MJS Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 Nope. He'll be our left tackle for years, I predict. He had a down year in a year in which our entire line was garbage. That's what happens with the oline. One weak link and it hurts everybody. What would 4 weak links cause?
njbuff Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 Dawkins can easily be a top LT. He had a down second year, but the massive improvement in talent around him will help him out immensely.
Phil The Thrill Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 5 minutes ago, NewDayBills said: I think you battle Dion vs Nsekhe. Best man wins. Worst case scenario I feel Dion goes to LG. In 2017, many had projected Dion at G and not Tackle. It wouldn’t shock me to see him start at LG. The problem is Nsekhe is older and only has a few years left
OldTimeAFLGuy Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 5 minutes ago, I am the egg man said: Hardly a bad problem to have. ...EXACTLY.....don't think we have had this potential level of OL talent in YEARS....should make for one helluva camp competition.....ending up with "The Electric Company II" would be ok I guess (COUGH)....
NewEra Posted April 27, 2019 Author Posted April 27, 2019 25 minutes ago, dollars 2 donuts said: I saw his comments about this off-season and what he realizes and now means to be a pro. honestly, NewEra, he’ll bring it this year. I hope so! After seeing his body at the OTA (or whatever they call it) a couple weeks ago, it didn’t look like he was taking it too seriously. I figured he had Duffs wings in an IV 1
Phil The Thrill Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 1 minute ago, NewEra said: I hope so! After seeing his body at the OTA (or whatever they call it) a couple weeks ago, it didn’t look like he was taking it too seriously. I figured he had Duffs wings in an IV Well looks can be deceiving at OL and DL
NewEra Posted April 27, 2019 Author Posted April 27, 2019 26 minutes ago, Bangarang said: No, he’s not Care to elaborate? He’s not on the hot seat as far as making the team? He’s not on the hot seat as far as being our starting LT? Will Nsekhe and Ford battle for RT while Dawkins is given a free pass to starting LT? Just now, Phil The Thrill said: Well looks can be deceiving at OL and DL Definitely. He just looks like he’s in the worst shape of his life.
Bangarang Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 Just now, NewEra said: Care to elaborate? He’s not on the hot seat as far as making the team? He’s not on the hot seat as far as being our starting LT? Will Nsekhe and Ford battle for RT while Dawkins is given a free pass to starting LT? Hes going to be on the team and he’s going to start because one of our best 5 lineman. 1
NewEra Posted April 27, 2019 Author Posted April 27, 2019 25 minutes ago, Doc said: So Dawkins can't beat-out Nsekhe? That's presumptuous, and I like Nsekhe. Who knows? Based on Dawkins play last year, I’d say it’s a toss up with the edge going to Dawkins based on his age and him being a 2nd rd pick that we traded up for. that being said, if there’s a competition, I believe McD chooses the man who wins the competition 2 minutes ago, Bangarang said: Hes going to be on the team and he’s going to start because one of our best 5 lineman. Well, if he starts at guard, he’s currently on the hot seat. You’re saying that he’ll be our LT or a starter somewhere other than his current position of LT?
RochesterRob Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 Just now, NewEra said: Care to elaborate? He’s not on the hot seat as far as making the team? He’s not on the hot seat as far as being our starting LT? Will Nsekhe and Ford battle for RT while Dawkins is given a free pass to starting LT? He's not on the hot seat in terms of being cut or traded. A lot of his difficulties can be traced to Wood and Incognito being gone last season. On the OL sometimes you are only as good as the guy next to you. The same thing as you are implying now was said about Jim Ritcher around 1987. The Bills got help on their OL then including signing John Davis away from the Oilers then Ritcher "returned" to his early form. Now whether Daboll has a personnel package in mind where Dawkins gets moved from LT is a different question. 1
NewEra Posted April 27, 2019 Author Posted April 27, 2019 1 minute ago, RochesterRob said: He's not on the hot seat in terms of being cut or traded. A lot of his difficulties can be traced to Wood and Incognito being gone last season. On the OL sometimes you are only as good as the guy next to you. The same thing as you are implying now was said about Jim Ritcher around 1987. The Bills got help on their OL then including signing John Davis away from the Oilers then Ritcher "returned" to his early form. Now whether Daboll has a personnel package in mind where Dawkins gets moved from LT is a different question. I don’t think I said he’d be cut or traded anywhere on my 10 page post. By hot seat I mean, he’s currently in danger of losing his position, which is starting LT. I guess I’ll have to edit the post so that’s apparent.
ghostwriter Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 14 minutes ago, Phil The Thrill said: In 2017, many had projected Dion at G and not Tackle. It wouldn’t shock me to see him start at LG. The problem is Nsekhe is older and only has a few years left True. Dawkins may find he is not adequate at LT and may find he is an above average guard. I think that's reality, at least how I perceive it. Who knows? Either way I feel we have a full cupboard. 1
thurst44 Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 17 minutes ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said: ...safe to say McDermott issued TWO wake ups calls last year to Foster & Zay........Foster certainly heeded the message and Zay tepidly did......with the 2019 talent brought in, BOTH should understand that 2019 is a new year......sure as hell have to believe Dawkins "gets the message"......53 coveted spots at OBD and 1,696 league wide makes it a privileged membership.....show up or pack up..... Agreed: one of the best hints he's likely to pick up on the message is we first heard he was on the hotseat from Dion himself. My inexpert (tepid) take is that ideally they want him at LT but are making sure he earns it. In any case, love the idea that they used the fact that they had extra money and draft capital to create essentially a casting call and surely they are going to try every combo that makes sense (well, all with Morse at C) to find the five best starters with the best chemistry and the best three (or maybe even four) subs.
US Egg Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 2 minutes ago, RochesterRob said: A lot of his difficulties can be traced to Wood and Incognito being gone last season. I'd certainly take having this years line being as good as it was two years ago.
Bangarang Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 7 minutes ago, NewEra said: Well, if he starts at guard, he’s currently on the hot seat. If that’s what you mean then I don’t think hot seat is the right phrase to use. The goal is finding the 5 best guys to play. 7 minutes ago, NewEra said: You’re saying that he’ll be our LT or a starter somewhere other than his current position of LT? I’m saying he’ll be starting because he’s one of the 5 best guys we have. Whether it’s at tackle or guard doesn’t matter to me as long as we have a good unit blocking.
NewEra Posted April 27, 2019 Author Posted April 27, 2019 Just now, Bangarang said: If that’s what you mean then I don’t think hot seat is the right phrase to use. The goal is finding the 5 best guys to play. I’m saying he’ll be starting because he’s one of the 5 best guys we have. Whether it’s at tackle or guard doesn’t matter to me as long as we have a good unit blocking. Looks like we just have different perceptions of hot seat. his current seat, which is left tackle, is hot.
OldTimeAFLGuy Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 6 minutes ago, thurst44 said: Agreed: one of the best hints he's likely to pick up on the message is we first heard he was on the hotseat from Dion himself. My inexpert (tepid) take is that ideally they want him at LT but are making sure he earns it. In any case, love the idea that they used the fact that they had extra money and draft capital to create essentially a casting call and surely they are going to try every combo that makes sense (well, all with Morse at C) to find the five best starters with the best chemistry and the best three (or maybe even four) subs. ..and that makes perfect sense my friend....takes a culture guy to put his own twin cheeks on the "hot seat".....FWIW, it's tells me he "gets IT"...stay tuned.... 1
The Frankish Reich Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 (edited) This PFF article -- before the signing of Spain and obviously before the draft -- sets it out pretty well: https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-five-most-improved-nfl-offensive-lines-after-free-agency It has the likely L to R starters as Dawkins-Teller-Morse-Long-Nsekhe. Sub in Spain for Teller (maybe with Long moving sides? not sure if either Long/Spain is better on one side rather than the other) and that's your starters. Dawkins disappointed us last year, but obviously the guys next to him were really bad, and PFF still had him rated above average; graded on a Bills 2018 curve, that's like an A+. And of course Ford can sit and learn for a bit if everyone is reasonably healthy. Feliciano strikes me as a solid backup, and Long wasn't good at center but probably better than Groy/Bodine. It's a total makeover, and it's vaulted our line from one of the worst in the NFL (really, only the Cards were worse) to probably "better than average" right now with some serious upside too. EDIT: and I forgot that it looks like we now have a TE who can block a little bit too. Edited April 27, 2019 by The Frankish Reich
Bangarang Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 (edited) 4 minutes ago, NewEra said: Looks like we just have different perceptions of hot seat. his current seat, which is left tackle, is hot. The only real threat to his starting spot is soon to be 34 year old Ty Nsekhe. There’s a decent chance now that he’s our backup swing tackle if BB and McD view Ford as a RT Edited April 27, 2019 by Bangarang 1
Phil The Thrill Posted April 27, 2019 Posted April 27, 2019 4 minutes ago, Bangarang said: The only real threat to his starting spot is soon to be 34 year old Ty Nsekhe. There’s a decent chance now that he’s our backup swing tackle if BB and McD view Ford as a RT That was his role in Washington and he did it very well. Of course, he is being paid as a starting RT
Recommended Posts