Your opinion on a strategy to upgrade the Bills OL

[JoeF]

I think Shelton plus two high picks sets the Bills up well for the future....

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my strategy for upgrading the line depends on 2 things. First is TDs agenda for 2005

 

if we're making a playoff push this year, we need to sign a LT and either a LG or a versitle backup (whichever role Gandy doesn't fill). drafting OLine in rounds 2-4 will likely yield a future starter, but not a likely starter in 2005. drafting OLine in rounds 5-7 will likely not produce a starter in 2005 or beyond.

 

if we're building for a playoff push in 2006 and beyond, we should draft OLine in rounds 2-4 and give him time to develop. drafting OLine in rounds 5-7 may yield a starter but more likely future depth. as with any 1st year starting QB, JP is gonna take his lumps. Moreso if we groom an OLine starter in the process. Signing a veteran wouldn't be wise if this is the case, as that is cap space that may be better spent in 2006

 

The other thing to consider is the Henry/Shelton situation. If we can make the TH/LJS trade we'll pickup a decent OLineman, who after restructuring salary into bonus money will come relatively cheap on the cap for a couple years. If it gets done far enough before the draft I say we sign a vet LG and spend a 2-4 pick on a C to groom

[Astrobot]

I think the OT has to be an existing OT or an experienced FA. I'm okay with the OG being a rookie if he wins the competition with our existing OG's. I have to think that Peters would be in the mix for an OG, and in time might make a good pulling guard.

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

my strategy for upgrading the line depends on 2 things.  First is TDs agenda for 2005

 

if we're making a playoff push this year,

286402[/snapback]

 

Right on target because a decision on what is the best thing to do in terms of player assessment starts with a decision on when you think you can win and load up to go for it.

 

I think for the 2005 Bills the key points are:

 

1. In the NFL worst to first is possible like never before and in this salary cap driven game who knows how long a core can be kept together, so the default is to plan to load up to go for it ths year unless you are in such a rebuilding mode that you are in a major player cutting mode or a year removed from it like the Bills of 2001 or 2002. Replacing and training individual players, even one who handles the ball as much as your QB has to be viewed as replacing a cog in the machine. This team cannot wait for JP just as Pitts shouldn't have waited last year for RoboQB. By all means play JP to develop him, but if developing him costs too many Ws then you gotta sit him down and he will need to learn some other way while we try to win.

 

2. We have one of the top statistical Ds in the league and perhaps the best performing ST in the league last year. The future is now so go for it.

 

3. We lost key players to FA this year (JJ and Phat Pat) but quite frankly these losses can and should be replaced so go for it this year.

 

As far as the OL, I actually feel as good a I can feel about being a rooter for ateam which does not have clear starters at LG and LT. I feel that JMac is at the very least a massie (I mean huge, big, enormous) upgarde over our past two OL poition coaches. Vinky had never held the job when took over to hold GWs hand, Vinky's first OC, Sheppard, was so ineffective he got canned with a year left on his contracr and Sheppard was replaced by Kevin Killdrive who had a great start, but was so predictable and unwilling to change his second year was simply a waste.

 

In Ruel who brought 1 year of previous OL coaching experience to the job GW found one of the few guys who was not an upgrade in experience at all over Vinky. JMac brings 25 years experience and almost literrally has forgotten things the old guard has not learned yet. It is difficult to overestimate how big an upgarde this is.

 

Add to that JMac actually being SB coach for 3 SB teams (including the 3009 NYG model led by players of the talent level of Dusty Ziegler and Glenn Parker) and I can comfortably say he is not simply an upgrade but he has performed. He (as he says) is no miracle worker, but I am quite comfortable with his ability to easily make better chocies at OL than those made historically by the Bills since the end of the Kent Hull era and actually that the decisions will be not only better, but actually good.

 

I see at least 10 players the Bills can use to replace JJ. Most of them will not work or are not good chances, but have something they bring which at least makes it possible though a likely rejecte options. Those possibilities (again most mon't work but I am happy to let JMac try things and reject most of these otions):

 

1. Utilize Teague as an LT, He was adequate at best in this role when he left Denver, but I think he is a better OL player now having learned the C position where he is improving. The key to making this move is to have a replacement center (probably not Tucker because his moving up merely createsan openeing at back-up C and get you a player at the Teague level at C),

 

2, Flip MW to LT. He looked more likely a probable bust after last mini-camp, but JMac and others put the fear of losing the tackle job (and FA bucks) in him and in conjunction with some good training and carrots like a game ball he improved a lot. He potentially could make the jump as he actually protected the QBs blindside in college when he played RT for a lefty QB. My tendency is to give him another year at RT and learning at the side of Villareal (instead of carrying players like Sullivan and Pucillo) before making the switch, but if JMac views him as good to go then do it.

 

3. Trade for Shelton. The extremely reasonable cap hit gives us enough room to get a good back-up (re-sign Price) in case his injury problems or limitations are real and/or to train MW to make the flip next season.

 

4. I doubt Dylan McFarland is ready (despite an endorsement for him by John from Hemet), but if he is ready to start (possible as he both made the roster and even got a little playing time last year) I see him more as allowing us to flip MW to LT (assuming MW is ready) and give McFarland a run at RT.

 

5. Likewise with Peters. I think the Bills are just blowing smoke to confuse opponents taliking about him as a starting tackle. If he is such an athletic phenom that he can master the tackle slot, I prefer that he use this talent to block well enough that we are able to use his soft hands and speed at TE (Where 2 injuries have created a need). Still the braintrust is talking about him as a tackle, but this strategy only makes sense to me if MW is ready to flip and you traub Peters at the RT slot.

 

5. Leonard Smith made a good jump in my view from Ravens PS to even make the Biills roster.If he merely became a regularly used Bills back-up,at LG i would have been impressed by this. The fact we had him start says more about how inadequate Pucillo and we were after the cut of Ruben, Though Smith was inaequate at LG last year, the fact he made such a tremendous jump makes an exoectation that he should have been a starter quality LG for the Bills a bit too much to have expected. However, particularly since the strength of his game last year was pass pro rather than the easier to learn run block it is silly to give up on him at this point. For these purposes he is listed on the roster as a T and actually filled in at LT for JJ during one oJJs usual late game swan songs so thought Smith is almost certainly noy our starter at LT he is a possibility that should be considered or tried.

 

6. David Pruce is unlikely to make the big jump, but he was all Worl in tghe WFL at LT and has a year in our system.

 

7. Additional FAs like Marcus Price are still out there and might be part of the starter/reserve LT mix.

 

8. Mike Gandy was the Bears LT starter last year and thus get consideration for this open slot but more likely I see him as replacing Marcus Price as a suber-sub giving us a former starter we can plug in where we need him.

 

9. The draft gives some possibilities, but the only way to get a starting LT is to trade TH for a 1st and I doubt that will happen. A more likely possibility would be to get a second or to try to get AZ to lip second picks and to go for Baas which will help us solve the LG issue and give us a lot of flexibility/

 

10. Something a professional like JMac has thought of and there is a real potential us rubes have not even thought about this yet.

 

I like our prospects on the OL right now. It is far from settled but there is potential.

[Bflojohn]

This has been a problem area for too long... so I would draft heavily for promising OL's in the draft. The Bills could come out of day one with a viable center and guard without any question. If, for example, they draft Chris Spencer and Evan Mathis, the youth at this juncture will be "very upbeat" in it's potential for good line play for 5 to 10 years! I say go this way and err on the side of potential.