Fake-Fat Sunny Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I assume that JMac and the Bills have some master plan regarding the LT situation. I just can't see what that is. It seems like the plan is to make it work with Ganday at LT. OK However, though this may work (JMac has forgotten more than I will ever know about the OL, given his real-life background and how the OL improved last year I am happy to give him the benefit of the doubt) it seems dubious to me. All along I have been figuring that the Bills LT starter was not yet on the roster but opportunity after opportunity was passed on (Shelton, Verba, resign JJ) and probably correctly so looking at each player, the deal he demands and the reports on his past in injuries and play. However, i was actually quite intrigued by a post from Mickey yesterday which raised the notion of MW making the move to LT this year. While this notion seems unlikely to me because while i think this will happen next year, MW strikes me as needing to experience some success at RT for a solid year before he is ready to make this flip. Yet as unlikely as this is to work out, quite frankly it really should be compared to the likelihood of Gandy being the answer and looking at that reality maybe the farfetched idea of flipping MW to LT is about as or I think less outlandish than expecting Gandy to be great. I'm curious what other outlandish ideas which may be the best we can do folks have for LT. My initial list in order of increasing unlikeliness. 1. Gandy works out- Possible but pretty douubtful to me as his past talent and performance at LT has been adequate at best for a bad team. JMac clearly knows a lot I don't know about OL development (which is obvious) if this first choice for the Bills works out. 2. Flip MW to LT- I doubt this because I think MW can do this eventually (despite his large size he showed great agility in Combine workouts, his problem as a player has been coordinating mentally with the RG and not with speed rushers or outside blitzers generally, he reported this year being relative buff for him and may well continue to show the talent which finally saw him pancake a few opponents late last year, he has guarded the blindside of a lefty QB in college and the technical issues of switching can be done. This will be a tough challenge but possible 3. Teague moves to LT- I think this can work as Teague was adequate though not good enough to get the big LT contract at Denver. However, I think he is an improved player as he is even further removed from the ACL injury which he performed OK but not great with at LT in Denver, he knows even more about blocking and technique now due to his center duty wih the Bills, and his play has improved each year he has been here and he would need to keep this progression going. However, this is unlikely to me because not only may it not work but the tremors created as we need to move Preston or Tucker into the C role are large. 4. McFarland steps up- Really doubtful but who knows. 5. Smith makes the transition to T from LG- He is back to G on the depth chart so the experiment with moving him to T which saw him play at tackle at the end of last season appears to be done. A weird bird as pass pro seemed to be something he did better than run blocking. 5. Peters is the answer- This one is a favorite among many because of the great things we hear about his athleticism. However, I just don't see entrusting JPs blindside to a player who has not played the position in a game before. if he is that athletic given our needs for receiving talent at TE with the likely season ending injury to Everett why take the ball out of his hands to do something important he has never done before. The fact that many seem to want to hitch their wagon to him being out LT strikes me most as a indicator of how desperate folks are for something/anything at LT. What are other outside the box LT ideas currently on our roster (this is your chance to call for JP at LT or someother bizarre idea if you wish). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinandjokin Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Hmmmm....outside the box, eh?? How about the old Bisons batboy, The Butcher, at LT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obie_wan Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I assume that JMac and the Bills have some master plan regarding the LT situation. I just can't see what that is. It seems like the plan is to make it work with Ganday at LT. . 5. Peters is the answer- This one is a favorite among many because of the great things we hear about his athleticism. However, I just don't see entrusting JPs blindside to a player who has not played the position in a game before. if he is that athletic given our needs for receiving talent at TE with the likely season ending injury to Everett why take the ball out of his hands to do something important he has never done before. The fact that many seem to want to hitch their wagon to him being out LT strikes me most as a indicator of how desperate folks are for something/anything at LT. What are other outside the box LT ideas currently on our roster (this is your chance to call for JP at LT or someother bizarre idea if you wish). 399196[/snapback] Peters probaby proved that he is not smart enough to pick up the intricacies of running pass routes as a TE. If he can't be a downfield force like Gonzalez, then his talent is wasted as an inline blocker as a TE. Thus, the team is much better off using his physical skills at LT where he can match up one-on-one with elite pass rushers. The plan probably is get by with Gandy at LT until Peters is ready to hold his own at LT. Thus it would be highly unlikely that the team will cause any major disruption in the OL by moving either MW or Teague to LT unless Gandy totally busts and Peters proves totally incompetent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoveldog Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I think you will see Peters as your starting LT on 9/11. He is green and learning, but his tremendous athletic ability makes up for his lack of experience. From what we've heard so far from camp on Gandy, I can't see Peters being any worse. As for moving guys around... I don't like that idea at all. As a former offensive lineman in hs/college, I can tell you for certain that the OL needs to develop cohesiveness. We now have 4 of 5 OL positions clicking. Don't overturn the whole apple cart, just to rid yourself of 1 bad apple. The best OL's in the NFL are usually together for a minimum of 2-3 years. It takes time for these guys to learn and understand each other. Rocking the boat and mixing things up too much at this stage would be counter productive. That's my .02. Shovel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mile High Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Nice post. I'm really excited about tonight and this will be the position I will be primarily watching. There really isn't a true LT on out roster if you look at it. But I really do believe that there has to be a diamond in the rough on this team somewhere. Who? I don't know.... I think that TD and CO. are waiting for the cuts to begin and then they'll snag someone up right away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I think it is clearly Gandy's job to lose and I am just as worried as anyone as to whether he has the right stuff to get it done. Basically, I have lots of faith in McNally but none in Gandy so we will just have to see. Assuming that by the second game of the season or so that Gandy is getting killed out there, the question is what is plan B? I am going to go out on a limb and say that McFarland could end up a starter. Interestingly, he was a three sport star in HS lettering in track and basketball as well as football. He graduated college with a 3.6 GPA and made the conference all-academic squad. He was the valedictorian of his HS class. He is smart and a good athlete. the very kind of overachiever that McNally has had so much luck with in the past. Maybe MW moves to the left and Dylan goes in on the right or maybe Dylan gets the LT spot, I don't know. I am not saying it is a likely event, just that it wouldn't shock me at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I think you will see Peters as your starting LT on 9/11. He is green and learning, but his tremendous athletic ability makes up for his lack of experience. From what we've heard so far from camp on Gandy, I can't see Peters being any worse. 399227[/snapback] The odds are slim to none that Peters is the starting LT on opening day. The Bills would go out and trade for one first. PS Athletic ability only gets you so far in the NFL. Ask a guy like Coy Wire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mile High Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I think it is clearly Gandy's job to lose and I am just as worried as anyone as to whether he has the right stuff to get it done. Basically, I have lots of faith in McNally but none in Gandy so we will just have to see. Assuming that by the second game of the season or so that Gandy is getting killed out there, the question is what is plan B? I am going to go out on a limb and say that McFarland could end up a starter. Interestingly, he was a three sport star in HS lettering in track and basketball as well as football. He graduated college with a 3.6 GPA and made the conference all-academic squad. He was the valedictorian of his HS class. He is smart and a good athlete. the very kind of overachiever that McNally has had so much luck with in the past. Maybe MW moves to the left and Dylan goes in on the right or maybe Dylan gets the LT spot, I don't know. I am not saying it is a likely event, just that it wouldn't shock me at all. 399266[/snapback] Interesting thought here about Mc Farland. I can't remember was he drafted or FA pick up? Me thinks he was drafted...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBuffaloDisease Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Until Gandy proves he doesn't belong at LT, he's not going anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurlyBurly51 Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Interesting thought here about Mc Farland. I can't remember was he drafted or FA pick up? Me thinks he was drafted...... 399295[/snapback] Yep, 7th rounder. Right in McNally's wheelhouse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurlyBurly51 Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Until Gandy proves he doesn't belong at LT, he's not going anywhere. 399334[/snapback] McNally said he's giving him 2 or 3 pre-season games, so all this debate will be settled by 8/26. If he's still lining up out there after that game that indicates he's passed the McNally litmus test and he'll be our starter 9/11. If they start scramble mode 8/27 by shuffling palyers around or in and out, I just have to say: "Look Out JP" Then we can begin questioning the wisdom of the personnel dept leaving us with Gandy as our best option for LT going into camp, but not before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBuffaloDisease Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 McNally said he's giving him 2 or 3 pre-season games, so all this debate will be settled by 8/26. If he's still lining up out there after that game that indicates he's passed the McNally litmus test and he'll be our starter 9/11. If they start scramble mode 8/27 by shuffling palyers around or in and out, I just have to say: "Look Out JP" Then we can begin questioning the wisdom of the personnel dept leaving us with Gandy as our best option for LT going into camp, but not before. If that happens, get the Preston and Peters era started ASAP, and have JP rollout to the right all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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