For Whom the BELL Tolls

[PDaDdy]

Just wondering what the general temperature is regarding the lack of consistency and performance at the LT position in the last 3 years.

[stony]

Just wondering what the general temperature is regarding the lack of consistency and performance at the LT position in the last 3 years.

 

I think he's avg at best, but wouldn't be surprised in the least if he rebounds with a solid performance this weekend and everyone forgets about last week.

[Green Lightning]

Bell will be a quality back-up but we need an upgrade at LT. The problem is we have 3 other OL positions in worse shape than LT. I don't see an upgrade until the rest of the OL is at least competent.

[PDaDdy]

I know the tired old phrase that it's only preseason but the skies are starting to cloud up. If you have guys that are definite starters you don't experiment with flipping them around like we have been doing. Magic eight ball says out look not so good.

[Fan in Chicago]

I know the tired old phrase that it's only preseason but the skies are starting to cloud up. If you have guys that are definite starters you don't experiment with flipping them around like we have been doing. Magic eight ball says out look not so good.

In the eventuality that Levitre does well at the LT spot and going in with the logic of trying to put your best possible combination, I think the following should be the lineup:

LT Levitre (assuming he plays well at that spot)

LG Rinehart (cos he has shown some degree of promise and frankly we will have no one else)

C Hangman (Wood may be better but we truly suck at the RG spot and Wood is needed there)

RG Wood (see above)

RT Pears (cos we have no one else)

 

No one is optimized for each position but this may be the best combination

[mikef272002]

Well it's obvious the coaching staff Likes Urbik, and Rhineheart as there guards. Obviously Wood a center...I also think Pears has been playing pretty decent at RT, lets admit we haven't heard the guys name called so thats a good thing..I also think they like Levitre, I wouldn't be surprised if we went into the season as this;

 

LT - Levitre

LG - Rhinheart

C - Wood

RG - Urbik

RT - Pears

[BobChalmers]

Well it's obvious the coaching staff Likes Urbik, and Rhineheart as there guards. Obviously Wood a center...I also think Pears has been playing pretty decent at RT, lets admit we haven't heard the guys name called so thats a good thing..I also think they like Levitre, I wouldn't be surprised if we went into the season as this;

 

LT - Levitre

LG - Rhinheart

C - Wood

RG - Urbik

RT - Pears

 

Except that against the Bears, Bell looked great against Julius Peppers and Pears and Urbik were terrible. Shall we panic again next week after Levitre and Rhineheart have a bad game against Jax?

 

Cripes, people - one damned pre-season game. Bell went half the season last year before allowing his first sack. CHILL.

[PDaDdy]

Except that against the Bears, Bell looked great against Julius Peppers and Pears and Urbik were terrible. Shall we panic again next week after Levitre and Rhineheart have a bad game against Jax?

 

Cripes, people - one damned pre-season game. Bell went half the season last year before allowing his first sack. CHILL.

 

So why are we trying Levitre at LT. Sounds like the coaching staff knows something you don't? Have we had a pass catching TE on the left side in 3 years? Bell gets TE and RB help and chips all day everyday.

[mikef272002]

Except that against the Bears, Bell looked great against Julius Peppers and Pears and Urbik were terrible. Shall we panic again next week after Levitre and Rhineheart have a bad game against Jax?

 

Cripes, people - one damned pre-season game. Bell went half the season last year before allowing his first sack. CHILL.

 

I didn't say I don't like Bell, I was suggesting what I felt the coaching staff liked..It is only based on the fact that it seems they want big Guards and like Rhineheart / Urbik and wood in the center of the line..Seems like there trying to find a home for levitre..maybe they would move Bell to RT or even Levitre to RT, who knows...We'll find out Sept. 11th I guess..I am a little frustrated that it's not figured out at this point, but I understand there reasoning also...One thing is for sure, there sending a clear message to the offensive line..!

[The Senator]

Well as long as we're shuffling the entire roster, Chan, can Bell play TE?

[CardinalScotts]

In the eventuality that Levitre does well at the LT spot and going in with the logic of trying to put your best possible combination, I think the following should be the lineup:

LT Levitre (assuming he plays well at that spot)

LG Rinehart (cos he has shown some degree of promise and frankly we will have no one else)

C Hangman (Wood may be better but we truly suck at the RG spot and Wood is needed there)

RG Wood (see above)

RT Pears (cos we have no one else)

 

No one is optimized for each position but this may be the best combination

 

I agree this will be the lineup

[HARCO186]

In my opinion I think Bell will be okay for the season. He's not an all pro and the Bills won't spend the money on a all pro until Ralph is gone because we won't get a franchise qb until then. This being said, the Bills will eventually need a qb. People say luck but I think two years or so more. Until then Buffalo will only get mid level picks with a couple high profile guys to make us some what competitive. Look at the Sabres and tell me the Bills aren't the same. All we can do is hold off and wait on Pegula to buy the Bills after he gets the Sabres the Cup. Sorry but just my opinion.

[Turn Down For Watkins]

Bell is average at best. They definitly need an upgrade at that position but he may be good enough to atleast get us through this yr since theres so many other question marks on that unit. btw.. anyone else feel like Pears has actually been the most consistent lineman so far? it seems that way to me.

[PDaDdy]

I can't drink the Kool Aide any more. I think it's making me sick. We can't wait until we have a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady to get a quality LT. The supposed franchise QB theory doesn't hold water with me. I know I'm grossly exaggerating but if we don't want to be looking for 3 new QBs by week 8 we need to do something.

Edited August 23, 2011 by PDaDdy

[UConn James]

Just wondering what the general temperature is regarding the lack of consistency and performance at the LT position in the last 3 years.

 

It's par for the course of how the entire organization is run.

 

Whatever talent this team manages to find and/or nurture goes elsewhere, they can't attract (or for whatever reason, do not want) talent in free agency (and when they do spend, overpay for known mid-grade mediocrity), and so far it's been a landing spot for college coaches looking to get re-acclimated to the pros because actual winners don't want to work for someone with Ralph Wilson's ownership style.

 

You know, people get mocked here for suggesting that Ralph doesn't like to spend. And whatever rationalization you want to make for why he doesn't spend money getting talent is crap --- at the start of the season, the fact remains that we don't have talent. And it's not only about the $. I wish that were so, because then $ would solve the problem. The problem is the mindset of how the franchise is run. That if the basics are set up --- not the worst, but not the best, something will provide the spark. We've been waiting on the spark for 11 years now, and the only thing they're doing is continuing to wait, hoping that talent will somehow create itself.

 

And the worst thing is how they're screwing with what good we do have on OL. Wood and Levitre are something that should have been built around where they were. Instead, yet again they have to try to make chicken salad out of chicken ****.

 

So you go ahead and respond to this post with a snarky "Ralph is cheap" response, but the fact of the matter is we are the NFL's version of the Kansas City Royals / L.A. Clippers, and he's done little or nothing to change that.

[artmalibu]

I think Chan is trying to start a fire under these guys rears. Playing base o and d against denver gave some of the guys a taste of humble pie. He is trying to get the guys to play angry.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Picked shouldn't have let Peters go but I definitely wasn't drinking the Kool-aid.

 

Except that against the Bears, Bell looked great against Julius Peppers and Pears and Urbik were terrible. Shall we panic again next week after Levitre and Rhineheart have a bad game against Jax?

 

Cripes, people - one damned pre-season game. Bell went half the season last year before allowing his first sack. CHILL.

 

I guess Chan is panicking too, Bell didn't have one bad game, he has a lot of sub-par games and getting owned in practice and by the Broncos was the final straw.

[AthensThunder]

I don't know.2 weeks ago Bell was set in stone and Pears wasn't worthy to play an NFL game.

This week Pears is doing OK and Bell is treading water.

Now I happened to see at least one play where Bell was just standing in space as a DE i think just ran right past him to the QB.

The last time I saw anything that bad was when John Fina played.

Now I would like all you scouts to decide one way or the other,or better yet let the PRO whose job it is to figure it out make his changes while we watch and see if anything gets better.

[LabattBlue]

I wonder how much this guy has to due with the pedestrian play of the OL, along with the game of musical chairs going on with the OL right now?

 

http://www.buffalobills.com/team/coaches/joe-dalessandris/688adbac-4dd4-49d8-be7c-98463346bf27

 

Read his bio and tell me the good ole' boy network isn't alive and well. Nothing like hiring one of your old buddies for a nice NFL gig.

[PDaDdy]

Picked shouldn't have let Peters go but I definitely wasn't drinking the Kool-aid.

 

 

 

I guess Chan is panicking too, Bell didn't have one bad game, he has a lot of sub-par games and getting owned in practice and by the Broncos was the final straw.

 

I guess I should have said I am sick of being offered a big stinking glass of the Kool Aide while others call me all manner of names for not drinking it.