We obviously need to address our OL

[John from Riverside]

I have been giving it a lot of thought over the past week.

 

- We ARE solid from Guard to Guard......As bad as it was to lose all those linemen it caused us to bring in Kendall Simmons and Incognito......both I consider to be qualtiy back players. because of the nature of the injury to Wood I expect him to recover and be back. Levitre got much better as teh season went on and can play multiple positons. Hangman is a C/G combo who is also in the mix.

 

- At Right Tackle we have some options. Butler will probably get the nod when he gets back but I liked what I saw from Jamon Meradith as a straight out road grater OT who fits perfectly at right tackle.......so at the RT position we also have some depth.

 

- At Left Tackle this is where we need to address.....and we need to address it with a starter. BUT we also appear to have some depth with D. Bell who simply is not ready to be a starting OT. I wonder just how much McNeil would command in free agency to plug in at the LT spot....it is probably too much which is why I think this is where our 9th overall selection is going to be used.

 

We are not THAT bad off we just need a like two key OT pieces. Then they have to prove it on the field.

[Adam]

I have been giving it a lot of thought over the past week.

 

- We ARE solid from Guard to Guard......As bad as it was to lose all those linemen it caused us to bring in Kendall Simmons and Incognito......both I consider to be qualtiy back players. because of the nature of the injury to Wood I expect him to recover and be back. Levitre got much better as teh season went on and can play multiple positons. Hangman is a C/G combo who is also in the mix.

 

- At Right Tackle we have some options. Butler will probably get the nod when he gets back but I liked what I saw from Jamon Meradith as a straight out road grater OT who fits perfectly at right tackle.......so at the RT position we also have some depth.

 

- At Left Tackle this is where we need to address.....and we need to address it with a starter. BUT we also appear to have some depth with D. Bell who simply is not ready to be a starting OT. I wonder just how much McNeil would command in free agency to plug in at the LT spot....it is probably too much which is why I think this is where our 9th overall selection is going to be used.

 

We are not THAT bad off we just need a like two key OT pieces. Then they have to prove it on the field.

Move Bell and Hangartner to the bench. Put Wood on the first team at Center and move Butler back to right guard. Pick up a free agent or two at OT and draft Okung if we don't move up to try to get Suh. Our line was terrible, one of the worst I have ever seen. The offensive line finished Jim Kelly's career, short circuited the possible development of Collins, Johnson, Losman and Edwards and made Flutie look worse than he was. It is embarrassing that we have let it go this long- as it has been deteriorating ever since Bill Polian left, despite looking ok for stretches.

[el Tigre]

Great post. I agree on all points,we're not as far off as it seemed. Cutting Langston Walker was the single dumbest move the FO made in the off season,imo. We all debated the Peters trade,but in the end I don't think the guy would have ever worked in Buffalo,so it was best to get something for him. Cutting Walker put a hole in the line that was never patched. It left the team scrambling,and effected depth everywhere along the line. It made no sense. So like you said,we pick up 2 T's,one starting material,and the line could bounce back quickly.

[John from Riverside]

I def think we need to use that 9th pick on a OT.....

 

But the whole "insert QB's name" will just get killed playing behind our OL gets old to me......

 

The season is over for us....its a new day. They can improve that OL immediately if they want to and we did make draft picks to improve it last year.

 

Levitre and Wood were both excellent picks.......We need a LT good enough to hold off another teams best pass rusher without TE blocking help.

[John from Riverside]

Great post. I agree on all points,we're not as far off as it seemed. Cutting Langston Walker was the single dumbest move the FO made in the off season,imo. We all debated the Peters trade,but in the end I don't think the guy would have ever worked in Buffalo,so it was best to get something for him. Cutting Walker put a hole in the line that was never patched. It left the team scrambling,and effected depth everywhere along the line. It made no sense. So like you said,we pick up 2 T's,one starting material,and the line could bounce back quickly.

 

 

This isn't the main point of my post but I want to throw this out there to........I like the idea of Donavan McNabb to Buffalo......but if you are going to do that then show you are serious by FIXING THE REST OF THIS OFFENSIVE LINE

 

How good of a season could TO and Evans had this year if a QB could sell play action and throw down field every once in a while......well.....a GOOD QB anyway

[Adam]

I def think we need to use that 9th pick on a OT.....

 

But the whole "insert QB's name" will just get killed playing behind our OL gets old to me......

 

The season is over for us....its a new day. They can improve that OL immediately if they want to and we did make draft picks to improve it last year.

 

Levitre and Wood were both excellent picks.......We need a LT good enough to hold off another teams best pass rusher without TE blocking help.

They will be good players, but trading Peters was the bonehead of the year move- and no, he isn't the best LT in the league, but would have been worth the money because he would have made us a better team and prevented us from needing to draft his replacement now- and that has been the woe of our team at every position, except the DL, where we pay backups pro bowl money on a regular basis.

 

See if you can find a team that gets its QB's knocked around like we have. I don't think we should start Brohm or a rookie next year- get a veteran to take the abuse while the line develops

[el Tigre]

Anybody know what free agent Tackles will be available this off season?

[John from Riverside]

They will be good players, but trading Peters was the bonehead of the year move- and no, he isn't the best LT in the league, but would have been worth the money because he would have made us a better team and prevented us from needing to draft his replacement now- and that has been the woe of our team at every position, except the DL, where we pay backups pro bowl money on a regular basis.

 

See if you can find a team that gets its QB's knocked around like we have. I don't think we should start Brohm or a rookie next year- get a veteran to take the abuse while the line develops

 

 

yeah I dont want to turn this into a Peters thread and I know you dont either Adam......my opinion on that is I had no problem trading him but there should have been a REAL plan in place to replace him......Bell has talent but was not ready and that proved out I think. Then Langston couldn't handle the no huddle (which we canned anyway) so we went into the season with very little starting experience....sprinkle in a devasting rash of injuries and wallllah you have a OL situation that looked horrible.

 

But what is done is done......out goes Peters and in comes Wood and a solid young pass catching TE......I think what the organization needs to do is pin the whole peters thing on DJ and say nope......we were not in agreement on that but will fix it now (whether it is or isn't true)

 

We MUST secure that LT spot.....bite the lip admit the mistake move on and just fix it.

[Thurman#1]

I have been giving it a lot of thought over the past week.

 

- We ARE solid from Guard to Guard......As bad as it was to lose all those linemen it caused us to bring in Kendall Simmons and Incognito......both I consider to be qualtiy back players. because of the nature of the injury to Wood I expect him to recover and be back. Levitre got much better as teh season went on and can play multiple positons. Hangman is a C/G combo who is also in the mix.

 

- At Right Tackle we have some options. Butler will probably get the nod when he gets back but I liked what I saw from Jamon Meradith as a straight out road grater OT who fits perfectly at right tackle.......so at the RT position we also have some depth.

 

- At Left Tackle this is where we need to address.....and we need to address it with a starter. BUT we also appear to have some depth with D. Bell who simply is not ready to be a starting OT. I wonder just how much McNeil would command in free agency to plug in at the LT spot....it is probably too much which is why I think this is where our 9th overall selection is going to be used.

 

We are not THAT bad off we just need a like two key OT pieces. Then they have to prove it on the field.

 

 

 

Good post, but IMHO, the middle of our line is extremely young and is likely to need till 2011 to really begin to play well (assuming it happens).

 

And Jamon Meredith a road grader? Boy, I must have missed that. I do like Butler at RT as long as he stays healthy.

 

And frankly, at this point I simply don't believe Bell will ever be starting material. I hope I'm wrong, and it wouldn't be the first time, but he didn't look athletic enough for LT or strong enough for RT.