Brad Butler and Eric Wood

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

Ha, yes, I'd prefer the rest of TBD grovel as my minions!

 

Whatever, if he gets dinged again next year AND misses games (as another poster rightfully pointed out he plays hurt, a lot), then okay, fine. But if he continues to sit out from practice but then start 13-16 games a year for the rest of career, I'm find with it.

 

 

do minions grovel? i don't think so, cat, they are mostly bidding-doers.

 

minion is one of the great words in our culture. well done.

[12Kachy]

Chris Brown posted that as of last week, he was still in a wheelchair. Not good.

 

People here are giving Butler too much credit. No way you pencil him in as the starter. He needs to compete for a job. People saying the fact we lost the three games he missed last year as proof he is a good or above average player is a joke. He is injury prone.

 

The fact that the line went downhill after he went out proves nothing. Even Bell looked okay v. NE (despite all the penalties) then went downhill fast. Hangartner is average (but better than Preston and Fowler).

 

I wish they stuck with Levitre at LT, he seemed to do pretty good the one game he played there. How can anyone say McKinney is solid he played in one game and got hurt twice! He is a Whittle clone. Chambers is trash this year.

 

Butler needs to compete at RT with a mid-level FA or draft pick. Best case scenario in my view is keep Incognito at RG (assuming no labor deal and he is an RFA), Levitre at LG or LT, move Wood back to his ALL-AMERICAN position at C, make Handgarnter your dependable back-up in the interior (like he was at CAR), and draft a LT in round 1 or 2. If you like Levitre at LT (his college position) than you can keep Hangartner in the starting lineup with Wood. One of them would be C and the other LG.

 

My best 8 men:

Scenario 1:

LT: Levitre

LG: Handgartner

C: Wood

RG: Incognito

RT: Mid-level FA / draft pick or Butler (if he EARNS it, no hand-out)

 

Swing tackles: Bell and Meredith

Interior back-up: Butler back to Guard

Practice squad: Ramsey

 

Scenario 2:

LT: Draft Pick

LG: Levitre

C: Wood

RG: Incognito

RT: Mid-level FA / Bell or Butler (open competition)

 

Swing tackles: Bell / Butler / draft pick

Interior back-up: Handgartner

Practice squad: Ramsey, Meredith

 

Either way we still have a very young line that will continue to experience growing pains. Expect them to struggle again next year, at least initially.

 

 

I like that one. We forget that all the hurt guys. Levitre did really well when they moved him over to LT a couple of times. Needless to say, the Bills converted him over to a G when he played T most of his college time. The Bills are smarttttttt. If Wood is able to come back, you can throw Levitre, Incognito, Hart...., Wood, FA/DP and still have Meredith, Bell, Butler, Scott as back ups. Simmons would be good to keep just as a back up and help to train the new guys.

 

I think the Bills still lack veteran players as well and one big thing the Bills lacked during the DJ era: Good Trainers. Obviously the conditioning on the team is lacking. We have to many hurt players to succeed in the NFL. Ralph get rid of the band aid sports injury training staff and get a sports training staff that can ensure that the majority of the 22 starters are starting the last game instead of sitting at home. Your spending more money adding players during the year then ensuring the ones your paying at the beginning are still playing at the end.

[Wilson from Gamehendge]

OK Its no secret that this O-line has issues BUT if the Bills can get back Eric Wood and Brad Butler from injury does that solve some of the issues that this team has as far as the line goes? I know a lot of people were sold on Wood being a long term answer up until the injury but what about Brad Butler he looked good in the first few games until he got hurt.

 

Now the biggest concern with Butler is his health he always seems to get hurt for a few games a year. Are people sold on the idea of Butler coming back and being the starting RT from the get go? I wouldn't mind having Butler come back as the starter at RT because we have a guy like Jermon Meridith who can come in if Butler gets hurt.

 

Now if Wood and Butler come back are we just a LT short of having at least a decent offensive line? I think if we get a high enough pick to get a top tier LT then our O-line is pretty set especially considering if we bring back Cog and McKinney we would have solid backups at both guards and Bell and Meridith as good backups at both tackle spots.

 

Am I just dreaming that the Bills assuming Butler and Wood can come back the O-line would only be 1 piece a LT away from having a decent O-line. I mean Levitre and the Hang man will have both had a full 16 games of experience plus Wood getting 10 more games of experience as well as getting a top rookie LT and Butler back at RT is enough to improve the O-line.

What do you people mean IF THEY COME BACK?

 

They suffered a damn football injury (luckily they are not being held in the closet)...they are not dead!

[todd]

Wow, we've got lots of guards but no tackles. That's a problem. It is easier to move a tackle inside to play guard than moving a guard to the outside. I remember hearing Bill Bellecheck say he wasn't worried about depth at tackle because all of their guards were actually tackles playing guard. It is an interesting point. Don't draft guards, draft tackles.

[John from Riverside]

Self-importance?

 

The guy who posted immediately before you pointed out that he started all 16 games in 2007, then missed three games in 2008.

 

I'm not sure where you're getting 19 games, from. He was injured week 2, meaning he played in 1.5 games of the 16 games we've played so far this year, so he's missed 17.5 games in his career.

 

He only played in two games his rookie year, so YTD, he's had one injury prior to getting rolled up. So, that's 2 games his rookie year, 16 games the following, 13 of 16 last year, and 1.5 before going down for an injury this. Therefore, prior to his freak season ending injury, he played in 31 of the 34 games he was eligible for. That doesn't sound like "injury prone" to me. Let's not be so quick to slap on the label just because he was lost early in the season for the rest of the year.

 

As for my self-importance, so sorry I pointed out your glossing of the facts less than 5 minutes after someone attempted to table said facts glossing by actually providing some!

 

You know Cat.......I myself have called Butler injury prone but I think you have a good arguement.....he isn't as injury prone as I thought.

 

I guess my real concern is we didn't see enough of him at RT to know if he is the answer or not.....even though he was better then what we have out there now which isn't saying a whole lot.

[Bill from NYC]

I love the ridiculous self-importance of your post; perhaps you ought not to throw stones.

 

In any event, he does have an injury issue. In three years, he's missed 19 games.

 

And I suspect that he was playing hurt in some of his starts.

 

I don't think that Butler is a bad player when he is healthy. I watched him as close as one can on TV and was somewhat impressed by his performance at RT. That said, I would love for the Bills to go after Jeremy Trueblood in free agency to play RT. Imo, it is unrealistic to expect Butler, or perhaps even Wood to come back 100%, but who really knows?

 

The bottom line is that Levy/Jauron built a team on a foundation of midget defensive backs and gadget players and because of this, the Buffalo Bills are getting their asses handed to us on a consistent basis.

[Flbillsfan#1]

What do you people mean IF THEY COME BACK?

 

They suffered a damn football injury (luckily they are not being held in the closet)...they are not dead!

REALLY. Wood is in a wheelchair & that is not good? Wood has a BROKEN LEG! If Wood were in a BED with his leg in suspension......................THAT would not be good.

[Lintyfresh85]

Is Wood ever expected to come back? I'm just hoping the guy doesn't walk with a limp the rest of his life!

[ganesh]

I personally believe that the Oline woes started once Brad Butler went down. Chambers and Jonathon Scott are better off laying down because they then would at least be a speed bump.

 

 

The biggest problem is not that these guys were injured, but we did not have adequate backup to replace them and not miss too much. This is where Dick Jauron and company goofed up.

[Flbillsfan#1]

Is Wood ever expected to come back? I'm just hoping the guy doesn't walk with a limp the rest of his life!

He broke a bone in his leg. No complications were reported. A joint injury is more serious than a broken bone, he should be fine.

[billsfan89]

He broke a bone in his leg. No complications were reported. A joint injury is more serious than a broken bone, he should be fine.

 

It was a very violent break. There are two things that have me concerned 1- Can Wood come back and play NFL football at the same level and 2- If Wood can rehab and come back will he be able to come back by the beginning of next season?

 

With a break like that its going to be hard to come back in 8 or so months and be able to play NFL football. In the end I think Wood will attempt to come back BUT will he be the same guy and will he be ready to go come September?

[DELLAPELLE JOHN]

i wouldnt be suprised if buffalo takes a lt in rd 2 and rt in rd 3

[8-8 Forever?]

Has there been any update on Wood? I know its a long process but an update would be nice.

 

Assuming Incognito is OK, move Wood back to his natural position, center. Move hangglider to a backup. then you have all but LT fixed. LT is a big problem and they need to draft that position NOW>

[dollars 2 donuts]

I personally believe that the Oline woes started once Brad Butler went down. Chambers and Jonathon Scott are better off laying down because they then would at least be a speed bump.

 

 

Man, kota, you and me both. As i told a friend of mine earlier the season that was the time I got sick and worried.

 

Now, does that mean we lost a playoff spot b/c Butler got hurt...no, and the other injuries have hurt as well, oh and by the way, this is a poorly run team.

 

However, this season was BRUTAL. More brutal than the 5-11 record indicates.

[N.Y. Orangeman]

And I suspect that he was playing hurt in some of his starts.

 

I don't think that Butler is a bad player when he is healthy. I watched him as close as one can on TV and was somewhat impressed by his performance at RT. That said, I would love for the Bills to go after Jeremy Trueblood in free agency to play RT. Imo, it is unrealistic to expect Butler, or perhaps even Wood to come back 100%, but who really knows?

 

The bottom line is that Levy/Jauron built a team on a foundation of midget defensive backs and gadget players and because of this, the Buffalo Bills are getting their asses handed to us on a consistent basis.

 

 

I've been wondering if you could move Levitre to RT.

[Thoner7]

Dont count on either for 2010. Butler will be able to play, but likely not well as it takes two years to get back to the same level of play prior to knee injury. Wood will prob be PUP for the year, maybe a situation more like Hardys - Michael Bush broke his femur in the first game of his college sr season, then missed his etire rookie year.

 

I would count them both our for next year. I think we have to try to add two OL, preferably two Ts. Matt Light/McNiel and a Rookie or two rookies. Then If Butlter can play he can go back to G where we KNOW he can play well (tackle we still dont know). Hangartner can then limp us through next year until Wood can hopefully come back and play C. Hang is then solid interior backup and Butler can backup at RT. Sign a good FA, or draft two Ts ala the Jags did this past draft. OL is a huge problem on this team, but it can be fixed with one draft. The OL talent is there in the draft, the QB talent maybe - but maybe not.

[DELLAPELLE JOHN]

draft mcclain and then take the olineman with the next 3 picks.

[Dr. Trooth]

If I were the Bills Football operations guy, the first thing I'd do is hold onto Simmons and Incognito. Butler is not really the guard or tackle you want starting consistently. He's a good player, but border line starting material. We start him and we're not sighting our standards high enough. Besides, he's coming off a serious injury and even if he plays up to the level he's played it, it isn't good enough.

 

As for Woods... damnit. His injuy was serious and changes everything. He could've been a Hog Hannah type, may he still can be. I see Woods being place on the PUP before the season. It gives him time to recover while being around the team and included in the meetings. Then he can come off the PUP and practice for 3 weeks before being activated.

 

Thus you can see why I'd like Simmons and Incognito around. They are experienced vets that have played on better teams than the one they are playing on now.

 

I would also address both tackles in the draft and free agency. Unless there is a sure fire LT available when the Bills are on the clock, I would tend to get the LT via free agency first, then, in the draft, if that sure fire LT is there, take him and play him at RT, if possible, the first season or two, then move him to LT. We also need to draft a center to replace Hangartner. Hang man is adequate, and Kudos to him for being one of two OL that played everygame, but He's at a certain level, and I think we need to set the bar a bit higher.

 

Lastly... if Jonathan Scott, Jamon Merideth, Kurt Chambers, or Seth McKinney are brought back, call in the dogs, the hunt is over... we'll suck again. D. Bell should also be put on notice... we have no margin for marginal players. We must have a solid OL, especially if a young QB is going to be groomed.

[Fingon]

Dont count on either for 2010. Butler will be able to play, but likely not well as it takes two years to get back to the same level of play prior to knee injury. Wood will prob be PUP for the year, maybe a situation more like Hardys - Michael Bush broke his femur in the first game of his college sr season, then missed his etire rookie year.

 

I would count them both our for next year. I think we have to try to add two OL, preferably two Ts. Matt Light/McNiel and a Rookie or two rookies. Then If Butlter can play he can go back to G where we KNOW he can play well (tackle we still dont know). Hangartner can then limp us through next year until Wood can hopefully come back and play C. Hang is then solid interior backup and Butler can backup at RT. Sign a good FA, or draft two Ts ala the Jags did this past draft. OL is a huge problem on this team, but it can be fixed with one draft. The OL talent is there in the draft, the QB talent maybe - but maybe not.

A femur break is far different from a lower leg injury. The femur is the toughest bone to break in the body, and takes a long, long time to heal. Your tibia and fibula take a lot less time to heal.

 

The femur is so difficult to break, that a lot of people say it sounds like a gun shot when it does break.

[Brandon]

A femur break is far different from a lower leg injury. The femur is the toughest bone to break in the body, and takes a long, long time to heal. Your tibia and fibula take a lot less time to heal.

 

The femur is so difficult to break, that a lot of people say it sounds like a gun shot when it does break.

 

Michael Bush didn't break his femur, though. Like Wood, he actually broke his tibia and fibula. Of course, that doesn't mean that all breaks are the same, and in Bush's case, he had some complications that hopefully Wood will not have.