The reason for lack of FA action....

[Bronc24]

Analytics, baby!

[bowery4]

Nice thread.

 

My only issue is that Levitre is a better blocker than Wood, who I hope can make it out of training camp without a major injury. You just shouldn't give up your best blocker when you have the cap room to keep him. Do you think that a well run franchise would do this?

I have no idea if they are a well run organization yet. Judging from past performance, no. But they did say they were making all these changes and have acted a bit differently since so I am hoping so at long last, I hope so.

 

But still, I can't agree with what you said here Bill. Woods is a better center than Levitre is a guard. I think he was a better guard as well. He is excellent at pass pro and run blocking. As much as I liked Andy, he is a little less at both. Wood would be all pro if he stayed healthy. When he is out the line really dropped off. Plus, now Wood calls the line assignments.

Andy was not as strong or limber (although he did do the pulling guard thing well). Eric is all you want in a center, when healthy (which I think is what you are actually truly gripping about here, his health). I also think we have back ups who got some valuable play the last couple of years and although they are tackles, they are flexible enough that it won't kill the team so much (I actually like C. Brown and hope Sanders is healthy this year. Snow IDK, haven't really formed an opinion. I personally liked Rinehart better than Ubrik to be honest, not sure how he got the nod but he did (I do know Nix said Ubrik was on his board back on his draft day, so there is that and the fact that he was a 3rd pick, maybe it is an upside thing). Maybe Rinehart really wasn't right for the new scheme somehow or just was too much of a risk (because of his injury), I am not really sure what to make of it honestly.

Last point, money is tight as Dibs is saying, Nix does find guys for the Oline that don't suck. Marrone has been a lineman and a oline coach, plus we/he has a very good oline coach under him.

They will have a tougher time with a west coast O or with anything that isn't just look and release so we will see more sacks this year in all likelyhood but I still think franchising Byrd and letting Andy hit the market and then not paying what he was offered was the best choice in that situation.

[Bill from NYC]

I have no idea if they are a well run organization yet. Judging from past performance, no. But they did say they were making all these changes and have acted a bit differently since so I am hoping so at long last, I hope so.

 

But still, I can't agree with what you said here Bill. Woods is a better center than Levitre is a guard. I think he was a better guard as well. He is excellent at pass pro and run blocking. As much as I liked Andy, he is a little less at both. Wood would be all pro if he stayed healthy. When he is out the line really dropped off. Plus, now Wood calls the line assignments.

Andy was not as strong or limber (although he did do the pulling guard thing well). Eric is all you want in a center, when healthy (which I think is what you are actually truly gripping about here, his health). I also think we have back ups who got some valuable play the last couple of years and although they are tackles, they are flexible enough that it won't kill the team so much (I actually like C. Brown and hope Sanders is healthy this year. Snow IDK, haven't really formed an opinion. I personally liked Rinehart better than Ubrik to be honest, not sure how he got the nod but he did (I do know Nix said Ubrik was on his board back on his draft day, so there is that and the fact that he was a 3rd pick, maybe it is an upside thing). Maybe Rinehart really wasn't right for the new scheme somehow or just was too much of a risk (because of his injury), I am not really sure what to make of it honestly.

Last point, money is tight as Dibs is saying, Nix does find guys for the Oline that don't suck. Marrone has been a lineman and a oline coach, plus we/he has a very good oline coach under him.

They will have a tougher time with a west coast O or with anything that isn't just look and release so we will see more sacks this year in all likelyhood but I still think franchising Byrd and letting Andy hit the market and then not paying what he was offered was the best choice in that situation.

 

Excellent post. I suppose we can easily agree to disagree wrt Levitre, especially on the specific issue of pass protection. AL has the feet and balance of a left tackle, which he played in college. Many times defenders must have been sure that they had a play on the qb and AL would knock him away from an angle. And while he isn't a hall of fame run blocker, I have zero issues with his performance in this area either.

 

Remember, they were both drafted in the same year. Wood was a late first rounder (AL was a 2nd) so he got a longer deal. It is pure speculation but imo if their draft slots had been reversed, we would be waving goodbye to Wood.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Excellent post. I suppose we can easily agree to disagree wrt Levitre, especially on the specific issue of pass protection. AL has the feet and balance of a left tackle, which he played in college. Many times defenders must have been sure that they had a play on the qb and AL would knock him away from an angle. And while he isn't a hall of fame run blocker, I have zero issues with his performance in this area either.

 

Remember, they were both drafted in the same year. Wood was a late first rounder (AL was a 2nd) so he got a longer deal. It is pure speculation but imo if their draft slots had been reversed, we would be waving goodbye to Wood.

 

Excellent pair of posts.

 

I think durability is an often overlooked quality in an OLman but it shouldn't be. Levitre certainly gets the nod for durability, and for versatility, being able to perform creditably as a LT in a pinch. It's hard to tell if Levitre being out would have the same big impact on line play of Wood being out, simply because Levitre was seldom out.

[bowery4]

Excellent post. I suppose we can easily agree to disagree wrt Levitre, especially on the specific issue of pass protection. AL has the feet and balance of a left tackle, which he played in college. Many times defenders must have been sure that they had a play on the qb and AL would knock him away from an angle. And while he isn't a hall of fame run blocker, I have zero issues with his performance in this area either.

 

Remember, they were both drafted in the same year. Wood was a late first rounder (AL was a 2nd) so he got a longer deal. It is pure speculation but imo if their draft slots had been reversed, we would be waving goodbye to Wood.

 

Well in general I think centers do get more money, when they go FA. But with Woods injury history maybe the Bills feel it is more likely he will be a tad cheaper (although I honestly kind of doubt it unless he is injured again). And I do agree with you that sometimes Andy would make a block from an angle which many guards can't. He was good I think we will miss him. Remember when Chan semi benched him in preseason in 11, I have often wondered what that was about? Especially since the lack of effort in the contract. We may be missing part of the story??

 

Excellent pair of posts.

 

I think durability is an often overlooked quality in an OLman but it shouldn't be. Levitre certainly gets the nod for durability, and for versatility, being able to perform creditably as a LT in a pinch. It's hard to tell if Levitre being out would have the same big impact on line play of Wood being out, simply because Levitre was seldom out.

 

I agree, so many get hurt every year (and the Bills certainly have had really really rotten luck, if it is luck in that department)!

Do you think it is big guys get hurt easier, or the nature of the job? I would love to see stats on this phenomenon. I have a theory that larger breds of dogs die younger and I wonder about how that relates to humans or if it does at all.

[BuffBill]

It's the Bills and Buddy Nix, what do you expect?

[Bill from NYC]

. Remember when Chan semi benched him in preseason in 11, I have often wondered what that was about? Especially since the lack of effort in the contract. We may be missing part of the story??

 

It's one of those things that we will never know. Why did they not suit up T Jax at times after trading for him. I always suspected that there were issues, but who knows?