Outkast Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 The draft? Free agency? A great coach? The Bills tried all three and failed miserably. They drafted both Mike Williams and Jonas Jennings. One worked out nicely. The other, well, you know how that is going. They also brought in CV, BA and MG via free agency. TT was signed as a LT and was then moved to C. That doesn't cut it. McNally was brought to Buffalo as well. His genius as a O-Line coach has been questioned because of the bums he has to work with. So where do we go from here. IMO I say through free agency, only this time don't do it on the cheap and no converted players please. The Bills need to break the bank on offensive lineman. I don't want to wait for players to develop on the line. We need them to perform at a high level from day one for Willis, Lee Evans and JP's sake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 If I am doing it I use a combonation of things if I have limited finances....if I have lots of cap I biuld my line with veteran free agents......but a couple of things to consider here.... - Robert Gallery....remember Robert Gallery? He is supposed to be the most "cant miss" prospect to come along in some time.....they tried him at LT...then they moved him to RT......the raiders OL sucks even though they took the number one prospect off the board in that draft. - To me....biulding a successfull OL has as much to do about the offensive identity/philosophy of a team as much as it does the talent......if you are going to bring in run blocking road graters...and then pass all over the place...then you are not going to be successfull......we have OL on this team right now that get exposed every week because we wont knuckle down and run the ball until other teams respect it...... - And lastly....I think that center is just a huge part of a successfull line.......and the physical makeup of that center. The DL that line across from a center in todays NFL are monsters....so if you want to be successfull you also have to be stout at that position. That is why Duke Preston should be our center next year......he is a natural "over 300 pounder" smart, and a natural center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orton's Arm Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 The problem I have with free agent offensive linemen is that you're usually getting them at the mid-point or later of their careers. It's like starting your day at 1:00 PM. Chris Villarrial is a good example of this. When he came here, he was a very solid starter at RG. But old age and injuries have caught up with him all too quickly, and it's getting time to look for a new starter at RG. One of the most important factors in building an offensive line is continuity. The ideal line consists of five smart guys who have worked together with each other for many years. The Bills' line during the Super Bowl run was like this. The only way to build this continuity is to draft the right offensive linemen, and to keep them on your team through their whole careers. TD has failed to do this even with one offensive lineman, let alone five. His one successful OL draft pick was Jonas Jennings, and Jennings walked after just four years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 That is why Duke Preston should be our center next year......he is a natural "over 300 pounder" smart, and a natural center. 540823[/snapback] Agree with your post except here... Preston is still unproven, and has not really shown anything yet on the field. I hope he develops fast, & would be ready for next year, but I think attempting to sign LeCharles Bentley should be the #1 off-season priority from a FA standpoint... even if he's the only "name" FA we sign. I would feel better having him at C next year & Preston trying for OG. When/if Preston is ready to play C down the road, you can interchange them later (ie. Bentley OG, Preston C). The bull-rushes up the middle have to stop now... Bentley would be the best 1st step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outkast Posted December 23, 2005 Author Share Posted December 23, 2005 If I am doing it I use a combonation of things if I have limited finances....if I have lots of cap I biuld my line with veteran free agents......but a couple of things to consider here.... - Robert Gallery....remember Robert Gallery? He is supposed to be the most "cant miss" prospect to come along in some time.....they tried him at LT...then they moved him to RT......the raiders OL sucks even though they took the number one prospect off the board in that draft. - To me....biulding a successfull OL has as much to do about the offensive identity/philosophy of a team as much as it does the talent......if you are going to bring in run blocking road graters...and then pass all over the place...then you are not going to be successfull......we have OL on this team right now that get exposed every week because we wont knuckle down and run the ball until other teams respect it...... - And lastly....I think that center is just a huge part of a successfull line.......and the physical makeup of that center. The DL that line across from a center in todays NFL are monsters....so if you want to be successfull you also have to be stout at that position. That is why Duke Preston should be our center next year......he is a natural "over 300 pounder" smart, and a natural center. 540823[/snapback] As far as philosophy goes. I agree. You have to have that "I can run on anyone" mindset. The thing that concerns me about the Bills running game is that they seem to run the same play over and over again with little or no success at all and it is usually up the middle between the C and G. I agree wuth you about the center position.The one thing that worries me about Preston is that he looks like a soft 300 pounder. If that makes any sense. I hope he works hard in the offseason and adds some muscle. He could be a good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 1st we need an all new coaching staff (special teams being the exception) i'd sign bently and possibley hutch in the offseason. if i don't get hutch i'll grab another guy, possilby an LT. i see if i can cut and re sign mike williams draft a day 1, 2nd round at the latest, LT. Draft other OL day one as well. putting a couple new QUALIT guys on our line will help everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orton's Arm Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 Agree with your post except here... Preston is still unproven, and has not really shown anything yet on the field. I hope he develops fast, & would be ready for next year, but I think attempting to sign LeCharles Bentley should be the #1 off-season priority from a FA standpoint... even if he's the only "name" FA we sign. I would feel better having him at C next year & Preston trying for OG. When/if Preston is ready to play C down the road, you can interchange them later (ie. Bentley OG, Preston C). The bull-rushes up the middle have to stop now... Bentley would be the best 1st step. 540830[/snapback] Why do the bull rushes up the middle have to stop right away? The Bills aren't going to be a good team next year, with or without Bentley. If Preston has the potential to be a good center eventually, better that he begin his learning process as soon as possible. If the Bills lose an extra game or two next year due to Preson's growing pains, that will only help the team in the draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 Sign both Backus & Hutchinson, play Preston between Villy (who will be healthy) and Hutch. Peters plays RT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stussy109 Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 Wellllllll.... the way you do it in madden is you get 2 franchise bookend Tackles, and an above average center, with average guards. Also you tend to not want to have anyone over 31-32. Realistically, Both lines should be addressed every draft and offseason via 1-2 pickups. The "Lines" on both sides of the ball are virtually half of the starting lineup, therefore they should get a decent amount of attention every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 If I am doing it I use a combonation of things if I have limited finances....if I have lots of cap I biuld my line with veteran free agents......but a couple of things to consider here.... - Robert Gallery....remember Robert Gallery? He is supposed to be the most "cant miss" prospect to come along in some time.....they tried him at LT...then they moved him to RT......the raiders OL sucks even though they took the number one prospect off the board in that draft. - To me....biulding a successfull OL has as much to do about the offensive identity/philosophy of a team as much as it does the talent......if you are going to bring in run blocking road graters...and then pass all over the place...then you are not going to be successfull......we have OL on this team right now that get exposed every week because we wont knuckle down and run the ball until other teams respect it...... - And lastly....I think that center is just a huge part of a successfull line.......and the physical makeup of that center. The DL that line across from a center in todays NFL are monsters....so if you want to be successfull you also have to be stout at that position. That is why Duke Preston should be our center next year......he is a natural "over 300 pounder" smart, and a natural center. 540823[/snapback] Very good post, John. I've said it numerous times: if you're going to bring in a big group of guys w/ little mobility, have them drive block the guy in front of him out of the path of the RB. It seemed to have worked for the Dallas Cowboys in the 90s, right? Like you said: play to the strengths of the personnel you have as opposed to trying to fit the proverbial square pegs in the round holes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 Two words: Sumo wrestlers PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seq004 Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 Get Hutchinson from the Seahawks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartyBall4Buffalo Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 A Combination of the draft and free agency from the inside out. Strong hard nosed center ala LeCharles Bentley. Guards who are athletic and quick, capable of pulling on counters, traps and sweeps, who aren't top heavy. The inside of the line your center and guards are the makeup of any succesful oline. Yes tackles are important but if you don't have the bodies in the interior your oline will never be succesful. The majority of rushing attempts occur up the middle, and the most succesful rushing team have interior guards who can pull. My old highschool coach always said if you don't have good sleigh dogs your sleigh won't ride. I believe it. I'm not a believer in breaking the bank for tackles. Yes they're one of the highest paid positions, and yes important, but especially with a mobile qb I think the best way to build a line is inside out. I'm not saying go cheap on tackles, but I think you can get 2nd tier guys and still build a more then quality offensive line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 Wellllllll.... the way you do it in madden is you get 2 franchise bookend Tackles 540860[/snapback] And if we used "Ask Madden", we'd get better playcalling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meazza Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 Agree with your post except here... Preston is still unproven, and has not really shown anything yet on the field. I hope he develops fast, & would be ready for next year, but I think attempting to sign LeCharles Bentley should be the #1 off-season priority from a FA standpoint... even if he's the only "name" FA we sign. I would feel better having him at C next year & Preston trying for OG. When/if Preston is ready to play C down the road, you can interchange them later (ie. Bentley OG, Preston C). The bull-rushes up the middle have to stop now... Bentley would be the best 1st step. 540830[/snapback] what about Hutchison from Seattle. I'd rather grab him than Lecharles Bentley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartyBall4Buffalo Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 And if we used "Ask Madden", we'd get better playcalling 541070[/snapback] Not all the time madden likes to pass too much. He had me calling play action passes 1st and goal from the 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 Not all the time madden likes to pass too much. He had me calling play action passes 1st and goal from the 2 541081[/snapback] maybe you had it set on "Ask Mularkey" mode Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meazza Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 Wellllllll.... the way you do it in madden is you get 2 franchise bookend Tackles, and an above average center, with average guards. Also you tend to not want to have anyone over 31-32. Realistically, Both lines should be addressed every draft and offseason via 1-2 pickups. The "Lines" on both sides of the ball are virtually half of the starting lineup, therefore they should get a decent amount of attention every year. 540860[/snapback] when i had a 98 OVR LG, my HB dive play worked too perfection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meazza Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 Not all the time madden likes to pass too much. He had me calling play action passes 1st and goal from the 2 541081[/snapback] ask madden is horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrLocke Posted December 23, 2005 Share Posted December 23, 2005 I personally believe the only position on the o-line worth spending Big Money is LT. There was a thread here a few weeks ago saying that skill positions are more important than o-line and I completely agree. Right Tackle may also be worth a little money, I do not give a damn about guardsa and centres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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