Pilsner Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Yes, agreed. At least for depth in the higher middle rounds. Now I'm thinking he'll go for a tackle as high as 2nd but could be lower. It's really impossible to predict because who really knows how the other teams will draft. Picks are taken almost on the fly after the first several I would say. The board helps ofcourse but.... this is a skill of adaptation. Who adapts to the changes the best in the limited time allowed. And of course who picks with the best skill but that goes without saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Cat Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 This thread would have a totally different feel if Bell had been re-signed. Yeah...no kidding. That was John's point...not signing Bell was a vote of confidence for Hairston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rstencel Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Well cant say I agree with the assessment that he did well at LT or that he is the LT of the future. Saw a scouting tape breakdown of him, and it was not pretty. He really needs a ton of work, and needs to improve footwork, first step, ability to change directions and technique to be able to play LT without help inside and outside like got most of the snaps last year. He does show tenacity and some good run blocking skills however and looks more like a future quality RT to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Hairston has potential to be a dominate RIGHT tackle. Pet peeve...sorry. You mean dominant right tackle. Anyway -- to the point of the original post, I'm not smart enough to assess LT talent, but I've got to agree with the premise Buddy & Co. feel Hairston is more than just a stopgap measure at LT this season. I'm really starting to lean towards wanting Floyd at that #10 spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainwampus Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I think Hairston is the guy. I saw him get beat a bunch of times, but I'm not concerned. He came off the bench after very little coaching and virtually no offseason training. I predict he'll look better than Bell this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPS Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 My guess is the Bills also sign someone on the downside cheap, like a McNeil, after June 1. I think they are super thin at OT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayboy54 Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I heard Ed Wang is available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainwampus Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Ahhh, I was waiting for the token Ed Wang joke. I almost posted that myself, but I knew someone else would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ganesh Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 This thread would have a totally different feel if Bell had been re-signed. We would all be saying what a good move it was and that Hairston wasn't ready to to be the guy. The Bills wanted Bell back, just not at the $$ he was demanding. If he gets hurt, (a likely possiblity)then the Bills will look good for not paying. If he stays healthy and holds down the fort until Peters returns, the Eagles will look like geniuses. I was hoping we wouldn't have to go OT with our first pick but that looks like a given now. What is interesting is how Media portray stuff. When Bell was the starting LT for the Bills, all the pundits said that the Bills have the worst LT in the league and ridiculed the Bills for not getting a LT in the draft. ONce he goes to the Eagles, there is all praise for the same player and how he will be a huge asset to the eagles OL. Ummm I think no matter what Buddy has to be shopping for a LT to compete with Hariston. Buddy picked Pears, Urbik, and Reinhart off of the waiver wire. While Hariston himself is a 4th rounder. I think Buddy has to make a play for a LT in the first 4 rounds even just as depth at this point. Agree. This team is still short on talent and depth on the OL. Also, Urbik and Wood are coming off season ending injuries. This line needs to gel and play like they played the first five games of last season when they gave ZERO sacks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainwampus Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I liked Bell as a Bill, but I think he'll be a disaster as an Eagle. Seems like Vick is hard to protect. He has poor pocket awareness. The pathetic Bills pass rush looked phenomenal last year agaisnt him. The media is pushing the Eagles like they do EVERY year, dating back to the McNabb days, but they always seem to collapse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in Chicago Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Agree. This team is still short on talent and depth on the OL. Also, Urbik and Wood are coming off season ending injuries. This line needs to gel and play like they played the first five games of last season when they gave ZERO sacks. That is my concern as well. There has been a lot of attention paid to the D side of the ball over the past two drafts and this current FA. While that was fully justified, the offense at this point is more depleted than last year. As for Hairston, I liked the fact that he showed so quickly (in his rookie year) that he can man a tackle spot. Whether he is a long term LT or dominant RT remains to be seen. Another factor is that this FA hasn't thrown out good tackles in the market. Which means the draft remains the only way to stack the roster. One move I disliked last year was letting Hangartner go without adequate replacement for depth. We better not go into this season with a wish and prayers against injury. We need to walk out of this draft with at least one WR and two OL. I dont mind if we shore up the LB and CB corps besides these picks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 My guess is the Bills also sign someone on the downside cheap, like a McNeil, after June 1. I think they are super thin at OT. There is no more magic to the June 1 date. It used to be important when teams cut players on June 1 to manage the cap. It's not a big date anymore, since the players get cut in March because teams don't want to pay big March roster bonuses. McNeil is FA right now, and likely will get signed a week after the draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billsrhody Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I liked Bell as a Bill, but I think he'll be a disaster as an Eagle. Seems like Vick is hard to protect. He has poor pocket awareness. The pathetic Bills pass rush looked phenomenal last year agaisnt him. The media is pushing the Eagles like they do EVERY year, dating back to the McNabb days, but they always seem to collapse. Michael Vick has poor pocket awareness? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artmalibu Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Look for hairston to be much improved, last years lockout prevented him form getting the offseason work a rookie really needs. My GUESS/WANTS are they draft a high round(1st or 2nd)for depth and competition and a later round for practice squad development and emergency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickelCity Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I was very happy with Hairston's performance last year. Like many, I also want to see us take two OTs in the draft, one high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondo in seattle Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 - When Chris Hairston was drafted I didn't expect much from him this past year......I thought we might have another developmental type that might not stick - But then I got a chance to watch him play.......NASTY mean streak...ability to hit fast moving targets....NATURALLY strong in the upper body. - Had better feet then I thought he was going to have - Legs need work - Weight needs to come down - Rookie But all in all....I saw what I needed to see to believe he could man the LT spot this next year and do it well.....I dont know exactly HOW good he is going to be until I see him at about 15 pounds lighter. But I saw enough to understand why he was playing in place of Bell AND why the bills didn't go out of their way to resign Bell. Please understand this....teams dont let start LT's go in free agency unless they know they have a viable plan B....and Hairston is it. This is not a great draft for tackles....the free agent market is weak....and the bills have made not attempts to look at any other OT's in free agency. Why do you think that is? Because they think they have something in Chris Hairston and I tend to agree with them. I appreciate your insights on Hairston. I hate watching the Bills lose and so didn't watch a lot of games he played. However, I have to disagree with the part I bolded. Despite not having a viable Plan B, we let Peters go and he wasn't even a free agent. Sometimes teams do let good LTs go, for salary cap or other reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brainiac72 Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Hairston should be a good RIGHT tackle, which is where everyone said he'd play when drafted. he wasn't too good on the left. the record with him over there bears that out too (2-7 without Bell, 4-3 with him). could he have been worse? yes... he did ok considering. but he'd always be the guy yer trying to upgrade. at best he should be plan B on the left side like he was last year, not plan A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Hairston should be a good RIGHT tackle, which is where everyone said he'd play when drafted. he wasn't too good on the left. the record with him over there bears that out too (2-7 without Bell, 4-3 with him). could he have been worse? yes... he did ok considering. but he'd always be the guy yer trying to upgrade. at best he should be plan B on the left side like he was last year, not plan A. I agree. While Hairston didn't embarass himself at OLT, he's more suited to the right side and as a swing guy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 I think the bills originally thought of Hairston as a right tackle when they brought him in...... I remember seeing a interview with chan last year though that admitted this....then when they got him into camp their impressions quickly changed as they realized that saw Hairston had "much better feet then we had given him credit for" This happens.....when we drafted Jonas Jennings we didn't know what we had their either. To me? It all depends on how seriously he took all this in the offseason.....a 4th round guy with the opportunity to start at left tackle had better not come into camp "pear shaped" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderstealer Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I can't find a link, but I remember Nix or Gailey saying Hairston was "okay" and saying he needs to be more consistent. The Bills either need a starter or need depth. I can't remember the last time we had just 2 OTs play in one year. The Bills have NO plan B at this point. Maybe Buddy's playing a game with his mind in having him think he still has a roster to make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts