Left Tackles

[dailar]

If we dont select a tackle in round one who could we look to pick up at that position in later rounds. I, like a lot of people here, think they will reach for Tebow in the first.

[OldTimer1960]

Not really a lot available at LT after round 1 this year. I guess the best of the bunch that might be

around after the first are:

 

Vlad Ducasse U Mass - Now, some questioning if he is good enough to play LT, more a RT or G

Roger Saffold - Indiana - Played LT in the East-West Shrine game and was reportedly very athletic - finesse guy

Charles Brown - USC - Finesse LT, think he is a converted TE

 

Beyond these guys I think you are wishing and hoping rather than finding a good prospect to play LT.

[dailar]

Just thinking on my feet here and I know a lot of people dont want him but if we do select Tebow would that negate the problem of getting a top notch LT as he's a leftie? Please pardon my ignorance here.

[Pygskin36]

Just thinking on my feet here and I know a lot of people dont want him but if we do select Tebow would that negate the problem of getting a top notch LT as he's a leftie? Please pardon my ignorance here.

pretty much... Only you still need a guy that can handle speed rushers on both side bc a lot of the leagues best pass rushers are on the left side of the offense(right d end)

[Bob in STL]

If we dont select a tackle in round one who could we look to pick up at that position in later rounds. I, like a lot of people here, think they will reach for Tebow in the first.

 

 

If we draft a LT in later rounds he it will be developmental guy and starting him now would be as disasterous as last year with Bell at LT.

 

If we draft a LT in round 1 you can still expect him to struggle at times.

 

To me, Tebow is a 3rd round experimental pick, no more. Since we are not going to sign anyone significant in this draft we have to find starters in the first few rounds.

[Green Lightning]

If we dont select a tackle in round one who could we look to pick up at that position in later rounds. I, like a lot of people here, think they will reach for Tebow in the first.

 

 

Gee, that's a great idea. Let's pass on players that will start from day one and be a mainstays for a decade and instead use our first round pick for a quarterback that has to learn to throw all over again just to get drafted.

 

Maybe after a few years he might get to play! Yeah, Tebow would be great - people know his name and he was on a commercial and everything!!!!!!

 

I love this plan.

[JohnC]

Not really a lot available at LT after round 1 this year. I guess the best of the bunch that might be

around after the first are:

 

Vlad Ducasse U Mass - Now, some questioning if he is good enough to play LT, more a RT or G

Roger Saffold - Indiana - Played LT in the East-West Shrine game and was reportedly very athletic - finesse guy

Charles Brown - USC - Finesse LT, think he is a converted TE

 

Beyond these guys I think you are wishing and hoping rather than finding a good prospect to play LT.

 

I would go with Rodger Saffold in the second round. He is a versatile player who can also play guard. Whether the Bills draft a LT in the first or second round the rookie is going to struggle. It's part of the learning process that is going to take time. Developing Peters and not being able to keep him has set this OL and offense back. By stil having to fill this critical line position it has even had a negative affect on our defense because our first draft pick this year could have been used for an impact defensive player. It goes to show you how one personnel miscalculation can have a mulitplier affect on a team.

 

The major problem with the Bills is that they don't add talent as much as they replace talent. It' like being on a treadmill with a lot of motion without getting anywhere.

[Thurman#1]

pretty much... Only you still need a guy that can handle speed rushers on both side bc a lot of the leagues best pass rushers are on the left side of the offense(right d end)

 

 

 

Not sure I agree with that. Yeah, he can see them coming, but basicallly, most defenses aren't going to switch the scheme around based on whether the QB is left-handed or right-handed. That means that even if your QB is a lefty, the Joey Porters, Elvis Dumervils, Freeneys, the DeMarcus Wares, whether they are playing a 3 - 4 and are ROLBs or a 4 - 3 and are RDEs, they consistently line up across from the offensive left tackle.

 

In this list of the top sackers last year, eight of the top ten lined up over the LT, and the two who didn't, Orakpo and Woodley, both have a guy with almost as many sacks on the other side of the line (Woodley, with 13.5 sacks, has Harrison across from him with 10, and Orakpo is tied with 11 sacks with Andre Carter who lines up over the LT).

 

So the LT faces the defense's top sack guy, and that makes him always important.

 

Now, occasionally teams will switch up. Last year when Carolina played Philly, for example, they were so frustrated with the way that Jason Peters stone-walled Julius Peppers that they eventually switched Peppers over to LDE, where he did much better, getting a sack. That kind of thing happens occasionally, but is NOT a regular occurrence.

[Doc]

I would go with Rodger Saffold in the second round. He is a versatile player who can also play guard. Whether the Bills draft a LT in the first or second round the rookie is going to struggle. It's part of the learning process that is going to take time. Developing Peters and not being able to keep him has set this OL and offense back. By stil having to fill this critical line position it has even had a negative affect on our defense because our first draft pick this year could have been used for an impact defensive player. It goes to show you how one personnel miscalculation can have a mulitplier affect on a team.

The Bills handled the Peters situation correctly. His eating-up $10M/year for the Bills wouldn't have led to them making the playoffs, just like his presence on the Eagles didn't lead to them making the playoffs, although it had a hand in them making an early exit from them.

[Astrobot]

Yes, totally agree. Here's where we have them going:

1 14 Seattle Charles Brown OT (after Bills in RD1)

2 36 Kansas City Vladimir Ducasse OG (before Bills in RD2)

2 56 Green Bay Selvish Capers OT (after Bills in RD2)

2 59 Dallas Rodger Saffold OT (after Bills in RD2)

 

We have Capers now ranked 98th and falling, so that's a major reach for GBay, who may realize this and draft OT in RD1 instead--actually removing one more OT available by RD2.

 

From beandog at DraftTek, just after the combine:

Russell Okung came away from the combine as the clear cut number one tackle after measuring in at 6’5” 307 with extremely long 36” arms and 38 reps. All that to go along with his good game tape and nasty demeanor makes him a top 5 prospect.

Bryan Bulaga also had a good showing at the combine, particularly showing his arms were plenty long enough to play outside.

Trent Williams showed surprising athleticism, causing many teams to rethink the consensus that he is a pure RT.

Bruce Campbell was the star of the combine after showing freakish athleticism but he is very inconsistent and looks like a mid rounder on the field but someone will draft him high because of his potential.

Anthony Davis on the other hand may have had the worst combine. He affirmed the notion that he has little work ethic by showing up flabby and performing poorly in all the drills. He is a little inconsistent on film and may be better suited at RT on the next level so he could fall into the teens without a strong pro day.

Charles Brown weighed in bigger than expected at the combine and is potentially the top Zone Blocking Scheme lineman so he could hear his name in the first round but is likely to go within the first 10 picks of the second because of his ability to play LT.

Rodger Saffold is a guy that continues to prove his doubters wrong and although his best fit may be inside, he has the tape and post-season workouts to justify getting looks at tackle.

Jared Veldheer is another one of those small school guys that people are falling in love with that will likely be over-drafted due to hype and potential.

Jason Fox, Kyle Calloway, Ciron Black and Selvish Capers all were highly regarded in college that have their strengths and weaknesses but should all come off the board in the middle rounds.

Tony Washington and Derek Hardman are two other small school sleepers that are bound to get looks on potential Ed Wang, Chris Scott, Sam Young, and Adam Ulatowski are all late round swing tackles.

Tyler Eastman and James Williams are two small school guys from New England that had impressive college careers that have starting potential if given time to develop.

Sleeper: Paul Jasinowki, Brown (UDFA) – A bit undersized, Jasinowski comes in at 6’5” 285 pounds but he has the room on his frame to bulk up into the 300 pound range. Jasinowski was the leader of a Brown offensive line that gave up only 7 sacks this year. A two time unanimous All-Ivy League, and second team Academic All-American selection, he was recruited by some bigger schools out of high school (Boston College, Duke, Maryland) but chose Brown because of its academic prowess. Has good feet and agility and has the athletic ability to play in a zone blocking scheme but could also bulk up and play in a power run game as well.

[Albany,n.y.]

If we dont select a tackle in round one who could we look to pick up at that position in later rounds. I, like a lot of people here, think they will reach for Tebow in the first.

There's no way in the world the Bills are using pick 9 on Tebow. I think years of bad decisions have conditioned you to expect the worst, but Nix knows enough about football that he's not putting the team's future in the hands of a guy who has to change his entire game and there's no live competition to test his new game against. Unless the Bills put 11 on 11 in Tebow's workout & make it a multi-hour thing, he's not getting selected by this team. Now if he's still around in the 3rd round, you might toss the dice on him, but at pick 9, guaranteed not to happen.

[earthtobrint]

There's no way in the world the Bills are using pick 9 on Tebow.

 

I think (almost) all of us already understand that. The question dailar asked about tackle prospects outside of the first round is still valid. We might go NT in round one and only the top five LT prospects are known by the majority of fans.

[JohnC]

The Bills handled the Peters situation correctly. His eating-up $10M/year for the Bills wouldn't have led to them making the playoffs, just like his presence on the Eagles didn't lead to them making the playoffs, although it had a hand in them making an early exit from them.

 

No one O-lineman is going to lead a team to the playoffs with the exception of the qb position. The LT position is a high cost position. He would have been getting the market rate for the position and caliber of player he was. If the Bills didn't foolishly overypay for Dockery and Walker, both mediocre talents, then the money issue wouldn't have been so much of an issue.

 

My primary point about Peters is that when he departed the Bills had to go back and replace him instead of addressing other critical needs. The Bills had no reasonable fallback position to fill the vacancy from his trade. A good approach would have been to draft Ohrer with our first round pick and then with the pick acquired in the trade the Bills got Woods. A Woods/Ohrer combo would have been a terrific option for the team.

 

NKM, the Bills have been one of the worst teams in the NFL for a very long time. It is not because they make wise personnel decisions!

[SuperKillerRobots]

If we draft a LT in later rounds he it will be developmental guy and starting him now would be as disasterous as last year with Bell at LT.

 

If we draft a LT in round 1 you can still expect him to struggle at times.

 

To me, Tebow is a 3rd round experimental pick, no more. Since we are not going to sign anyone significant in this draft we have to find starters in the first few rounds.

 

Hate to say it, but I think they coaching staff will give D Bell a long look at LT before the draft and into training camp.

[Bill from NYC]

Hate to say it, but I think they coaching staff will give D Bell a long look at LT before the draft and into training camp.

 

I sure hope they are not that stupid.

[BB-Gun]

Hate to say it, but I think they coaching staff will give D Bell a long look at LT before the draft and into training camp.

I have no problem with the Bills giving Bell a long look. They would be foolish if they did not. You have to examine all options.

Bell has the physical ability to play there. He has some experience now. He looked good against pass-rushers trying to go wide on him. That shows his speed and quickness. His problem was with double moves and bull rushes to his right. That can be fixed with more experience and strength training. This is not a guaranty, but it is possible. That sure would put the Bills in a good position.

[Bill from NYC]

I have no problem with the Bills giving Bell a long look. They would be foolish if they did not. You have to examine all options.

Bell has the physical ability to play there. He has some experience now. He looked good against pass-rushers trying to go wide on him. That shows his speed and quickness. His problem was with double moves and bull rushes to his right. That can be fixed with more experience and strength training. This is not a guaranty, but it is possible. That sure would put the Bills in a good position.

 

They should give Bell a long look, except I'm referring to the seagulls at the nearest landfill, for which he more suited for than to be a LT in the NFL.

[dailar]

Gee, that's a great idea. Let's pass on players that will start from day one and be a mainstays for a decade and instead use our first round pick for a quarterback that has to learn to throw all over again just to get drafted.

 

Maybe after a few years he might get to play! Yeah, Tebow would be great - people know his name and he was on a commercial and everything!!!!!!

 

I love this plan.

 

I dont see anywhere where I said this is what the Bills should do. I am just asking if they do take Tebow is there anyone of any value later in the rounds?

 

Astrobot, thanks for the analysis. There does seem to be some depth if the do pass on a tackle in the first round. Personally I hope they will trade back as much as possible and get as many 2nd and third rounders out of it as possible.

[Doc]

No one O-lineman is going to lead a team to the playoffs with the exception of the qb position. The LT position is a high cost position. He would have been getting the market rate for the position and caliber of player he was. If the Bills didn't foolishly overypay for Dockery and Walker, both mediocre talents, then the money issue wouldn't have been so much of an issue.

Sorry but even without Dockery and Walker, Peters would still have demanded to be paid like a top LT, which at the time was ~$10M/year. And while he had a good season in 2007, he's been far from a top LT the other years, and he's gotten hurt the past 3 years.

 

My primary point about Peters is that when he departed the Bills had to go back and replace him instead of addressing other critical needs. The Bills had no reasonable fallback position to fill the vacancy from his trade. A good approach would have been to draft Ohrer with our first round pick and then with the pick acquired in the trade the Bills got Woods. A Woods/Ohrer combo would have been a terrific option for the team.

The Bills planned on using Walker at LT. As I said before, cutting him right before the season started, or not grooming Bell much earlier, was the Bills' mistake. And Oher would have played RT, which is where they had Butler playing, until he got injured.

NKM, the Bills have been one of the worst teams in the NFL for a very long time. It is not because they make wise personnel decisions!

I can't disagree with you here. But not every move they've made was a bad one.

[DanInSouthBuffalo]

I like Saffold as a 2nd round value pick. Where he ends up actually playing on an NFL line is anyones guess.

 

Tebow will be drafted by the Pats if they keep all three of those 2nd round picks.

 

 

Gil Brandt's OT sleeper pick: Jared Veldheer

 

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