One of the big issues for the 49ers last season, as we all know, was the offensive line. The team made huge additions (literally and figuratively) through the drafting of Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis. Naturally these are guys we'll be paying attention to over the course of the preseason and into the season.
At the same time, there are a whole host of bodies along the offensive line that require extra attention. There has been a bit of turmoil because of injuries, but we've also seen younger guys that could potentially emerge as key reserves. The best example of that is Alex Boone. While he has yet to impact the roster, Boone has become a fan favorite and has appeared to step up his game this past offseason. Maiocco did a player-by-player recap of last week's preseason game against the Colts and had this to say about Boone:
Entered at beginning of second half at left tackle and played the rest of the way, 31 snaps. He was called for a holding penalty, but his feet looked much better than last summer. He did a very good job in the second half of handling defensive end Ervin Baldwin one-on-one.
Boone will likely get a fair amount of playing time this Sunday against the Vikings and I had a query for folks. When I was going through the game threads checking out comments, there was some discussion about the footwork of the players. While I have a good knowledge of football, my analytical abilities when it comes to offensive linemen can be a bit weak.
Given that, I have a question for everybody. When you're watching the preseason games, or any game for that matter, how do you follow the play of the offensive linemen? Given the camera angles and how quick play is, are you utilizing some kind of DVR and rewinding throughout the game? Or do you focus on the o-line as much as you can from the camera angles and go with that first hand look?