How bad is Sam Baker? According to this article, he's very bad. But we all knew that.
Sam Baker, the benched Atlanta Falcons left tackle, [netted] the second lowest [pass-blocking efficiency] rating after the former first round pick gave up four sacks, seven hits and 17 hurries on just 242 snaps in pass protection.
While Baker's affinity for sucking is common knowledge, Dahl's value as a pass-blocker makes me want to drive off a cliff is somewhat surprising.
Not only did the former Falcons guard outplay his teammates; he outplayed everyone. The sample size is limited, and he was helped somewhat by playing in an offense that attempts to get rid of the ball quickly, but on 200 snaps in pass protection Dahl gave up just three hits and three hurries, giving him a league-best PBE rating of 97.8. So, while the Rams look at ways to rebuild their line, their use of Dahl could be something to watch.
Damnit. As they say, hindsight is 20-20, and I'm not going to blame TD for this one. Reynolds is a beast, so I can see why the Falcons brass saw him as a viable replacement for Dahl. But now, one year later, we're in the market for a new right guard and a capable tackle. Dahl would've eliminated at least one of those needs. To be frank, these "what if?!" shenanigans are somewhat premature. Let's see how this off-season plays out, then re-evaluate.
Discuss!