Jerry Jabber Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2011/1/3/1911103/bills-vs-jets-notes-from-the-o-line#storyjump As we already knew it, Wood & Levitre were the best players on the O-line, while D. Bell was one of the worst. The Bills definitely need some help on the O-line, plus REAL TE's. Buffalo Rumbling's mock pick for the first round is AJ Green. While the Bills need a true difference maker at WR, I really would rather see the Bills go defensive front 7 with the first pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattsox Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Yeah, with all the holes on this team, It might just be smart to concentrate on Offense or Defense in the offseason. Offensive holes is def the LT,RT and TE. Those need to be addressed. On the Defense, we need to decide our identity. Are we 3-4, or 4-3. Then draft, plan accordingly to fit that type of D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Christ.....BELL WAS NOT THE WEAK LINK OF OUR LINE.....and that chart does NOT show that he was..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JStranger76 Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Yes John but it's not like Bell was blowing open huge holes all over the place either. In the end, I believe we can get by with him as long as we truly upgrade the RT and TE position. Real solid players, not depth guys for other teams.......now let us pray...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marauderswr80 Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 but I though Stevie Johnson was the guy for the number 1 spot? Was it his drops and fumbles that made you think otherwise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOKBILLS Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Yes John but it's not like Bell was blowing open huge holes all over the place either. In the end, I believe we can get by with him as long as we truly upgrade the RT and TE position. Real solid players, not depth guys for other teams.......now let us pray...... Maybe not...But he's still young, still improving, and still relatively inexperienced...I can't imagine there is going to be any LT available in the upcoming Draft that could unseat Bell as the Bills Starting LT in 2011...Now over at RT...THAT's a cluster you-know-what...So anyway, I think Bell earns a mini-pass here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderweb Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Christ.....BELL WAS NOT THE WEAK LINK OF OUR LINE.....and that chart does NOT show that he was..... John, I agree. Bell until the last couple games was playing very well. I believe what showed against the Jets Sunday was Fitz was missed more than just his throwing. Fitz make a lot of the line calls and there were 3-4 plays I recall where Bell ended up on a double team against the Jets end and the blizing CB came in totally free. Fitz likely would have seen that and changed his assignment to pick up the blitzing CB/Safety. Overall I'd give Bell higher grades in pass protection than run blocking but that's where he stands today. Bell is currently serviceable and I see a proficient LT for the Bills in Bell. He made giant steps this year over last, and I see no reason he won't improve further especially since his knee will only be stronger this coming year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Who is most serviceable? There are maybe two (wood and levitre) "serviceable offensive linemen and the tackles and tight ends are non-descript. To go into the next season we can live with Fitz, who has proven to be true NFL quarterback, and we have two true running backs (well..one in Jackson and I don't have any idea what Spiller might do with good run blocking) who are crippled by poor offensive line play. Gotta fix that line first and then evaluate what we have at qb and receiver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Yeah, with all the holes on this team, It might just be smart to concentrate on Offense or Defense in the offseason. As opposed to...Ralph's prostate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Yes John but it's not like Bell was blowing open huge holes all over the place either. In the end, I believe we can get by with him as long as we truly upgrade the RT and TE position. Real solid players, not depth guys for other teams.......now let us pray...... No argument on the run blocking JS.....Bell needs to get stronger. But lets keep in mind that the strength of a OL comes from their legs and hips.....he wasn't even healthy enough to start full games until later in the season due to that knee injury. He hasn't even come close to reaching his potential and he is already one of the best pass protectors in the league. I am not understanding yesterday's pass protections which really left him hung out to dry I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LABills08 Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 (edited) I like Buffalo Rumblings and overall I agree with their general logic. I just don't agree with where their logic leads them. I agree that Nix and Gailey will likely take the best player available to them. They are NOT going to stretch for need, which is why I think QBs are out of the conversation unless Gabbard shoots up the draft boards big time. Everyone needs to stop talking about Luck. I highly doubt he declares and if he does, well obviously, he isn't falling to Buffalo. I also generally agree with the thoughts on Fairley, Bowers and Dareus. In that none of them will have true starting roles in this 3-4 defense. Dareus is the best fit bc he is the most versatile, but none of them can play linebacker which IMO is what the team sorely needs right now. Fairley and Bowers are both meant for 4-3's, though I imagine both could survive as DE's in a 3-4. It just wouldn't be the best way to exploit their talents. Also, we should take into consideration that the Bills invested two high draft picks on d-line players last year. And their starting nose tackle is a pro bowl contender. However, despite all of this, I don't think that Dareus/Fairley are completely out ranked by Green talent-wise. The argument that none of these guys have shown consistent success in college, is to me, negligent. That is often the case for highly touted defenders. Orakpo had big question marks too bc of his inconsistencies. And look at Clay Matthews. Point being, sometimes you get Aaron Maybin, sometimes you get a pro bowler, but you can't ignore someone solely bc they haven't performed over the entire course of their playing career. For some of these guys, they start playing college ball when they are 18 or 19. They gain a lot of weight upon arrival and then start learning entirely new techniques. There are a lot of learning curves in that. I think its different for offensive skill players like WRs and RBs who can often get by on raw talent alone. Also, I can't think of the last time that picking a WR helped turn a franchise around. They got their luxury pick last year with Spiller (a pick I still support), but Spiller was at least supposed to be an asset bc he could support in multiple aspects of the game (kick/punt returning, passing game, running game). AJ Green will be a one trick pony (they wouldn't use him to return kicks). And one could easily argue that a rookie WR takes longer to develop than a rookie QB. It just doesn't make anymore logical sense than drafting Newton or Fairley/Dareus. Now, that being said, I get that Rumblings was trying to predict what they think Nix WILL do, not what he SHOULD do. But, if you have the worst run defense in the league and you don't draft someone to help fix that problem, you should probably be fired. I think Nix is aware of just how bad the defense as and will work to fix it. Edited January 3, 2011 by Union2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Lightning Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 No argument on the run blocking JS.....Bell needs to get stronger. But lets keep in mind that the strength of a OL comes from their legs and hips.....he wasn't even healthy enough to start full games until later in the season due to that knee injury. He hasn't even come close to reaching his potential and he is already one of the best pass protectors in the league. I am not understanding yesterday's pass protections which really left him hung out to dry I think. +1 Why waste time on looking for an LT right now? We need a RT (and don't even start the the "move Bell to RT crap) What part don't you get about having 276 yards blasted up your gut by back ups? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cantankerous Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 No argument on the run blocking JS.....Bell needs to get stronger. But lets keep in mind that the strength of a OL comes from their legs and hips.....he wasn't even healthy enough to start full games until later in the season due to that knee injury. He hasn't even come close to reaching his potential and he is already one of the best pass protectors in the league. I am not understanding yesterday's pass protections which really left him hung out to dry I think. Are you serious? Surely you are kidding...one of the best pass protectors in the NFL? LOL!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBillsMagic1 Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Maybe not...But he's still young, still improving, and still relatively inexperienced...I can't imagine there is going to be any LT available in the upcoming Draft that could unseat Bell as the Bills Starting LT in 2011...Now over at RT...THAT's a cluster you-know-what...So anyway, I think Bell earns a mini-pass here... Costanzo from BC would piss on Bell at LT. He is so mobile and big he woul dmake Bell look like a statue or a trunstyle. We Need a true LT, RT and RG keeping Wood at C. We need a TE and our offense woiudl be much improved. Need Fas and draft picks, problem is our defense is even in worse shape and we will eat up drfat pix on DLs and LBs so we can't solve all of our problems within 2 to 3 yrs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djrocks Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2011/1/3/1911103/bills-vs-jets-notes-from-the-o-line#storyjump As we already knew it, Wood & Levitre were the best players on the O-line, while D. Bell was one of the worst. The Bills definitely need some help on the O-line, plus REAL TE's. Buffalo Rumbling's mock pick for the first round is AJ Green. While the Bills need a true difference maker at WR, I really would rather see the Bills go defensive front 7 with the first pick. how was bell horrable? he is green as grass and gave up less than 5 sacks coming off a serious knee surgery?????????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Jabber Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 how was bell horrable? he is green as grass and gave up less than 5 sacks coming off a serious knee surgery?????????????? Did you read the article from buffalorumblings? His marks are amongst the lowest out of all the Bills offensive linemen. He gave up 8.5 sacks this year. Also, read Cooter's comments about Bell's play this year. I know Cooter will give Bell another shot last year due to Bell's health issues this year, so we'll see if he can improve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrobot Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 (edited) http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2011/1/3/1911103/bills-vs-jets-notes-from-the-o-line#storyjump As we already knew it, Wood & Levitre were the best players on the O-line, while D. Bell was one of the worst. The Bills definitely need some help on the O-line, plus REAL TE's. Buffalo Rumbling's mock pick for the first round is AJ Green. While the Bills need a true difference maker at WR, I really would rather see the Bills go defensive front 7 with the first pick. I would like to see a Def pick too. BTW, I ran a simulation with AJ Green as our first pick (because it's Spiller-like it could be a Nix pick). It makes us reach on virtually every pick: 1 3 Buffalo A.J. Green WRF Georgia P9Grab -5 Reach 2 35 Buffalo Allen Bailey DE34 Miami (FL) P2 -3 Reach (good vs run, sacks) 3 67 Buffalo Dontay Moch OLB34 Nevada P2 -9 Reach (Moch rhymes with SMOKE ) 4 99 Buffalo Kendrick Ellis DT34 Hampton P2 -20 Reach 4 107 Buffalo Konrad Reuland TE Stanford P4 +14 Value 5 131 Buffalo Andre Branch OLB34 Clemson P3R -34 Reach (no--take Andy Dalton or James Carpenter OT here) The good news in this draft is that it made New England reach, too. I like Konrad Reuland (one of Luck's many targets at Stanford) even more than Preston Dial at TE. Anyone know who his HS QB was? Mark Sanchez. Edited January 4, 2011 by Astrobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LABills08 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I would like to see a Def pick too. BTW, I ran a simulation with AJ Green as our first pick (because it's Spiller-like it could be a Nix pick). It makes us reach on virtually every pick: 1 3 Buffalo A.J. Green WRF Georgia P9Grab -5 Reach 2 35 Buffalo Allen Bailey DE34 Miami (FL) P2 -3 Reach (good vs run, sacks) 3 67 Buffalo Dontay Moch OLB34 Nevada P2 -9 Reach (Moch rhymes with SMOKE ) 4 99 Buffalo Kendrick Ellis DT34 Hampton P2 -20 Reach 4 107 Buffalo Konrad Reuland TE Stanford P4 +14 Value 5 131 Buffalo Andre Branch OLB34 Clemson P3R -34 Reach (no--take Andy Dalton or James Carpenter OT here) The good news in this draft is that it made New England reach, too. I like Konrad Reuland (one of Luck's many targets at Stanford) even more than Preston Dial at TE. Anyone know who his HS QB was? Mark Sanchez. It makes no sense. The single biggest problem that the Bills have been bad for so long is because they miss on defense. They need to correct that, not shy away from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Christ.....BELL WAS NOT THE WEAK LINK OF OUR LINE.....and that chart does NOT show that he was..... Agreed. The new offensive identity helped, but Bell was NOT a weak point. I would like to see a Def pick too. BTW, I ran a simulation with AJ Green as our first pick (because it's Spiller-like it could be a Nix pick). It makes us reach on virtually every pick: 1 3 Buffalo A.J. Green WRF Georgia P9Grab -5 Reach 2 35 Buffalo Allen Bailey DE34 Miami (FL) P2 -3 Reach (good vs run, sacks) 3 67 Buffalo Dontay Moch OLB34 Nevada P2 -9 Reach (Moch rhymes with SMOKE ) 4 99 Buffalo Kendrick Ellis DT34 Hampton P2 -20 Reach 4 107 Buffalo Konrad Reuland TE Stanford P4 +14 Value 5 131 Buffalo Andre Branch OLB34 Clemson P3R -34 Reach (no--take Andy Dalton or James Carpenter OT here) The good news in this draft is that it made New England reach, too. I like Konrad Reuland (one of Luck's many targets at Stanford) even more than Preston Dial at TE. Anyone know who his HS QB was? Mark Sanchez. Nice work. But you're forgetting the most important "player" in all of this... Tom Modrak is STILL the Director of Scouting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 John, I agree. Bell until the last couple games was playing very well. I believe what showed against the Jets Sunday was Fitz was missed more than just his throwing. Fitz make a lot of the line calls and there were 3-4 plays I recall where Bell ended up on a double team against the Jets end and the blizing CB came in totally free. Fitz likely would have seen that and changed his assignment to pick up the blitzing CB/Safety. Overall I'd give Bell higher grades in pass protection than run blocking but that's where he stands today. Bell is currently serviceable and I see a proficient LT for the Bills in Bell. He made giant steps this year over last, and I see no reason he won't improve further especially since his knee will only be stronger this coming year. Really interesting post. I saw that too (several plays where it looked as though the protection calls were wrong, shades of the 1st 2 games) I concur I give Bell higher grades for pass than run - which is why all the posts suggesting he be Lego'd in as RT have me...doubtful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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