERY single coach.

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Not to stretch this into a broader topic - but that statement leads into an often misconception of how an offensive staff operates.

I don't know how many people I've run into lately who believe that the OC's on an island. "Position coaches teach, coordinators run the offense."

A position coach is graded by:
- their ability to teach and motivate their players
- their ability to understand each of their players' strengths and weaknesses
- their ability to communicate those strengths and weaknesses to the OC in both a general context and in the context of game-planning

Just like a player - some are good at 1 or 2 of these. Finding one that can do all three at a high level is a find indeed.

Obviously, a unit that is performing well generally indicates a good relationship between the position coach and the OC, but a unit that is performing poorly is not necessarily indicative of poor coaching, as a good position coach can be hidden behind a bad OC.

By the way - Chud is a stud.