Guard Kraig Urbik was coveted by several teams

[Pete]

Not to throw water on the party, but if this guy is all that, why was he released?

steve tasker

[purple haze]

That's not the move you make the move is leaving Wood alone and sliding Levitre to tackle...middle stays strong and you have helped one of your tackle spots

 

The move they should make is leaving everybody where they are. No reason to be shuffling Levitre or Wood. You just set the line back if you try to move people around.

[sharper802]

There's a very good recent article by former NFLer (and current analyst) Ross Tucker in which he breaks down the relative importance of the OL positions. C is ranked 5th.

 

Hasn't anyone asked himself why Wood wasn't brought in to play C for the Bills despite being a 4-year starter at C for Louisville and being named all-conference?

 

(Hint: it's because he's more valuable at RG)

Interesting. Yet Jeff Saturday is widely regarded to be the most important piece of the Indianapolis line and I would say Kent Hull was more important than Jim Ritcher.

As a counter Steve Hutchison was much more important to Seattle than their center as was Larry Allen to the Cowboys.

Maybe it is wise to have really good players at multiple positions.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

The original article in National Football Post which was linked from Aaron Wilson's twitter page:

 

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Source-Kraig-Urbik-was-in-demand.html

[John Belucheese]

Im amazed that no one is concerned about Woods health. Yes he has done great but how will he handle 4 qtrs? All this chatter about shifting the interior is way premature IMO. I'm just thankful that we have a viable HEALTHY back up should there be a problem w/ Wood. We need a lucky break and get a good OT.

[Another Point of View]

Not to throw water on the party, but if this guy is all that, why was he released?

 

Why was Langster released by Buffalo?

 

We liked him, no room!

[Thurman#1]

http://twitter.com/ravensinsider

 

 

So you think he is just another Guard?

 

How many teams put in a claim?

 

 

 

Inactive for every game last year? With the not very good offensive line the Steelers had last year? Yeah, I think he's just another guard alright. Maybe not a bad pickup, but yeah, just another guard, at best.

 

Good to see the FO active, though.

 

Why was Langster released by Buffalo?

 

We liked him, no room!

 

 

 

Is Langster just another CB? Yup.

 

And the Bills have an excellent defensive backfield and Langster played quite a bit last year. The Steelers had a not very good OL last year and Urbik wasn't active for even one game.

 

Just saying "calm down."

Edited September 6, 2010 by Thurman#1

[Another Point of View]

Urbik, right now, is an upgrade for depth. Nothing more, nothing less. JMO

 

The Shelf life of an Offensive linemen in Buffalo is only about 3 weeks

Edited September 6, 2010 by Another Point of View

[Thurman#1]

There's a very good recent article by former NFLer (and current analyst) Ross Tucker in which he breaks down the relative importance of the OL positions. C is ranked 5th.

 

Hasn't anyone asked himself why Wood wasn't brought in to play C for the Bills despite being a 4-year starter at C for Louisville and being named all-conference?

 

(Hint: it's because he's more valuable at RG)

 

 

 

No, you misread the article.

 

Tucker WAS NOT RANKING THE POSITIONS IN TERMS OF IMPORTANCE!!!!! He was ranking them in terms of how physically difficult it is to play the position.

 

He specifically said he was ignoring the importance of making the line calls. Again, he was talking about how difficult it was, physically, to play each position.

[MrNix]

Urbik, right now, is an upgrade for depth. Nothing more, nothing less. JMO

My sense is that it's more than that. I think people now feel comfortable saying "they have depth inside now;" whereas, prior to the signing, I wouldn't feel comfortable saying that.

[stevewin]

Not sure why the one summmary says he "excels" at pulling and trapping - the reports I've seen don't confirm that

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/502442

 

Lateral Movement: Urbik is a marginal mover in space, especially when trying to mirror smaller, quicker opponents, as he does not have the ease of movement to recover when he lunges or over-extends (footwork needs major refinement). He looks stiff in his movements down the line and is better battling in the trenches than when asked to pull or trap. He can find his way around the center, but shows no hip snap when having to redirect. GRADE: 5.4

 

Pulling/Trapping: Urbik is a poor long distance trap blocker, as he is too slow when having to attack the second level. He needs to move his feet and hips more when attempting to pull and trap. When pulling from the back side, he will get caught in traffic and this prevents him from getting to the point of attack, as he pulls too flat and gets swallowed. He works hard to open his hips and move down the line, but he is just not quick enough to reach a second-level target. GRADE: 5.3

 

One thing I do like is comments about his intangibles - 'nastiness' and leadership

 

Football Sense: Urbik is very effective adjusting to line stunts and shows very good vision to pick up the twists. He works well with others on double teams and keeps his head on a swivel moving into the second level. He easily takes plays from the chalkboard to the playing field. He plays with good concentration (just three penalties during his career) and is very alert to the defender's movements. GRADE: 7.4

 

Character: Urbik is a blue-collar type who has no problems off the field. He gets good family support and has been a good program player who is compliant. He does not need any prodding in the training room and is a good self-starter and role model for the younger players. GRADE: 7.2

 

Competitiveness: Urbik plays with a nasty temperament and his aggression rubs off on players lining up around him. He works to finish and while he sometimes gets too anxious, he will not play outside himself and lose balance when anchored at the point of attack. He is just a tough, gritty athlete who has a few tricks in his bag that he uses to combat the more physical opponent, as he loves the confrontations in the trenches. GRADE: 7.0

 

Work Habits: Urbik is a hard worker in the weight room, called by the staff the toughest player on the team. He was the unquestioned leader of the offensive line and will not hesitate to get physical with his opponent. He takes well to hard coaching and his mean streak on the field -- while not in the Conrad Dobler category -- is one that makes a defender take pause before deciding whether to challenge him. GRADE: 6.8

[Thurman#1]

This guy "excels at trap pulling" and can "play all 3 interior line positions" These are things I like. So he's versatile and quick. Big and strong too. Not sure why he was let go. But we need a guy like this for depth. If he can turn into a quality right guard, move Wood to Center and we could be solid with our interior.

 

 

Don't believe the "excels at trap pulling" thing. He's heavy-legged. Very heavy-legged and stiff. That's the word out of Pittsburgh.

 

 

Not sure why the one summmary says he "excels" at pulling and trapping - the reports I've seen don't confirm that

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/502442

 

 

 

One thing I do like is comments about his intangibles - 'nastiness' and leadership

 

 

 

Ah, you got there before me, Stevewin.

Edited September 6, 2010 by Thurman#1

[eball]

No, you misread the article.

 

Tucker WAS NOT RANKING THE POSITIONS IN TERMS OF IMPORTANCE!!!!! He was ranking them in terms of how physically difficult it is to play the position.

 

He specifically said he was ignoring the importance of making the line calls. Again, he was talking about how difficult it was, physically, to play each position.

Now I can't find the damn link to the article to assess your understanding vs. mine.

[John Cocktosten]

So you think he is just another Guard?

Bills just went from 5-11 to 6-10.

[Another Point of View]

Bills just went from 5-11 to 6-10.

 

No way, no less then 8 wins

[Rockinon]

Once again, I don't understand the Wood to center talk. A top-notch RG is more important than a top-notch C. Wood's best value to the team is exactly where he is right now.

You are correct. Wood is a Center playing the Guard position, though. This Urbik guy can also play both positions as can Hangartner. It's all about versatility and depth. Our interior line is now suddenly in very good shape here.

 

As for the tackle positions, we have depth too. We just don't know what kind of quality depth we have. I hope these guys can step it up.

[Guest dog14787]

Bills just went from 5-11 to 6-10.

 

 

and with a healthy Wang 8-8,

 

lets just keep creeping up the ladder there Johnny boy, a few more wins and the next thing you know we'll all be having cocktails at the Cockosten's old /dogs new home,

 

 

Out of Moms basement and into the dog house, who woulda thunked it

[John Cocktosten]

lets just keep creeping up the ladder there Johnny boy, a few more wins and the next thing you know we'll all be having cocktails at the Cockosten's old /dogs new home,

 

Your optimism is a beautiful thing Dog!

 

I've put my house on the line which means that you have to give up something when Trent isn't the starting QB in 2012(Lockout).

Maybe your D&D 12 sided dice or your World of Warcraft Wizard outfit. You pck.

[Andre Speed]

he's a run blocker- a stout man inside. he can spell Wood without worry about a bull rush inside, and also add push on short yardage plays. IMHO, the Bills need all the push they can get!

 

~AS

[kasper13]

I don't get all of the excitement over Urbik. He was inactive for all 16 games last year. He was cut this year. Bills needed an OL. They had two backups plus Wang. If Urbik has to play, that's not good.