1. TCC and Mekari aren't going to be the only options at Center. A FA or a drafted player will compete there. I'm not convinced Mekari is even an option at Center at the moment.
2. If I have a Tackle room of Moses, Mekari, Stanley, and JuWuan James, I'm feeling pretty good about it. Pretty much every team in the league would. Even if I take a first round tackle, there's no guarantee they'd be better or worse than literally any of those guys.
If I have a line that has Stanley, any of those other three tackles, Zeitler, and a new Center, I'm fine with anybody that plays LG. I don't know if you guys recall, but in 2019 and 2020, we were pretty good, and in neither of those years did we have stud Guard play at both spots.
I'm emphasizing Tackle and Center. We've drafted three guys in the last three years who can play Guard, and one of them is going to have to do it. We don't have the resources to add three new starters on the Oline, all in FA, and still rebuild an aging defense that needs playmakers at every level.
If the concern is we can't replace Stanley if we need to, then you're right, we can't. He's an All-Pro LT who was the 6th pick in the draft. We earned that pick, and we don't have it this year. We can't afford to spend LT money in FA for a guy who may never play LT, and there's no guarantee any Tackle we take in this draft can play LT at even an average level in year 1. I'd call it extremely unlikely, even with the 14th pick.
We need to improve the starter on the right side, and add depth there. That's the mission of the offseason on the Oline.
