Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

At 6’7, 320 lbs., it’s pretty much impossible not to notice him when he’s walking down the street. It’s hard to imagine such a towering presence ever being overlooked, but that’s exactly what happened when it came time for NFL scouts to evaluate his talent coming out of Northwestern in 2006.

Strief’s career with the Saints began just like a lot of other starters in New Orleans during the Sean Payton era – as a sleeper pick in one of the last rounds of the NFL draft.

As the the 210th overall selection, most people thought Strief would be nothing more than a serviceable backup during his time in the Crescent City.

Most people were wrong.

Strief played second fiddle to longtime right tackle Jon Stinchcomb for the first five years of his career, starting only seven times in that span but gaining much needed experience in the process. Strief was able to see how a first-class offensive lineman conducts himself both on and off the field, and it was Stinchcomb’s presence that helped mold him into the player he is today.

After five years as a perennial backup, he got his first taste of the big time.

New Orleans released the injury-riddled Stinchcomb in 2011 and Strief became the sole owner of the starting right tackle position.

Things didn’t start out so well.

The Saints opened up the year against the defending champion Green Bay Packers on a Thursday night in Lambeau Field, and Strief was given the task of stopping Clay Matthews in front of a national audience.

That night, Zach Strief got abused worse than any girl Chris Brown has ever dated. Matthews dominated the Saints’ backfield and Strief was graded in the red for the first of only two times that season.

If it looked like he wasn’t taking advantage of his opportunities, trust me, it got worse. Strief went down with a knee injury in just the third week of the season and seemed to ruin his chance at ever making it as a starter in New Orleans.

But Zach Strief never quit. In fact, he did quite the opposite.

He came back in Week 9 and played better than he ever had. He didn’t give up a hit or a sack for the rest of the regular season. And he began to take on a leadership role within the locker room.

Strief was the glue that held the offensive line together during the Saints’ impressive 2011 campaign, and he did it with quiet, gritty determination.

With such a great year behind him it was only obvious Zach Strief was on his way to becoming a key piece in the Saints puzzle. He was named a team captain prior to the 2012 season and had successfully paid his dues in the football world. If ever there was a time for Strief to make a name for himself, this was it.

And that’s when things came crashing down.

Strief had his worst season in a Saints uniform in 2012, giving up seven sacks and injuring himself for the second time in two years. Strief was pushed around with regularity and missed a big chunk of the season due to a groin issue that seemed to just keep getting worse. He also shouldered most of the responsibility for an unfathomable loss to the Chiefs in Week 3, where Kansas City linebacker Justin Houston bullied him like a fat kid on the playground all day.

It was a season he’d like to forget, and one which now begs the question: Which Zach Strief will we see in 2013? The one who only gives up just two sacks in 11 games as a starter, or the one who gets regularly beaten by mediocre pass rushers?

I know a big portion of his struggles have come due to injuries. I also know he has only been a starter going on three years. But now is the time for Zach Strief to step up and become the dominating presence of the offensive line. With the questions surrounding Charles Brown at left tackle, Strief has to establish himself as Drew Brees’ number one protector when foot meets leather in September.

It’s obvious he has the talent to be a long-time NFL starter. He just has to prove it.

Zach Strief’s future with New Orleans relies on a solid 2013, and I have no doubt he will come through. Strief has learned from his mistakes and will start the year healthy and itching to make up for a porous 2012 season.

We’ve seen both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from him in the past two years. Now it’s time to see Zach Strief.

I’m looking forward to it.


Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013? - Canal Street Chronicles

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

He's garbage. Start Armstead, Smith, or Jones.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

He's certainly not garbage. Maybe an average RT that played with a tough (groin) injury last season. That kind of injury makes it difficult to do menial tasks let alone dealing with superior athletes every Sunday. If he's breaking down as Stinchcomb had at the end of his career then it's time for him to start thinking about his life after football. He's an intelligent chap so I'm sure that he'll be successful at whatever he chooses to do.

Until then, bring on the competition. He has as good a chance as any other lineman in camp to win the starting job.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

GARBAGE! He can't handle anybody with speed and quickness. He's a run blocker. A mauler. A glorified back up.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

This post is garbage. See Iceshacks149's post.

It's easy to criticize a man when he's injured. Show some respect.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Cut the FNG some slack!

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

When he's healthy, he is an above average RT in all phases of the game.
It is obvious that our screen game suffers when he is limited. Pierre's screens are usually run to the right side. Strief being limited drastically changed that.

He is also a very positive person to have on the team and in our community.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Garbage. Not Scott Shanle garbage, but garbage all the same. Garbage when healthy, garbage when not. He looks good when running screens because you get to block downfield. He can definitely run block, but he's a liability in pass coverage. Drew makes him look good. Everybody talked about Bushrod when Strief was way worse. If he was what yall think he is when healthy he'd be the starting left tackle.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Not garbage. Terrible maybe but not garbage. Let Armstead, Jones or anyone else start over him. He is not a starting right tackle.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Garbage? Someone knows very little about football or Zach Strief.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

He's garbage. He should be replaced. He's been a starter for two years. Never played a whole season. Was used as an extra lineman when running the ball before Stinchcomb retired because that's what he's good at. Routinely allows immediate edge rush pressure. Drew is glorious in the pocket, and are guards allow him to step up and avoid.


He's garbage. Better yet, he's poo. Maybe that'll make y'all feel better. He needs to be a back up.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

I hope you're just ignorant because you can fix ignorant. Stupidity is though is incurable.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

:) what a cute little joke. Hes still garbage! Injuries are curable, but the fact that he's garbage is not. Go watch some highlights. Focus on Strief. Wonderful in run blocking. Pass protection.....smh.

If he was so great we wouldn't have a thread with an article wondering which Strief will show up.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

With the talent there, it'll be a good position battle if he's healthy...

I like Strief, but I think he's at his best as a Tackle Eligible/Utility Lineman...

That was a tough injury last season, but some guys are not 16+ game/season guys...

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Bingo my friend.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

So he's not garbage?

http://www.austinchronicle.com/binary/7a48/crawfish.jpg

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

He's garbage in the role he currently plays. I think you could get two sacks rushing against him. So could the crawfish.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

PFF Grades for OT's (both left and right)

2012 - 49th in the NFL (Groin injury all season)
2011 - 8th best in the NFL

From PFF...


Doesn't sound like "garbage" to me.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Oh looky here, "pass blocking grades for OT's in 2011...

Again, a top 20 OT in pass blocking efficiency is NOT garbage.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Those rankings mean about as much to me as a Madden rating. Didn't they say Harper and Jenkins are the two worse safeties in the league? They're not though. Refuting my opinion with an article of another guys opinion isn't really going to work. I'm trying to find a statistic for the amount of hurries he allowed. Give me a second to research.

All in all, he needs to be a back up.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

This is a fun discussion. Still, I would be happier to see him in a back up role.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

I'll trust the coaches over fans who think he needs to be a back-up. They have more knowledge/insight than any fan...

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Wait, what's wrong with Madden rankings?
On Madden, I'm 6'0 tall, athletic build and popular with the ladies.

let me check........ DOH!!!!!

http://jimmysintension.com/wp-conten.../homer-doh.jpg

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Well it appears your opinion is shared by very few people.
He isn't garbage. At worst he's a mediocre serviceable RT. The fact that he grades out well as a starter simply confirms you are most likely wrong. He isn't garbage.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

I'd expect no less. The opinion on Saints players aren't exactly unbiased on this forum. He's the worse of all 5 starters, and in my opinion should have never been a starter. He was thrust into the role by the loss of Stinchcomb. I never have believed in him. I found some statistics on him, he was remarkably horrible last year. Groin or not. I respect the fact you think he's good, but i think he's poo and just serviceable at very best.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Roll back the clock and I can guarantee no one would be knocking Strief... people were clamoring for him to replace Stinchcomb because he shut down Julius Peppers when he was Carolina.

Being fickle is fickle. Being spoiled is spoiled.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Clock only go forward young papz. Its what have you done for me lately.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Garbage or "poo" are way out of whack. He was solid when healthy. He will be competitive in this years camp completion. Maybe he gets beat out by Brown but he will be considered by the coaches no question. That's not garbage.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Fine! He can be solid. But the moment he's getting beat by another speed rusher I'm coming on this forum and downgrading him to official poo butt status and none of you better rebuttal!

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Is this disagreement still going on?

Look he's probably going to start and theres nothing anybody here can do to change that, let SP handle his duties and lets just cheer him on - he's a part of our team

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Oh, we're discussing, not changing anything...

Sometimes Coaches, who have more information than anyone, can be too close to a situation and may have to take a step back...

Even Coach Payton took a couple of seasons to realize his good friend, confidant, and Defensive Coordinator Gary Gibbs needed to be replaced...

While we're impatient and underinformed, we also don't have the investment that the coaches have so we can be detached when we want to see guys like Harper, Shanle, Smith, Strief replaced as easily as a Madden substitution...

The coaches see these guys, befriend them, invest with them and so they're just not gonna say "well, that Roman Harper is awful in coverage and has got to go..."

And that could be good and could be bad - it's when it gets to the Colonel Jessup level where a coach is so arrogant and thinks he can "coach up" a Private Santiago when the goods just aren't there...

So the question for us is - At what level does Strief have the goods?!?

Danno rightfully pointed out his rankings by PFF which is a solid source...

But, you have to consider two facts - first, how much does the Drew factor affect the lineman's play? and second, while Strief has had some terrific games as a Utility lineman, can he play 16+ games a season, aka, is he Full Time?

I don't believe he's a full-time Tackle, but he's a great lineman who can fill-in and relieve a gassed Tackle and that would be his best role for the Saints...

But he's played hard, payed his dues, put in the work, and Coach probably needs to reward that to maintain credibility with the team...

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

You said it all. Thread closed.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

You're about 10 years my junior.

The point is you get what you want, then you get it and want something else. At least now after everyone has corrected you... you can at least acknowledge he is not garbage which was an absolute exaggeration.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

Not corrected, just conceded arguing something that really can't be proven for either case. I couldn't find enough clips or the type of stats I was looking for to really prove my point. So we might as well let this season speak for itself. Remember, keep all eyes on Strief Father Papz. Lol.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

I fixed it for you.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

I found some instances on YouTube. Its just not enough to build the case to sway you all at the moment.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

I know.

There's not enough justification, stats, or videos anywhere to prove your point. Not surprising.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

I couldn't find hurries allowed, which would help my point. YouTube just isn't full of Saints games/game highlights. I found the Saints Eagles game. Strief allowed a sack/fumble. I remember him getting that ass toasted against the Chiefs. He's the weak link of the line. But yall can have your way until the season starts. I'll make the hour drive back home to New Orleans to point it all out if need be.

Re: Which Zach Strief Will Show Up in 2013?
 

I'll correct you again.

You're welcome.