Buddy Nix philosophy on

[Estro]

With all the chatter recently about the Bills possibly taking an OL with the #10 overall pick, I figured now was a good time to bring up this topic. Let's breakdown the Buffalo Bills offensive lineman that have been brought in under Nix' watch (this excludes Demetrius Bell, Eric Wood and Andy Levitre who were all already on the roster when Nix stepped in as GM).

 

Chris Hairston. 6'6" - 330 lbs. - Drafted 4th round 2011.

Kraig Urbik. 6'5" - 324 lbs. - Claimed off waivers after being released by Pittsburgh on September 2010.

Erik Pears. 6'8" - 316 lbs. - Signed after being released by Jacksonville December 2010.

Chad Rhinehart. 6'5" - 321 lbs. - Signed after being realeased from Jets practice squad on October 2010.

Colin Brown. 6'7" - 326 lbs. - Signed off Ravens practice squad on December 2010.

Sam Young. 6'8" - 316 lbs. - Calimed off waivers after being released by Dallas on September 2011.

Michael Jasper - 6'4" - 375 lbs. - Drafted 7th round 2011.

 

A couple of observations:

 

1- To this point the Bills have used very little resources on acquiring offensive lineman, and still have managed to do a relatively good job acquiring some talent. Pears and Urbik have both proven to be adequate starters. Rhinehart has shown he can hold his own, and is a valuable backup. Hairston showed promise and potential as a future starting LT, certainly not proven, but the potential is there. Jasper, Young and Brown will all get an opportunity to compete for roster spots this summer, and I'd expect at least 1 or 2 to earn a spot.

 

Now, just because the Bills haven't used a high draft pick on an OL, doesn't mean they won't. The 2010 draft is evidence of this....after looking back at the 2010 draft Buddy Nix said they had 1 OT rated high enough to take at #8, and he wasn't on the board, so they went with their best player available who happened to be Spiller. There were only 2 OT's taken before us, Okung and Trent Williams, and I'm 99% sure the tackle Buddy liked was Trent Williams. They were rumored to be interested in him and he matched what Buddy likes in an OT much moreso than Okung, who wasn't nearly as good in run blocking.

 

2- The Bills like their offensive lineman to be BIG BIG BIG! The 7 offensive lineman brought in under Nix average a touch over 6'6" and almost 330 lbs. That's BIG even by NFL standards.

 

3- Buddy point blank said the Bills philosophy will be to draft T's, and if they don't work as T's then they'll kick inside to either G or C. He said it's a lot easier for OL to move from outside to inside (T to G or C), then it is to move from the inside to outside (G or C to T). This philosophy makes a lot of sense, and if you believe Buddy, than you can scratch off the idea of the Bills drafting a G or C at all, let alone with a higher draft pick.

 

With all of the above considered, I'm trying to figure out who of the OL in this years draft would the Bills consider drafting #10 overall?

 

Matt Kalil? 6'7" - 306 lbs.

-Kalil is probably rated anywhere from the 2nd to 6th best prospect in this draft on most teams boards. The Bills would certainly take him, but there's no chance he'll be there at #10.

 

Riley Reiff? 6'6" - 313 lbs.

-There's some chatter that due to his short arms he may be best on the right side in the pros. There was similar chatter regarding Bryan Bulaga in the 2010 draft and the Bills passed on him, as did many other teams. I'm not overly impressed with Reiff's strength and ability to dominate his guy in the run game. I don't think he can be viewed as a pure LT with the ability to maul in the run game, and I think that's what the Bills want in a LT.

 

Jonathan Martin? 6'5" - 312 lbs.

-I don't think this guy is rated as highly amongst NFL teams as he is on internet forums and NFL mock drafts. He was a highly rated prospect coming into this year, but didn't have such a great year, and I don't think you can say at this point that he's a sure fire 1st round pick. He's a little finesse, and once again doesn't impress as a run blocker.

 

Mike Adams? 6'7" - 324 lbs.

-Too inconsistent on film to warrant the #10 pick. Maybe a guy they'd consider in Round #2, but would be a big reach at #10.

Jeff Allen? 6'4" - 307 lbs.

-A little on the short side. Has some potential, but once again much more of a 2nd round prospect than a #10 overall prospect.

 

David DeCastro? 6'5" - 316 lbs.

-He's a G so no way, according to Nix' philosophy, would he be the pick at #10. Unless Nix viewed him as an NFL LT he wouldn't draft him and since he's never played LT and has short arms, I'd say his chance of being drafted #10 overall is 0%.

Cordy Glenn? 6'6" - 345 lbs.

-This guy is my wildcard. I've seen him listed as a G prospect on many websites, but I think there's a debate that this guy may be able to play T in the NFL. He played at G to start out at Georgia, but last year was their LT. Apparently he showed better as a G than LT, but you have to keep in mind last year was his first year at LT, so it's not a surprise he looked better at G. The guy passes the physicality Nix looks for in OL, he's also very physical in the run game. For such a big guy he's got some nice athleticism too. He ran a fater 40 yard dash than all of the prospects listed above with the exception of Kalil. Let me also point out this guy has massive arms, 35 and 3/4" arms, some of the longest of any OL prospect in this years draft. Glenn would probably be a reach at #10, but I think he's a better prospect than Martin or Reiff, and matches up better with the Bills philosophy of a big, athletic run mauler. I think he's a top 20 pick in the draft, so don't expect him to be around for our 2nd round pick.

 

In conclusion, looking over the Bills success of finding quality OL without having to use high draft picks, I hope they do the same this year. I think there are a lot of nice prospects that they could pluck in the mid-late rounds and would rather see them go in another direction with the #10 pick. Nix doesn't seem to like a DE at #10, but maybe we look at WR or CB. Just keep an eye on this Cordy Glenn, though. He's pretty good.

Cordy Glenn?

Edited March 3, 2012 by Estro

[BillsVet]

It's not a Nix strategy to draft OT's and then if they can't play there to kick them inside to G. That's a league-wide concept because on the interior players are covered up more, particularly if their footwork and agility aren't good enough to handle the edge. Robert Gallery comes to mind as someone who couldn't handle OT but played well as a G.

 

It's noteworthy to review San Diego's drafts for insight into what Nix might do. Not until 2006 did the Chargers take an OT before Round 5, and it was Marcus McNeill who was pretty good for a stretch there.

 

Size alone isn't going to make their pass protection any better. They have no one signed for 2012 who I'd want handling blind-side protection, even the new version of Demetrius Bell, Chris Hairston. The skill set for playing RT and not facing an opponent's best pass rusher is far different than being a LT where finesse is more important than pure brawn. Of course, the Bills once had an All-Pro there, but they chose to trade him for their current starting center and some spare parts. And so now they're back to replacing departed players with draft picks.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

With all the chatter recently about the Bills possibly taking an OL with the #10 overall pick, I figured now was a good time to bring up this topic. Let's breakdown the Buffalo Bills offensive lineman that have been brought in under Nix' watch (this excludes Demetrius Bell, Eric Wood and Andy Levitre who were all already on the roster when Nix stepped in as GM).

 

Chris Hairston. 6'6" - 330 lbs. - Drafted 4th round 2011.

Kraig Urbik. 6'5" - 324 lbs. - Claimed off waivers after being released by Pittsburgh on September 2010.

Erik Pears. 6'8" - 316 lbs. - Signed after being released by Jacksonville December 2010.

Chad Rhinehart. 6'5" - 321 lbs. - Signed after being realeased from Jets practice squad on October 2010.

Colin Brown. 6'7" - 326 lbs. - Signed off Ravens practice squad on December 2010.

Sam Young. 6'8" - 316 lbs. - Calimed off waivers after being released by Dallas on September 2011.

Michael Jasper - 6'4" - 375 lbs. - Drafted 7th round 2011.

 

A couple of observations:

 

1- To this point the Bills have used very little resources on acquiring offensive lineman, and still have managed to do a relatively good job acquiring some talent. Pears and Urbik have both proven to be adequate starters. Rhinehart has shown he can hold his own, and is a valuable backup. Hairston showed promise and potential as a future starting LT, certainly not proven, but the potential is there. Jasper, Young and Brown will all get an opportunity to compete for roster spots this summer, and I'd expect at least 1 or 2 to earn a spot.

 

Now, just because the Bills haven't used a high draft pick on an OL, doesn't mean they won't. The 2010 draft is evidence of this....after looking back at the 2010 draft Buddy Nix said they had 1 OT rated high enough to take at #8, and he wasn't on the board, so they went with their best player available who happened to be Spiller. There were only 2 OT's taken before us, Okung and Trent Williams, and I'm 99% sure the tackle Buddy liked was Trent Williams. They were rumored to be interested in him and he matched what Buddy likes in an OT much moreso than Okung, who wasn't nearly as good in run blocking.

 

2- The Bills like their offensive lineman to be BIG BIG BIG! The 7 offensive lineman brought in under Nix average a touch over 6'6" and almost 330 lbs. That's BIG even by NFL standards.

 

3- Buddy point blank said the Bills philosophy will be to draft T's, and if they don't work as T's then they'll kick inside to either G or C. He said it's a lot easier for OL to move from outside to inside (T to G or C), then it is to move from the inside to outside (G or C to T). This philosophy makes a lot of sense, and if you believe Buddy, than you can scratch off the idea of the Bills drafting a G or C at all, let alone with a higher draft pick.

 

With all of the above considered, I'm trying to figure out who of the OL in this years draft would the Bills consider drafting #10 overall?

 

Matt Kalil? 6'7" - 306 lbs.

-Kalil is probably rated anywhere from the 2nd to 6th best prospect in this draft on most teams boards. The Bills would certainly take him, but there's no chance he'll be there at #10.

 

Riley Reiff? 6'6" - 313 lbs.

-There's some chatter that due to his short arms he may be best on the right side in the pros. There was similar chatter regarding Bryan Bulaga in the 2010 draft and the Bills passed on him, as did many other teams. I'm not overly impressed with Reiff's strength and ability to dominate his guy in the run game. I don't think he can be viewed as a pure LT with the ability to maul in the run game, and I think that's what the Bills want in a LT.

 

Jonathan Martin? 6'5" - 312 lbs.

-I don't think this guy is rated as highly amongst NFL teams as he is on internet forums and NFL mock drafts. He was a highly rated prospect coming into this year, but didn't have such a great year, and I don't think you can say at this point that he's a sure fire 1st round pick. He's a little finesse, and once again doesn't impress as a run blocker.

 

Mike Adams? 6'7" - 324 lbs.

-Too inconsistent on film to warrant the #10 pick. Maybe a guy they'd consider in Round #2, but would be a big reach at #10.

Jeff Allen? 6'4" - 307 lbs.

-A little on the short side. Has some potential, but once again much more of a 2nd round prospect than a #10 overall prospect.

 

David DeCastro? 6'5" - 316 lbs.

-He's a G so no way, according to Nix' philosophy, would he be the pick at #10. Unless Nix viewed him as an NFL LT he wouldn't draft him and since he's never played LT and has short arms, I'd say his chance of being drafted #10 overall is 0%.

Cordy Glenn? 6'6" - 345 lbs.

-This guy is my wildcard. I've seen him listed as a G prospect on many websites, but I think there's a debate that this guy may be able to play T in the NFL. He played at G to start out at Georgia, but last year was their LT. Apparently he showed better as a G than LT, but you have to keep in mind last year was his first year at LT, so it's not a surprise he looked better at G. The guy passes the physicality Nix looks for in OL, he's also very physical in the run game. For such a big guy he's got some nice athleticism too. He ran a fater 40 yard dash than all of the prospects listed above with the exception of Kalil. Let me also point out this guy has massive arms, 35 and 3/4" arms, some of the longest of any OL prospect in this years draft. Glenn would probably be a reach at #10, but I think he's a better prospect than Martin or Reiff, and matches up better with the Bills philosophy of a big, athletic run mauler. I think he's a top 20 pick in the draft, so don't expect him to be around for our 2nd round pick.

 

In conclusion, looking over the Bills success of finding quality OL without having to use high draft picks, I hope they do the same this year. I think there are a lot of nice prospects that they could pluck in the mid-late rounds and would rather see them go in another direction with the #10 pick. Nix doesn't seem to like a DE at #10, but maybe we look at WR or CB. Just keep an eye on this Cordy Glenn, though. He's pretty good.

Cordy Glenn?

Glen is the guy if they go that rout.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

With all the chatter recently about the Bills possibly taking an OL with the #10 overall pick, I figured now was a good time to bring up this topic. Let's breakdown the Buffalo Bills offensive lineman that have been brought in under Nix' watch (this excludes Demetrius Bell, Eric Wood and Andy Levitre who were all already on the roster when Nix stepped in as GM).

 

Chris Hairston. 6'6" - 330 lbs. - Drafted 4th round 2011.

Kraig Urbik. 6'5" - 324 lbs. - Claimed off waivers after being released by Pittsburgh on September 2010.

Erik Pears. 6'8" - 316 lbs. - Signed after being released by Jacksonville December 2010.

Chad Rhinehart. 6'5" - 321 lbs. - Signed after being realeased from Jets practice squad on October 2010.

Colin Brown. 6'7" - 326 lbs. - Signed off Ravens practice squad on December 2010.

Sam Young. 6'8" - 316 lbs. - Calimed off waivers after being released by Dallas on September 2011.

Michael Jasper - 6'4" - 375 lbs. - Drafted 7th round 2011.

 

You raise a good point Estro. This is exactly why I could see them drafting a guy like Michael Floyd in round 1.

[thewildrabbit]

If Buddy Nix was happy with the talent he had on the roster last off season why then did he pursue Atlanta Falcon free agent RT Tyson Clabo in free agency ? If I recall correctly the Bills even offered more then Clabo accepted from the Falcons.

 

Anyway, if you look back at the 2010 season it was a disaster at RT most of the year and the biggest reason why the Bills only won 4 games IMO. Don't forget they lost 8 straight games and went 0-8 before winning 4 of the last 8. They had signed Cornell Green to man the RT position but he was a horrid acquisition. Nix was forced to find warm bodies off the waiver wire after they benched Green and then quietly released him because of some mysterious injury after only a few games. The center position wasn't a lock down either as Geoff Hangartner was hampered with a bad back and missed 4 games. But what the Bills found out from that injury is that Eric Wood was great at the center position, but he broke his leg and went on IR. Bell played in all 16 games but hampered with some minor injuries all season from what I remember.

 

Then for the 2011 season the LT and center positions failed them, Bell was injured most of the year and even Hairston the rookie missed some games. Then Eric Wood went on IR again the line fell into disarray, the Bills tried to move Levitre to both LT and center at different times and it was a disaster both times. The line finally solidified somewhat towards the end of last season but wasn't nearly the same without Wood at center.

 

 

My take is the Bills should be looking at both OT and interior linemen in this years draft as it looks like the team will let Bell test the FA market and the fact that they lost Wood to the IR two years in a row. He might be their best linemen, but it doesn't do them much good if he is on IR.

 

I'm thinking Reiff- Martin and or David DeCastro who grades out better then Glenn by scout.com and ESPN, plus he played in a pro style offense and the dude has a 20 '' neck .

 

Personally, I think Glenn is a monster after watching him in the Senior Bowl, and he runs under a 5 second 40 at 345 lbs, what a beast.

 

The Bills need to solidify that line and add some depth, plus give Fitz more time to throw.

[Coach Tuesday]

You forgot Wang and Calloway, no?

[spartacus]

You forgot Wang and Calloway, no?

 

no talent to evaluate

 

 

what's the point?

 

 

[swnybillsfan]

don't know too much about glenn but i am intrigued by him. sounds like he is a very large, very strong man. and as i have said before, i like ot's who can knock defenders down and shove them out of the way. not sure if this describes glenn, but if it does, let's grab him and polish him up over the next couple years.

[billsfan89]

Nix seems to like the idea of piecemealing offensive lines with mid to late round picks and other teams castoffs (And of course Wood and Levitre two high round picks that he inherited). I would like to see the Bills resign Bell and then pick up a RG either in the mid rounds (3rd to 5th) or via a mid level free agency pick up. The line with

Bell-Levitre-Wood-Insert new guy-Pears isn't a bad line at all. I think Woods injury along with the declining play of the offense in general made the o-line seem worse then it was by the end of the year. They played pretty lights out for the first half of the season.

[Estro]

Cordy Glenn vs. LSU 2011. Shows both his positives and negatives in this game. I'll admit it isn't lights out game tape, but keep in mind this is vs. one of the best defenses. I think he's got a lot of tools:

 

 

 

 

[thewildrabbit]

Nix seems to like the idea of piecemealing offensive lines with mid to late round picks and other teams castoffs (And of course Wood and Levitre two high round picks that he inherited). I would like to see the Bills resign Bell and then pick up a RG either in the mid rounds (3rd to 5th) or via a mid level free agency pick up. The line with

Bell-Levitre-Wood-Insert new guy-Pears isn't a bad line at all. I think Woods injury along with the declining play of the offense in general made the o-line seem worse then it was by the end of the year. They played pretty lights out for the first half of the season.

I think this is the biggest misconception of the entire year for the 2011 Bills. Did you notice that even when the Bills lost their starting LT's and center the sacks on the QB still didn't go up. It is because the scheme was designed to get the ball out in 3 seconds or under on short quick slants. The spread formation allowed the running game to improve because the opposing defense couldn't stack the box. Plus the fact that Fitz was able to get the ball out on most plays in under 3 seconds so that alone negated most of the pas rush.

 

But once the opposing DC's figured out the Bills short quick passing scheme they were pretty much able to shut it down by having the defenders up on the line jamming the WR's and bumping them outta their routes. This pretty much happened by the Bengals in week 4 and gave insight to the rest of the league on how to shut down that Bills offense. Look at the passing stats as the year went on, they kept dropping lower and lower even tho the OC was calling more passing plays.

 

I think the time for piecemeal-ing is over. That line should have been built the first year and further solidified each year by adding depth. The Bills need to bolster that line and add depth if they ever want to see the playoffs. If they fail to build that line for a 3rd straight year I suspect we will have an all new staff and GM next year....perhaps a new QB too.

[BigBuff423]

The lack of elite talent at the top of the Draft is exactly the reason why I think if it's possible, IF, then the BILLS should do their best to trade that pick and move back gaining late 1st Round and 2nd Round talent, value and depth is what this Draft is about....IMO

[swnybillsfan]

The lack of elite talent at the top of the Draft is exactly the reason why I think if it's possible, IF, then the BILLS should do their best to trade that pick and move back gaining late 1st Round and 2nd Round talent, value and depth is what this Draft is about....IMO

trading back a few spots would be wonderful, but as we have all stated before, you need a willing partner. either way, adding an athelete with elite level talent to this offensive line can do nothing but help the offense as a whole. someone on the outside to help open holes for our talented rb's and give time to intelligent and gutsy, albeit physically limited qb i feel would do wonders. and there is a certain appeal to drafting a promising youngster as apposed to picking up an established but flawed player from another team (good to great tackles are almost never availeable).