Help me understand something...

[Kelly the Dog]

Ont thing I don't understand is that our line blocked tremendous in the opening game on the road against New England. It was astounding to me. And we blocked pretty damn good overall for the first three games. Then the injuries started to stack up.

 

Now, I have little to no faith in Bell. Green is an average starter and stopgap. So we clearly need an LT and soon a RT. But we actually did block pretty well in the first couple games, and those were Wood and Levitre's first few as pros. Granted, it's not like we were overpowering people all over the field, but there were substantial holes for Freddy, and enough time for Trent to get the ball out of his hands.

[kota]

It's not as green as one would think. Levitre, Hartinger, and Wood are solid. Good front three for hte middle. I can see Jamon Merideth beating about Cornell Green as a starter. LT depends on how quickly Bell recovers from the injury. Who knows maybe Wang will just get it and be a stud day one.

 

It's not as bad as one thinks. I think teams will have trouble Blitzing due to Spiller. If they send the house short game passing becomes key. Spiller can play the slot and go over the middle. This will have to work until a #2 receiver can be found. Hopefully he is on our roster already.

[thewildrabbit]

Levitre played really well in pass protection and decent in the run game. Wood was solid (But not spectacular) in both aspects. Both were rookies on a bad offensive team by getting experience and playing in a better system and having more familiarity with their center they will turn up aces for the team (Assuming Wood comes back healthy).

 

Handy and Green are what they are average pro-lineman but they both have experience which should help the two guards develop. LT is a huge concern unless we make a trade for Gaither.

Not from what I saw, 5 penalties, allowed 2 sacks 9 hits 11 pressures in 968 snaps. 2 games at LT and the rest at LG. He wasn't god awful for a rookie, but he didn't play really well either.

 

All anyone can do is hope he improves with more experience and continuity from the players around him, then again he may not. The entire line is a huge question mark IMO.

[PromoTheRobot]

I dunno about dead last, the Bills had Jim Kelly...

 

They also had a #1 pick for the O line in Jim Richter, then top linemen in Will Wolford and Kent Hull from the USFL, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Fred Smerlas, Shane Conlon and had made that blockbuster trade with the Colts-Rams to secure Cornelius Bennent in 07 around Halloween.

 

Pretty much every Bills fan knew the Bills would be much improved in 88, I know I did as that's the year I started buying season tickets

Maybe it was '87 they picked us last. But I'm sure you recall the Bills were always underestimated in those days. Nobody respected the Bills in the media, even when we dominated the AFC.

 

PTR

[billsfan89]

Not from what I saw, 5 penalties, allowed 2 sacks 9 hits 11 pressures in 968 snaps. 2 games at LT and the rest at LG. He wasn't god awful for a rookie, but he didn't play really well either.

 

All anyone can do is hope he improves with more experience and continuity from the players around him, then again he may not. The entire line is a huge question mark IMO.

 

He only gave up 2 sacks in his rookie campaign pretty dam good. Also 5 penalties is average for an NFL lineman that should go down with more experience in the league. From what my eyes tell me Levitre played really good at times and poorly at times but the good far outweighed the bad.

 

The entire line is a question mark yes. However if you look at what we have compared to last year I think you can get more positive out of it then negative. Green is better then any RT last season after Butlers injury (Also Meridith is a higher quality backup then what we had going into last year).

 

The interior 3 of Levitre-Handy-Wood should be better due to playing 11 games with each other and the two won't be heading into the season as rookies BUT Wood's injury throws that into question.

 

As far as LT goes that throws the line into question. Bell got more starts but is coming off an injury and Wang is a project player.

[Bill from NYC]

I see ESPN and others saying we suck because our O line was green last year and we didn't address it in the draft....so our "green" line, including 2 very solid starters in Levitre and Wood, got experience last year...including Bell who may turn out pretty decent with a real offensive scheme and coaching, would get less "green" by drafting/reaching for linemen who have never played a down in the NFL?...it's not like there was a FA run on stud linemaen this year either.....

 

I feel we are going to surprise some folks this year...it'll be amazing what some consistancy in the scheme/coaching can do....

 

Therein lies the rub. He is small, weak, prone to penalties, and coming off a major injury.

 

It would be GREAT if he turns out to be even a decent player, but the odds appear to be slim from where I sit.

[Dennis in NC]

These Bills remind me of 1988, except we don't have an established QB yet. It all depends on Nix right now. Does the old coot know prime football beef?

 

PTR

It all depends on Nix and Gailey, I might add.

 

I think the improved coaching from an offensive-minded veteran coach will make a big difference in QB play.

 

Offensively, Gailey has a clue -- AND a plan!

 

Last year's mess (firing the OC in August, putting a rookie OC in by default) was disgraceful. The OLine business (cutting your reluctant LT, having no viable option) was equally shameful.

 

I do not believe we will embarrassed by what the Bills do in 2010. Good riddance to the Dick Jauron era.

[thewildrabbit]

He only gave up 2 sacks in his rookie campaign pretty dam good. Also 5 penalties is average for an NFL lineman that should go down with more experience in the league. From what my eyes tell me Levitre played really good at times and poorly at times but the good far outweighed the bad.

 

The entire line is a question mark yes. However if you look at what we have compared to last year I think you can get more positive out of it then negative. Green is better then any RT last season after Butlers injury (Also Meridith is a higher quality backup then what we had going into last year).

 

The interior 3 of Levitre-Handy-Wood should be better due to playing 11 games with each other and the two won't be heading into the season as rookies BUT Wood's injury throws that into question.

 

As far as LT goes that throws the line into question. Bell got more starts but is coming off an injury and Wang is a project player.

Everyone seems to be smitten with the same thoughts about the O line...all they can do is improve!

 

No, they can easily play as poorly as they did last season even with no injuries, they can even play worse. It all depends on who the O line coach is and how much NFL experience he has and what kind of protection schemes he will install.

 

Joe D'Alessandris is the new O line coach and he was an assistant O line coach in KC last year, let's hope he does a good job with this motley crew of greenies.

 

http://www.buffalobills.com/team/coaches/j...7c-98463346bf27

[Thoner7]

The only thing I saw out of Bell last year was why he was considered a "project". He still has a way to go.

 

...were false start and holding penalties

[tennesseeboy]

I see ESPN and others saying we suck because our O line was green last year and we didn't address it in the draft....so our "green" line, including 2 very solid starters in Levitre and Wood, got experience last year...including Bell who may turn out pretty decent with a real offensive scheme and coaching, would get less "green" by drafting/reaching for linemen who have never played a down in the NFL?...it's not like there was a FA run on stud linemaen this year either.....

 

I feel we are going to surprise some folks this year...it'll be amazing what some consistancy in the scheme/coaching can do....

OH GOD!! we are going to be sooooo awesome this year. This offensive line is the best in football history. To think we were able to get CORNELL GREEN from the great OAKLAND RAIDERS!!! And the depth we have! I think we have to win the superbowl easy this year. Undefeated for sure!

[Conch]

I see ESPN and others saying we suck because our O line was green last year and we didn't address it in the draft....so our "green" line, including 2 very solid starters in Levitre and Wood, got experience last year...including Bell who may turn out pretty decent with a real offensive scheme and coaching, would get less "green" by drafting/reaching for linemen who have never played a down in the NFL?...it's not like there was a FA run on stud linemaen this year either.....

 

I feel we are going to surprise some folks this year...it'll be amazing what some consistancy in the scheme/coaching can do....

.it'll be amazing what some consistancy in the scheme/coaching can do....

 

WTF? The coaches and schemes are all new! How is that consistent? Our young players have very little experience and the two vets Brown and Hangartner are not very good. Once the staff is here three years and we saw some progress you could say this but not yet. The coaching staff last year was there for three, now that was consistent, consistently poor but still consistent.

[JohnC]

Therein lies the rub. He is small, weak, prone to penalties, and coming off a major injury.

 

It would be GREAT if he turns out to be even a decent player, but the odds appear to be slim from where I sit.

 

As you indicated Bell was simply overmatched. Rehabbing from a knee injury certainly doesn't help him prepare for the upcoming season. Will the front office address the obvious need for a LT, even if it is a stopgap player? If that doesn't happen then the Bills again are in a very vulnerable positon on offense. Not only do both tackle positions need to be upgraded but depth on line has to be added. Last year was a disaster once injuries occurred. Getting depth players shouldn't be as difficult to acquire as getting an acceptable LT.

 

As many others have previously stated not all the many needs will be met in one draft and offseason. But that shouldn't mean that the OL deficiencies ( especially LT) can't be upgraded before the season begins.

[Roanoke Fan]

I see ESPN and others saying we suck because our O line was green last year and we didn't address it in the draft....so our "green" line, including 2 very solid starters in Levitre and Wood, got experience last year...including Bell who may turn out pretty decent with a real offensive scheme and coaching, would get less "green" by drafting/reaching for linemen who have never played a down in the NFL?...it's not like there was a FA run on stud linemaen this year either.....

 

I feel we are going to surprise some folks this year...it'll be amazing what some consistancy in the scheme/coaching can do....

The O-Line is green. Wood may play again, probably not soon. Levitre was good for a rookie. Bell is a project and a

stretch. We had chances to improve, true they would only fill the hole for a year or two. So, we then draft the best left tackle in the first or second round. So, we take Wang from Va. Tech, he may work out in a few years, but isn't he suppose to play Left Tackle? So, word is he is starting at right tackle, he is a former tight end.

Does anyone really believe our quarterbacks would be as bad as they are with a better than average O-Line? Look, reality is the Bills did not fix the O-Line. So, we will pay for it for another year. Spiller may look great on College tapes, unfortuntely his College O-Line was better than his Pro O-Line when looking at the opposition.

[PJBrown]

.it'll be amazing what some consistancy in the scheme/coaching can do....

 

WTF? The coaches and schemes are all new! How is that consistent? Our young players have very little experience and the two vets Brown and Hangartner are not very good. Once the staff is here three years and we saw some progress you could say this but not yet. The coaching staff last year was there for three, now that was consistent, consistently poor but still consistent.

 

Gailey is an offensive minded coach with a good history. They are implementing the playbook that will be used on game one. They have a plan and everything I see out of OBD this year leads me to give them the benefit of the doubt that they will execute it. Compared to last year's NO HUDDLE - FIRE THE OC right before game one and promote AVP who may someday be a good OC but was thrown to wolves last year, then yes there will be better coaching and consistency this year....and our young players have a year of experience now.....

 

The entire point I am making is that I do not see how we are WORSE than last year's clusterf**k???????

[Whites Bay]

I lost a lot of respect yesterday for John Clayton. Not because he bashed the Bills' offseason, though. But because it's absolutely asinine to try and "grade" an offseason (a) when it's still offseason and (b) before any draftees/FAs have a chance to prove whether or not they're going to be positive contributors. It's the easy/popular thing to do ... "predict" that the Rams and Bills will suck. Wooo ... going out on a huge limb there, guys.

 

And I agree with you .. I think this team is capable of some surprises. This year's Bills will be better than last year's Bills; and that doesn't necessarily translate into a better record. They'll be a better team. And Clayton will be the first one to "report" how they've improved.

 

Understand there IS a god when it comes to sports writers having to eat crow-the-size-of-a-buzzard. I remember when John Feinstein had to suck up to Jim Boeheim after the 2003 NCAA Championship. Really sucks when those feathers go down the wrong way.

 

Don't sweat Clayton's comments about the Bills. He MIGHT be able to find Buffalo on a map. That's about it.

 

Focus on training camp.

[Hossage]

Bell looks the part in his pads but when the whistle blows he plays soft. Like the chick with the hot bod seen at a distance, he looks good from far but is far from good. The Bills front office has had two drafts to bring in a LT, the most important position on the O-line. The position remains a glaring need. What gives?

 

Those are called Mona Lisas. They look fine from far away, until you get a better look.

[mpl6876]

They way I see it. If the Bills don't make a FA move for a LT we are in trouble. At best The OL is Medicore. Wood is going to be really good but we don't know how he is going to respond after that "potential career ending" injury. He is an unknown. Levitre is pretty good but still young and learing. Hartgardner is average at best but at least has experience. Green at RT is below average and holds way too much.

 

Last time I knew most teams don't win many games with an average OL.

[Rob's House]

Not from what I saw, 5 penalties, allowed 2 sacks 9 hits 11 pressures in 968 snaps. 2 games at LT and the rest at LG. He wasn't god awful for a rookie, but he didn't play really well either.

 

All anyone can do is hope he improves with more experience and continuity from the players around him, then again he may not. The entire line is a huge question mark IMO.

 

As a rookie, being shifted around to multiple positions playing along side different, mostly sorry, players all year, I'd say that's pretty good.

[Doc]

Those are called Mona Lisas. They look fine from far away, until you get a better look.

Actually the term is a "Monet." They look good from afar, but up close they're a mess.

 

They way I see it. If the Bills don't make a FA move for a LT we are in trouble. At best The OL is Medicore. Wood is going to be really good but we don't know how he is going to respond after that "potential career ending" injury. He is an unknown. Levitre is pretty good but still young and learing. Hartgardner is average at best but at least has experience. Green at RT is below average and holds way too much.

 

Last time I knew most teams don't win many games with an average OL.

The Bills won 6 games last year with a below average/injured OL. This year Wood and Levitre won't be rookies and Hangartner won't have to cover for their mistakes. At tackle, if they don't suffer the massive injuries they did last year (losing Butler killed them), much less cut their projected starting LT days before the season opener (ugh!), they will be light years ahead of where they were last year. And having a real offensive scheme and not a scheme for which they were ill-equipped (no huddle), ill-prepared (AVP wasn't ready for primetime), and which was scrapped only a few games into the season, will help immensely.

[DrDawkinstein]

Bell looks the part in his pads but when the whistle blows he plays soft. Like the chick with the hot bod seen at a distance, he looks good from far but is far from good. The Bills front office has had two drafts to bring in a LT, the most important position on the O-line. The position remains a glaring need. What gives?

 

I'd argue that Center is the most important position on the line. LT is the most glamorous and gets the most attention. But solid lines always have top-notch Centers. Your Center is the leader of the squad. He makes the reads and calls. The strength of a line is built from the middle out. If you build a solid, consistent core interior (which is what the Bills FO went after by bringing in Wood, Levitre, and Hangartner) then you can get away with "serviceable" Tackles on the outside.

 

Conversely, adding an all-pro LT will not make a poor line that much stronger. Being great on one edge doesnt do anything to help your offense.

 

I definitely agree that Tackle is a position of major need for this team, and that we might not even have any "serviceable" players at the position. But I also understand why the FO has chosen to build the new line this way so far.