6 Offensive Linemen: The Bills' most effective offensive personnel grouping

[Kelly to Allen]

24 minutes ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

Where? Our current line is all returning again in 2025

I think Anderson is going to be a great guard. Like all pro level. I'm projecting he beats out Edwards or even McGovern next year 

 

 

10 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

I think he is the plan of McGovern gets a bigger contract on a few years 

 

I like Anderson over svgp rn

Solid points.

 

It wouldn't shock me if in 2026 it's Anderson at lg, svpg at center. 

 

All good problems to have regardless. 

 

Our tackle depth is outstanding too. Hopefully Travis Clayton can develop like that ot did for the eagles 

 

 

Edited December 7 by Kelly to Allen

[Ralonzo]

  

On 8/20/2023 at 1:27 PM, Ralonzo said:

The guy I'm really really high on after two games now is college T Anderson. He's been spectacular in run and pass pro sets, at both C and G, getting to the second level, and physically demolishing guys. Let's not do the Teller thing again and keep the marginally serviceable vets over the kid with big upside.

 

I wonder if Chicago wants Bates' contract? I mean, they wrote it...

 

[ColoradoBills]

7 hours ago, finn said:

I also like how much on-field experience Anderson is getting. If he ever needs to replace Dawkins or Brown long-term, he won't miss a beat. Although maybe it would be more effective to keep him in his current role even if there is an injury. 

 

Having Alec Anderson signed as an ERFA next year is a steal.

[Thurman#1]

2 hours ago, Ralonzo said:

  

 

 

 

Wow, you dug deep for that old post.

 

Nice job!!!! I'd barely noticed Anderson by that point.

 

And you nailed the Bears on Bates again thing as well.

 

 

Edited December 7 by Thurman#1

[NewEra]

6 and a half OL.  Mack Hollins not given enough credit.  

[Shortchaz]

18 hours ago, NickelCity said:

Our OLine is the most important non-allen unit on this team. 

So, Josh is the most valuable unit, or MVU? 

[Danger Mouse]

18 hours ago, Buffalo Junction said:

Honestly, I’m not sure that many teams have enough solid linemen to effectively utilize these heavy personnel packages. To top that off, Allen’s running ability means he must be accounted for which makes it easier to pass out of that personnel grouping. 

allen on the field makes every play an effective play action. 

[YattaOkasan]

17 hours ago, CA OC Bills Fan said:

I think when teams, including the Bills, do this they are signaling a run play and it means the D mostly focuses on the run. Defenses typically have success when they know that a run play is coming.

 

Last year at the Chargers game they ran this quite a bit. The Chargers were not very good last year and this was the first game under an interim coach. We barely beat the Chargers that day even though we were the much better team. I typically wouldn't notice that they were adding an extra tackle unless it's pointed out. I was at the game and of course the referee announces before each of these plays, "Number 76 is reporting as eligible." David Edwards played that role last year and it seemed the Chargers stopped 75% of these plays for very little gain. Interestingly enough, couldn't hear these announcements when I went back to watch on TV so if I wasn't at the game, I don't think I ever would have known they ran this play as much as they did.

5.2 YPC says it’s working pretty effectively. I think chargers were playing inspired after old coach was fired as the players wanted to prove they were not the problem. 

16 hours ago, MJS said:

Didn't the Bills tie that record in one of the recent seasons? I seem to remember that being a talking point.

2020 they tied it and I think we were a Taiwan jones drop away from sole possession. Crazy thing is I think they set up that play for him (wanna say against NE for some reason) and he biffed it. 

Edited December 7 by YattaOkasan

[Cash]

2 hours ago, YattaOkasan said:

5.2 YPC says it’s working pretty effectively. I think chargers were playing inspired after old coach was fired as the players wanted to prove they were not the problem. 

2020 they tied it and I think we were a Taiwan jones drop away from sole possession. Crazy thing is I think they set up that play for him (wanna say against NE for some reason) and he biffed it. 

I thought it was Singletary? Or maybe Moss. I remember it as one of our main backs caught a TD early in the season (I think Moss), and the other only had the one chance late and dropped it. They were 100% trying to set that record. 

[Cash]

12 minutes ago, Cash said:

I thought it was Singletary? Or maybe Moss. I remember it as one of our main backs caught a TD early in the season (I think Moss), and the other only had the one chance late and dropped it. They were 100% trying to set that record. 

Okay I went and looked some stuff up. First, I was right that Singletsry didn’t have a TD catch that year. Moss and TJ Yeldon each had 1, but none on 38 catches for Devin. 
 

Second, we tied the record by throwing TDs to 13 players in 2020. In 2024, we currently sit at 12 players with TD receptions. But the pickings are pretty slim to add to that number. Plausible candidates:

• Jalen Virgil, while he’s still on the active roster
• Zach Davidson if he gets called up again (would’ve had a TD last week if Fred Warner wasn’t so good)
• An o-lineman on a tackle eligible play

[Sierra Foothills]

6 hours ago, Shortchaz said:

So, Josh is the most valuable unit, or MVU? 

 

Sounds like a question for Hailee.

 

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

this guy

 

 

[billsfan89]

On 12/6/2024 at 4:23 PM, NoSaint said:

It’s almost like I posted for a decade that it was a missed opportunity as we trotted out Lee smith. 
 

Hidden perks - real snaps for a young OL to develop too

Never considered the added benfit of developing offensive line chemistry and development. David Edwards in 2023 played 121 snaps last season which was 12.5% of the teams offensive snaps that year. I am sure that helped him develop chemistry with the other offensive linemen and made plugging him in the next season a lot easier. Now Anderson is getting that chance while Van Denmark got a games worth of snaps in. 

[Steve Billieve]

On 12/6/2024 at 2:56 PM, Matt_In_NH said:

Looking at the stats shown, is it kind of obvious this is a low volume thing for the whole league.  The Bills gain the most yards per game at 58 yards...yet they gain 347 yards a game total....it is probably  that some teams, many teams do very little of 6th OL.  There are a lot of ways to skin the cat, I am interested in winning vs stats and the Bills are winning so I am pretty satisfied.   But it all comes down to post season, otherwise its just another round of stats.

Throw in your victory formations . . .

[NoSaint]

11 hours ago, billsfan89 said:

Never considered the added benfit of developing offensive line chemistry and development. David Edwards in 2023 played 121 snaps last season which was 12.5% of the teams offensive snaps that year. I am sure that helped him develop chemistry with the other offensive linemen and made plugging him in the next season a lot easier. Now Anderson is getting that chance while Van Denmark got a games worth of snaps in. 

especially these days where there are very few full contact practices there’s also a reality that a young lineman rarely gets to engage a defender in a meaningful way 

 

just being able to go out and hit a DE full speed is not particularly common for an average late round pick in their first year or two 

[billsfan89]

4 hours ago, NoSaint said:

especially these days where there are very few full contact practices there’s also a reality that a young lineman rarely gets to engage a defender in a meaningful way 

 

just being able to go out and hit a DE full speed is not particularly common for an average late round pick in their first year or two 

 

In close to 25 years of being a Bills fan I have never felt as good about an offensive line short and longer term as I do about this team. All 5 starters are locked in for 2025, SVPG and Grabel also locked in for 3 more years on a rookie deal while Anderson and Van Denmark are ERFA's who should be able to be brought back on 1-3 year deals. That's 9 players on a good unit coming back and only one player (Dawkins) is over 30. Kromer and McBeane have recovered from the 2022 offensive line disaster and they have done so without having to invest drastically in the position group (the highest draft pick was pick 59 a late second in Torrence and the highest free agency contract was McGovern who was a mid-level at best signing, the rest of the group were relatively cheap acquisitions or reclamations of players on the roster like Brown). 

 

Now with the utilization of the 6th offensive linemen the Bills have a developmental process that might give them an edge in developing players at the position.