This OL lacks an Allen or an Erik Williams in his prime, but the other players are better, and everyone seems a little more long lasting.
We never had real Big E and Allen at the same time. I can only imagine how unreal that would have been.
By the time Allen got going, we had nine amazing games in 1995 with an all-timer Ray Donaldson playing center. By the time he broke his leg later that year, Newton began wearing down as well.
When Donaldson returned in 1996 (and still made the pro bowl), Newton had slowed and Big E was becoming ordinary, tieing battles with guys like Will Fuller whom he used to dominate. By 1997 the OL was mostly a joke, with Jerry holding onto Tuinei, Big E, and Newton even though they were just shells of what they’d been.