Astrobot Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 (edited) I think the NFL's top d-line will come from a short list of 49ers, Texans, Steelers, Giants, Lions, and Bills. If the Bills can stay healthy, I have to rank the Bills in the top 3. Who's got the best D-Line on paper? 49ers: Mudders Isaac Sopoaga, Aubrayo Franklin, and Ray McDonald eat up blockers, allowing Aldon Smith to get sacks. Justin Smith recorded 7.5 sacks of his own. Passing-down DE's Ahmad Brooks, Travis LaBoy, Parys Haralson and Manny Lawson act as linebackers on non-passing downs. Justin Smith is their heart and soul. Texans: JJ Watt, Antonio Smith, Shaun Cody. The Texans are at their most dangerous in passing situations when Watt and Smith move inside and Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed, the starting OLBs, drop down to rush. Barwin and Reed combined for 17½ sacks in the regular season. Both Watt and Reed had 3½ in the playoffs. In Wade Phillips’ first season as defensive coordinator, the Texans set a team record with 44 sacks, and they played their last 13 games, including the playoffs, without the injured Mario Williams. Steelers: Ziggy Hood, Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel with Cameron Heyward Giants: Pierre-Paul, Kiwanuka, Tuck, Umeniora Lions: Avril, Suh/Fairley, Corey Williams, VanDenBosch Edited June 9, 2012 by Astrobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I think the NFL's top d-line will come from a short list of 49ers, Texans, Steelers, Giants, Lions, and Bills. If the Bills can stay healthy, I have to rank the Bills in the top 3. Who's got the best D-Line on paper? The Bills may have a great OL on paper but football games are played on Sunday and on grass (or turf). I for one want to see what they've got in a game before I annoint them. Then I want to see if they can sustain it. The Bengals had a pretty stout line last year and need to be considered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 So ........"if healthy" and "on paper"? why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockinon Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 The Bills may have a great OL on paper but football games are played on Sunday and on grass (or turf). I for one want to see what they've got in a game before I annoint them. Then I want to see if they can sustain it. The Bengals had a pretty stout line last year and need to be considered. Except, he's not talking about the OL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sllib olaffub Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Man for man, which is how I analyze a D-line (although, I know, it actually ends up being a functioning whole - and those two things are different). I just don't see any team with more TALENT on the line than we have, especially if Merriman is healthy. IF Merriman is healthy, we have 4 potential pro-bowlers, guys considered top 3-5 at their positions, or, in other words, a PRO-BOWL line. Mario Williams, undoubtedly a top 3 DE, and Kyle Williams - who I thought, the year before last, was a top 5 DT, Dareus, who is, in my mind, potentially a top 2 or 3 DT in the NFL, and as good as Kyle Williams is, Dareus looks capable of MUCH more. Now, you add an Anderson - who had 10 sacks in the regular season last year! - or a healthy Merriman. Are you kidding me? Sure, the DT's aren't recognized as having been on great run stuffing teams, but those two together should be able to stop anyone from doing a lot of running their way. I really think - when you're analyzing this list - it's the linebackers that end up making the whole better or best. When you think of the Texans, or San Fran, you really can't think of them without the linebackers, because they shift on and off the line. You put the top end linebackers behind Buffalo's line, and there is no doubt who has the best front seven. That is where the Defensive line's are most separated, though, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I think it's tough as with 3-4 vs 4-3 the jobs of down lineman are totally different. I'd say on paper it's giants #1 of the 4 man lines then us and Detroit pretty neck and neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan89 Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 The games have to be played to see how good the D-lines will actually be. If I am going by last year then I have to say the Giants had the best D-line, Tuck, Osi, and JPP are a sick combo and their DT's do a good job of what they are asked to do in the scheme. Granted on paper the Bills D-line has the potential to be a stellar D-line and even one of if not the best D-lines in the NFL. But we have to see how it plays out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rdand12 Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Texans have the long term and recently proven coach. Even though they had cap concerns and made adjustments i worry about them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBaroo Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Lions with only 1 vote? Giants with only a few? Really? We are the best now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan89 Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Its also not really accurate to compare 4-3 D-lines to 3-4 D-lines. 3-4 lines are more so run stuffing gap filling type players. While 4-3 D-lines are more so pass rushing based. Its not really an apt comparison to compare the lines of the Steelers, Texans, and 49ers to the lines of the Giants, Bills, and Lions. Its just apples and oranges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 We have the potential to be the best, but until proven otherwise I'll go with the line where Osi is a back-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
You herd it hear last Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 (edited) move over "steel curtain-monsters of the midway-no name-purple people eater-gang green-fearsome foursome-orange crush-tampa 2-ravens 2000-85 bears"...make room for the..."great circle of wagons"??!?!? Edited June 9, 2012 by madtowntobuffalo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Except, he's not talking about the OL. Typo, but same principle applies. Really not interested in "theoretically" who has the best line. Want to see who it is on Sunday this fall! YMMV PS CAN'T WAIT! We have the potential to be the best, but until proven otherwise I'll go with the line where Osi is a back-up. Good point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBD Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Franklin not on 49ers since 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Over 29 years of fanhood Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 On paper you could argue the bills. Say merrimen returns to probowl form, Mario and Kyle return to probowl form and Darius lives up to the number 3 overall with probowl form, then you have the best front for in the game. I am not suggesting this is reality, but on paper... Why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickelCity Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Hey look this poll says we're the best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 I don't see how anyone can pick a unit that's never stepped on the field together over a unit that just dominated the Super Bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 I don't see how anyone can pick a unit that's never stepped on the field together over a unit that just dominated the Super Bowl. Easy...theoretically if healthy and on paper. Query: do paper cuts count against the health thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogger Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 If we judge the entire rotation buffalo is the best four man front. Kelsey, Merriman, Anderson, Williams, Williams, dareus, Johnson, Edwards and heard could play for any team in the NFL. Fact! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoretalk Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 I honestly can't vote until we get a couple of weeks into the season. There is a home team bias in my system and frankly we don't know if Merriman is healthy enough to really play once the season begins. There is no doubt that this Bills' line if healthy is going to bring some havoc to opposting teams and it has the potential to be the best. Detroit has some character issues but they are still right up on top as are the Giants. Post this again once the season starts and I'll add my vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sllib olaffub Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Yeah, everyone here is echoing the same sentiment - you can't pick us over teams that are proven. I get that, and that's the difference between having conversations like this now, and having them in October. And, as I mentioned before, there is also a big difference between grading individual players, and then how they play as a group. Lots of factors here. I'm writing this because there is another factor I'd like to mention. Certain teams have had success with relatively little known players - the Steelers D-line comes to mind here - and even with teams like the Giants, part of their success comes from the style they play, the way the coach wants them to be. I think this is a really critical factor to keep in mind. What is the defense supposed to play like? What is it supposed to be? If Wannstedt's defense, when he gets it out there and we start seeing games played, is going to be compared, game after game, to an ideal that he has in mind, and these players can live up to that - and if that ideal is a D-line that just wreaks havoc on everyone, then ours might indeed end up tops. We really have to wait and see what type of identity this team has. By mid-season we'll know if they're going to be considered one of the best. I don't know how everyone else feels, but little would please me more about the Bills than if we ended up having one the best defenses in our team's history. It would be great to go from worst to best, and I really love it when teams coming into Buffalo have to worry about being able to score, or keep their QB upright. A great defense goes a long, long way toward creating a sense of a home field advantage, defending our "home". I can't wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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