Ghost of Rob Johnson Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 At the very least makes sense to keep Simmons around to make sure Wood is healthy and ready to go. If Wood is, then Simmons provides veteran depth to the oline. No lose situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsfaninFl Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 Question - given the improved line play in recent weeks, one has to ask - Could Kendall Simmons become a future full-time starter? He is a former 1st round pick and started for two Superbowl winning Pittsburg Steelers teams. He is only 30 and is finally recovering from his torn achilles tendon. He should atleast bring must needed depth to the roster. If he continues to play at a high level, it should give us 5 starter quality lineman (Wood, Levitre, Hangman and Butler). Obviously we need to pick up a left tackle, but otherwise, I think the remaining 80% of the line will actually be decent. You could use anyone of the following combonations: LT, Levitre, Wood, Simmons, Butler LT, Butler, Wood, Simmons, Levitre LT, Levitre, Hangman, Wood, Butler etc. Thoughts? I hope you are right. And I hope Wood recovers fully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 I see lot's of posts trying to move Wood to center. I'm not sure that I understand the logic. He appears to have the potential to be a franchise guard and by most accounts that I've read center is an easier position than guard to fill so why make the switch? I don't think that Center is an easy position to fill. A good one, making the line calls, and dealing with the various defensive fronts, is a gem IMO. If somehow, I were given a new franchise, my priorities would be Punter Kicker Center MLB Then everybody else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5 Wide Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 I don't think that Center is an easy position to fill. A good one, making the line calls, and dealing with the various defensive fronts, is a gem IMO. If somehow, I were given a new franchise, my priorities would be Punter Kicker Center MLB Then everybody else. We've been trying to fill the center position since Hull retired, so I would definetely say its not easy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magox Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 As soon as we know if his both his legs are still the same length. Ya, but I won't judge him for having one leg shorter than the other. Sure there may be some chicks that don't dig dudes with uneven leg lengths, but it's the NFL. You know what I mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playaction Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 Would you care to make a wager on this? I think that Wood will be "pupped" at the start of next season. Then we won't know until Halloween if he can play in 2010. Then he will be in camp in July 2011, ready to fight again. I hope to see him in 2010. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ennjay Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 If somehow, I were given a new franchise, my priorities would be Punter Kicker Center MLB Brief history: A lot of people think Paul Brown was one of the smartest people ever involved with football. When he was awarded the Bengals franchise, he picked up his QB off a scrap heap from Miami (John Stofa from the University of Buffalo!) and used his first-ever first round draft choice for a center, Tiger Johnson. He said at the time that in the NFL you have to be strong up the middle. In a year or two he replaced Stofa with Greg Cook, but Johnson played in Cinci forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 Simmons only started on the first Steelers SB team. He was injured the second go around. But I am a big fan. Sign him. Talk about longevity! I'm gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that maybe, just maybe, being in the league at least 36 years is some sort of record. Kendall has built up some serious pension funds. If he's got another 15-20 years in him, I say the Bills should sign him long term. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4BillsintheBurgh Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 Confuses me too. Right Guard is supposed to be the most difficult interior position to play and center the easiest, so your most talented interior lineman should be RG (assuming he is capable of playing that position), all other things being equal. Wood looks like he will be a good RG, Levitre looks solid at LG and Hangartner is not a disaster at C. Why mix things up? You want your best five on the field. If Simmons can regain his form, I would say Simmons at RG with Wood at C is a better combo than Hangartner at C and Wood at RG. I would also like to see Butler on the bench as a backup. In my perfect world: 1st round LT, Levitre, Wood, Simmons, Bell/Meredith/Scott with Hangartner, Butler and the better loser of the Bell/Meredith/Scott bunch on the bench. This of course would mean that one of our young tackles gets to work over the offseason and is good enough to take the job away from Butler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paup 1995MVP Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 You want your best five on the field. If Simmons can regain his form, I would say Simmons at RG with Wood at C is a better combo than Hangartner at C and Wood at RG. I would also like to see Butler on the bench as a backup. In my perfect world: 1st round LT, Levitre, Wood, Simmons, Bell/Meredith/Scott with Hangartner, Butler and the better loser of the Bell/Meredith/Scott bunch on the bench. This of course would mean that one of our young tackles gets to work over the offseason and is good enough to take the job away from Butler. I agree that we need to draft a stud at LT in the first round, Levitre, Wood, Simmons and Butler if he is healthy. But I would sign a big Mauler in Free Agency to play RT and compete with Butler for the starting position. As for Bell/Meredith/Scott/Chambers, they ALL suck in pass protection. I don't want any of them on next years roster. Ideally, I would keep Butler as the backup swing tackle, (if he doesn't play much he probably won't get injured again). And than keep McKinney and Hangartner as your backup interior lineman. They are decent backups, but not really every game starters. But Bell, Meredith, Scott and probably Chambers really have no business playing in the NFL. So the key is to get Wood healthy and bring in a pair of bookend tackles who can actually pass block. Lets get it done!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4BillsintheBurgh Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 I agree that we need to draft a stud at LT in the first round, Levitre, Wood, Simmons and Butler if he is healthy. But I would sign a big Mauler in Free Agency to play RT and compete with Butler for the starting position. As for Bell/Meredith/Scott/Chambers, they ALL suck in pass protection. I don't want any of them on next years roster. Ideally, I would keep Butler as the backup swing tackle, (if he doesn't play much he probably won't get injured again). And than keep McKinney and Hangartner as your backup interior lineman. They are decent backups, but not really every game starters. But Bell, Meredith, Scott and probably Chambers really have no business playing in the NFL. So the key is to get Wood healthy and bring in a pair of bookend tackles who can actually pass block. Lets get it done!! I just don't know how much is going to be available in FA with the NFL cap situation and all. I'm hoping that Bell or Meredith can pull a Winston Justice and be serviceable on the right side considering they were both put in the starting lineup well before they should have been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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