PDaDdy Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 In a way this is just another blow to an already abysmal offensive line but it's not like Butler could stay healthy anyway. Has the guy played more than 8 or 10 games a year in the last 3? What do people think our options are at that spot. Given the youth movement I think they are looking for a young guy not a grizzled veteran. Is there anyone already on the roster, perhaps one of our many failed LT attempts, that might actually be competent at RT? Is there any prospect in the draft that could be had 3rd or 4th round? Is there a free agent under the age of 27 that fits the mold and would work with the youth movement?
fl_bill Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 In a way this is just another blow to an already abysmal offensive line but it's not like Butler could stay healthy anyway. Has the guy played more than 8 or 10 games a year in the last 3? What do people think our options are at that spot. Given the youth movement I think they are looking for a young guy not a grizzled veteran. Is there anyone already on the roster, perhaps one of our many failed LT attempts, that might actually be competent at RT? Is there any prospect in the draft that could be had 3rd or 4th round? Is there a free agent under the age of 27 that fits the mold and would work with the youth movement? If it were me, I would be looking at drafting my LT in round 1 and moving D.Bell to RT. I think Bell is much more suited to play RT than LT. I just don't think he has the strength or the quickness to match up to the elite ends that will be rushing.
Bob in STL Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 If it were me, I would be looking at drafting my LT in round 1 and moving D.Bell to RT. I think Bell is much more suited to play RT than LT. I just don't think he has the strength or the quickness to match up to the elite ends that will be rushing. Concur. We need to draft a tackle in round 1 or 2 and another one in later rounds. We also should sign a free agent veteran tackle. Bell is still a project even as a RT. Meredith is another project. Scott is nothing more than a backup, if that. We need lots of help. Past regimes have taken the OL way to lightly. I want to stress again that we need a veteran free agent that can play one of the tackle spots. Lessons should have been learned from last year.
judman Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 Another addition to the bills "clean slate" OL
PDaDdy Posted February 19, 2010 Author Posted February 19, 2010 Concur. We need to draft a tackle in round 1 or 2 and another one in later rounds. We also should sign a free agent veteran tackle. Bell is still a project even as a RT. Meredith is another project. Scott is nothing more than a backup, if that. We need lots of help. Past regimes have taken the OL way to lightly. I want to stress again that we need a veteran free agent that can play one of the tackle spots. Lessons should have been learned from last year. No doubt. The front office totally diminished the importance of continuity and TALENT on the o-line. We can now see where it got us. Some had the foresight to see that this is the only way things could have turned out. We need 2 GOOD starters at LT and RT as well as a good deal of depth. I'm all for the youth movement but a couple solid veterans who are actually competent would do wonders for the young guys and provide competent depth in the event of inevitable injuries. Does anyone have a site that just lists RT prospects? I know Tackles can project anywhere and isn't necessarily linked to where they played in college. It's just tough trying to figure out who might be around in the 3rd round for us? I think our first pick will be or has to be a LT and our second pick will be a 3-4 NT. Barring somehow moving up in the draft this means at best we would have to wait until the 3rd round to get a RT prospect. I have no idea how NFL ready a 3rd round RT is going to be
Trader Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 Concur. We need to draft a tackle in round 1 or 2 and another one in later rounds. We also should sign a free agent veteran tackle. Bell is still a project even as a RT. Meredith is another project. Scott is nothing more than a backup, if that. We need lots of help. Past regimes have taken the OL way to lightly. I want to stress again that we need a veteran free agent that can play one of the tackle spots. Lessons should have been learned from last year. I do not see Bell as a RT unless we are committed to a Left handed QB. I want a very strong run blocker as a RT. Most teams run to the strong (right) side most often you want your best run blocker there. A guy like Bulaga or Iaputi.
PDaDdy Posted February 19, 2010 Author Posted February 19, 2010 I do not see Bell as a RT unless we are committed to a Left handed QB. I want a very strong run blocker as a RT. Most teams run to the strong (right) side most often you want your best run blocker there. A guy like Bulaga or Iaputi. Bulaga is a LT. He might not even fall to us at #9. No way a top 9 pick is a RT. Our only options at RT are a 3rd round rookie, some chump already on our roster or a veteran FA.
thebandit27 Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 In a way this is just another blow to an already abysmal offensive line but it's not like Butler could stay healthy anyway. Has the guy played more than 8 or 10 games a year in the last 3? What do people think our options are at that spot. Given the youth movement I think they are looking for a young guy not a grizzled veteran. Is there anyone already on the roster, perhaps one of our many failed LT attempts, that might actually be competent at RT? Is there any prospect in the draft that could be had 3rd or 4th round? Is there a free agent under the age of 27 that fits the mold and would work with the youth movement? Nobody on the roster should start at either tackle position as far as I'm concerned. A FA is very unlikely, unless Buffalo is willing to give up draft picks to sign a RFA like Tampa Bay's Donald Penn, since the CBA situation pretty much put the kibosh on young unrestricted free agents this off-season. As far as a 3rd-4th round draft pick, it has become clear to me: we should draft...Virginia Tech's Ed Wang, since I think a Wang would go good with Wood and Levitre! In all seriousness, though, their best shot at drafting starters would be to get 2 in the first 3 rounds (i.e. Bulaga/Davis/Campbell in the 1st and Saffold/Capers/Fox in the 3rd).
thebandit27 Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 Concur. We need to draft a tackle in round 1 or 2 and another one in later rounds. We also should sign a free agent veteran tackle. Bell is still a project even as a RT. Meredith is another project. Scott is nothing more than a backup, if that. We need lots of help. Past regimes have taken the OL way to lightly. I want to stress again that we need a veteran free agent that can play one of the tackle spots. Lessons should have been learned from last year. It's not that easy, Bob. Look at the unrestricted FAs: Chad Clifton Damion Cook Mike Gandy Brandon Gorin Cornell Green Jon Jansen Levi Jones Damion McIntosh Tony Pashos Ephraim Salaam Barry Sims Wade Smith Mark Tauscher Ryan Tucker Langston Walker Mike Williams Now which one of those guys really appeals to you?
Gabe Northern Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 Bell is not the type of "pile pusher" needed at RT. He might develop into a decent LT because of his quickness and athleticism or he might continue to suck. But he will never be the choice at RT. And, yes, getting a veteran makes sense. Levi Jones played well for the Skins last year. Acquiring him would have spared us about 400-500 Peters threads throughout the course of the year. And please don't talk of FAs needing to fit in with the "youth movement." "Youth movement" is a euphemism for "a bunch of guys who don't cost anything."
PDaDdy Posted February 19, 2010 Author Posted February 19, 2010 Nobody on the roster should start at either tackle position as far as I'm concerned. A FA is very unlikely, unless Buffalo is willing to give up draft picks to sign a RFA like Tampa Bay's Donald Penn, since the CBA situation pretty much put the kibosh on young unrestricted free agents this off-season. As far as a 3rd-4th round draft pick, it has become clear to me: we should draft...Virginia Tech's Ed Wang, since I think a Wang would go good with Wood and Levitre! In all seriousness, though, their best shot at drafting starters would be to get 2 in the first 3 rounds (i.e. Bulaga/Davis/Campbell in the 1st and Saffold/Capers/Fox in the 3rd). Thanks for the names. I'll see if I can find any info or video on those guys. It's not like Butler was a super star but he looked ok through preseason and week 1. *sigh* Yet another hole to fill
JStranger76 Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 The only guy on the roster who I like at RT is Merideth. He did 31 reps at the combine, so his upperbody strength is already pretty good, it's his lower he needs to work on, and he ran a 4.99 40, so he can move. I believe he weighed 304 last season, so he has room to get bigger as well. In all honesty I thought he would have given Butler a run for his money at RT anyways. The only decent option in free agency would be Vernon Carey.
Albany,n.y. Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 Who'd have thought that the line of Peters, Dockery, Preston, Butler & Walker would look like blocks of granite compared to our current blocks of talc line.
PDaDdy Posted February 19, 2010 Author Posted February 19, 2010 It's not that easy, Bob. Look at the unrestricted FAs: Chad Clifton Damion Cook Mike Gandy Brandon Gorin Cornell Green Jon Jansen Levi Jones Damion McIntosh Tony Pashos Ephraim Salaam Barry Sims Wade Smith Mark Tauscher Ryan Tucker Langston Walker Mike Williams Now which one of those guys really appeals to you? I'm going to get ruined for this but Langston Walker could be had for some spare change and some pocket lint. He was better than Butler at RT. He was good enough at protection and a road grater in run blocking. Lynch, for one, was much more successful when we had good to great tackles 2 years ago. Lynch is a RB that needs big blockers out in front of him and actual holes to run through. Freddy is better at making cut backs when there are no holes there. If you give Lynch a hole he'll get the yardage the offensive line affords him, +5 more just by refusing to go down.
PDaDdy Posted February 19, 2010 Author Posted February 19, 2010 "Youth movement" is a euphemism for "a bunch of guys who don't cost anything." LOL.....nice....We have some potentially talented "youth" on this o-line but I get what you mean
PDaDdy Posted February 19, 2010 Author Posted February 19, 2010 Who'd have thought that the line of Peters, Dockery, Preston, Butler & Walker would look like blocks of granite compared to our current blocks of talc line. uhhhhh.....ME!!!!!!!!!!!!.....I put my personal feelings aside about the contract situation and hold out and knew that screwing up the Peters things was going to create the domino effect of suck that we had last year on the line.
Kingfish Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 This years Bills draft will be described by one word-"heavy". The first 2 picks will be an OT and a NT and around 3 big 3-4 linebackers will be drafted after that.
Mr. ChumChums Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 How did Mike Williams do this year with the Redskins?
Bob in STL Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 It's not that easy, Bob. Look at the unrestricted FAs: Chad Clifton Damion Cook Mike Gandy Brandon Gorin Cornell Green Jon Jansen Levi Jones Damion McIntosh Tony Pashos Ephraim Salaam Barry Sims Wade Smith Mark Tauscher Ryan Tucker Langston Walker Mike Williams Now which one of those guys really appeals to you? You are correct it is not easy at all. And that is not a great list. If the CBA stuff gets settled doesn't that increase the number of RFAs on the list? As for which one to take, that is for Nix and Whaley to decide. Luckily, I just get to sit back and critique.
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