offde-fence Posted July 25, 2009 Posted July 25, 2009 There is so much negative speculation about our O-line this year, it got me thinking about comparable situations. The expansion teams in 95 are close - they put together new lines without having worked together - and Carolina had the 3rd rank running team, and had a total of like 4500 offensive yards that year. Ours is unique in some ways, for sure, but, still, some of our guys have worked together, and know the system already. I don't think their newness to the positions will be the determining factor, as much as just having decent guys in there. If they're any good, and if they're hungry, they'll do an alright job. There's been similar instances where the line played good. We can do it - it isn't automatically going to be a bad line. That being said, I'm leaning towards them putting it together and being pretty good. Walker can only do so much, but, they should get the job done.
Thurman#1 Posted July 25, 2009 Posted July 25, 2009 4th? 4th? The 1995 expansion Jags in their first year in the league? Don't know where you got your stats. I got mine from nfl.com. In 1995, the Panthers were #20 at run yards. 1573 yards total. 3.5 YPC. http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?tab...mp;d-447263-n=1 24th in passing. http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?arc...e&Submit=Go Pretty good for an EXPANSION team. Their final record? 7 - 9.
VJ91 Posted July 25, 2009 Posted July 25, 2009 There is so much negative speculation about our O-line this year, it got me thinking about comparable situations. The expansion teams in 95 are close... How did the Jags' line do their first season in 95? And how did the Browns' line do in '99, and the Texans' line in whatever exact season was their first as an expansion team? Maybe the Panthers line came together pretty well, but most lines' that have new guys playing each position, will struggle. I hope this experiment works well for the Bills this season, because although I agree that Dockery and Fowler/Preston sucked, I thought Butler did a fine job at his guard position and he should have stayed put, while Levitre was used at right tackle with a better veteran FA to compete with him. I also think that a better FA left tackle should have been signed to compete with and at least back up Langston after the Bills traded Peters, who I thought should have been paid his money in the first place. So yeah, I have my doubts about this line like everyone else.
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