[Langdude]

Position switches need to be done with care. 

Someone who actually played O-line at a level beyond HS should chime in, but my woefully limited experience is that switching O-line positions, especially between guard and tackle, is just not on the same level of disruption as most other position switches.

Exhibit A: David Bright

Exhibit B: An anecdote from the NFL that includes Andrus Peat:

Three players have started at two different positions -- Kelemete at left guard and right guard, Peat and left guard and left tackle and rookie Ryan Ramczyk at left and right tackle. Kelemete also played right tackle in Week 1, and all three players have seamlessly switched positions in at least one game.

...

Coach Sean Payton, who's been coaching in the NFL for 20 years, said he "can't recall" seeing an offensive line display so much versatility.

...

And the Saints' offensive numbers show just how well the line has done. New Orleans is one of just two teams to rank in the top 10 in the NFL in passing and rushing yards per game, ranking second through the air and seventh on the ground. The Saints are averaging 4.3 yards per carry and have allowed just eight sacks, the fewest in the league. 

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/201...satil.html

Exhibit C: Jesse Burkett
Exhibit D: David Yankey
Exhibit E: Khalil Wilkes
Exhibit F: Chase Beeler

Look, I'm not saying that switching positions on the OL is easy, nor does it happen a lot. But it does happen. Why? Because the goal is always to have the five best OLs out there if at all possible. As we have seen (Owen Marecic, Eric Cotton, Richard Sherman, Dallas Lloyd), Stanford is not afraid of making position switches if the coaches think it will help the player or the team.

Here's another case in point: This past year. The line was projected to be Bright-Fanaika-Burkett-HeBIG-Tucker. Then we discovered that Tucker wasn't that great, and neither was Fanaika. We tried moving Tucker inside and put Devery Hamilton at RT, and that didn't work; Tucker was just not that good (at either position, not just guard). So we ended up moving Bright inside (to replace Fanaika, who still hasn't shown the chops to be a starter), and put Hamilton at LT until Little was ready, and a renewed A.T. Hall at RT. We could have gone on tinkering with different guard combos, including Nick Wilson, but the goal was to get the best five out there.

So, if Hall or Sarell are able or amenable, as I noted, they'll move to LG or RG. My point is this: If neither of them are able or amenable at this point, then I am not sure they are good enough to start anyway.

-m.

[Langdude]

Position switches need to be done with care. 

Someone who actually played O-line at a level beyond HS should chime in, but my woefully limited experience is that switching O-line positions, especially between guard and tackle, is just not on the same level of disruption as most other position switches.

Exhibit A: David Bright

Exhibit B: An anecdote from the NFL that includes Andrus Peat:

Three players have started at two different positions -- Kelemete at left guard and right guard, Peat and left guard and left tackle and rookie Ryan Ramczyk at left and right tackle. Kelemete also played right tackle in Week 1, and all three players have seamlessly switched positions in at least one game.

...

Coach Sean Payton, who's been coaching in the NFL for 20 years, said he "can't recall" seeing an offensive line display so much versatility.

...

And the Saints' offensive numbers show just how well the line has done. New Orleans is one of just two teams to rank in the top 10 in the NFL in passing and rushing yards per game, ranking second through the air and seventh on the ground. The Saints are averaging 4.3 yards per carry and have allowed just eight sacks, the fewest in the league. 

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/201...satil.html

Exhibit C: Jesse Burkett
Exhibit D: David Yankey
Exhibit E: Khalil Wilkes
Exhibit F: Chase Beeler

Look, I'm not saying that switching positions on the OL is easy, nor does it happen a lot. But it does happen. Why? Because the goal is always to have the five best OLs out there if at all possible. As we have seen (Owen Marecic, Eric Cotton, Richard Sherman, Dallas Lloyd), Stanford is not afraid of making position switches if the coaches think it will help the player or the team.

Here's another case in point: This past year. The line was projected to be Bright-Fanaika-Burkett-HeBIG-Tucker. Then we discovered that Tucker wasn't that great, and neither was Fanaika. We tried moving Tucker inside and put Devery Hamilton at RT, and that didn't work; Tucker was just not that good (at either position, not just guard). So we ended up moving Bright inside (to replace Fanaika, who still hasn't shown the chops to be a starter), and put Hamilton at LT until Little was ready, and a renewed A.T. Hall at RT. We could have gone on tinkering with different guard combos, including Nick Wilson, but the goal was to get the best five out there.

So, if Hall or Sarell are able or amenable, as I noted, they'll move to LG or RG. My point is this: If neither of them are able or amenable at this point, then I am not sure they are good enough to start anyway.

-m.