maryland-bills-fan Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 (edited) Many of the mock drafts have the Bills taking one of the top three offensive left tackles in the draft. This has me mystified since we already have a top left offensive tackle in Cory Glenn. Some would argue that, well we could switch Glenn to the right side- I’ll counter with the wise statement that if something isn’t broken, you shouldn’t fix it. Or they would argue that we could really have a buttkicking o-line if we draft a guy good enough to star at LOT and then switch him to ROT. Both of these arugments are very faulty in my view because we would be wasting resources and creating a roster & player problem at ROT. Let me explain. What is true is that the elite or you top offensive tackle is put on the left side, the blind side for the QB, whereas your 2nd best guy plays on the right side. This is because of the fact that a pass rushing DE is less dangerous coming in from the right side of the offense, where the right handed QB can see him and react to him better than if he is coming in from the QB's left side. All things being equal, you put the better guy on the LOT and yes the defenses best pass rushing DE/LB can then move over and attack the weaker ROT, and force the offense to counter with a helper to the ROT. Of course you don’t want the ROT to be the weak link and there is some appreciation that this is becoming a concern in general in the league and with Pears for the Bills. (http://www.buffalobi...e7-7115c5066dea) Okay then, why shouldn’t the Bills draft the very best OT from the top 3 canidates and stick him at ROT? My answer is that the pay scale discrepancy between the LOT and ROT is so large, that you would have to pay that ROT at the prime player LOT rate- something that teams do not do. A better choice to replace Pears is to take a genuine ROT, lower in the draft and pay him well. This means that he would be happy and not doing a Byrd/Peters act on us ASAP and we would pick up another first day draftee and be a stronger team. This year's draft is very well stocked with extra players. We can get a very good ROT lower in the first or at the top of the 2nd round, and ALSO get another first day draft pick. Here are two scenarios: Scenario #1: draft a top 3 OT with pick #9. What you get is a guy who will definitely be able to handle the job. You also are under utilizing this guy and will probably not be paying him LOT money. He will be underpaid and as soon as he can, he will be holding out and wanting to test the market. The average salaries for left and right tackles are $4.7M and $2.4M respectively. (this is for guys on the roster). However for the top players (and you expect one of the top three ROT draftees to be a top player- or you have failed in your draft pick) the situation is that the LOT is much more expensive. http://www.spotrac.c...ackle/limit-25/ shows the following CAP salary hits for the positions; LOT Thomas ($10.9M), Okung $8.7M, Clady $8M, Long $8M..............and the 13th LOT Baker comes in at 3.25M. at ROT the pay scale is different- in order from the highest: Free $3.5M, Loadhold $3.4M, A. Smith $3.0M, Howard $2.8M, Pears $2.75M..... So the top ROT is paid the same as the 13th LOT. If the guy is very good, he will want to be paid for his ability to play LOT and he will want to get to free agency ASAP to be paid value for his work. A solution would be pay him top 5 LOT money- Got an extra $5M and you might keep him happy, but be financially and CAP stressed elsewhere on your roster. Scenario #2......We trade our first round pick (#9) so we don’t get one of the top 3 LOT there. We trade down to the 18th pick in the first and get that pick in both the first and the second round. (I know it doesn’t come out that simply, but anyway for purposes of discussion……)We use pick #18 to get the ROT and the 18th pick in the second round to get the 2nd or 3rd best offensive guard in the draft. We might get players like Zack Martin and Gabe Jackson out of this, rather than an unhappy misplaced LOT. Edited March 23, 2014 by maryland-bills-fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Chris Brown @ChrisBrownBills Mar 19 Our 'On the Clock' draft series driven by Michelin & Dunn Tire is up, w/'Rise of the Right Tackle.' #Bills http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/ON-THE-CLOCK-Rise-of-the-right-tackle/30cbf54d-12e1-46b7-9ae7-7115c5066dea … Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max997 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 people really need to get over the left vs right OT way of thinking because in todays NFL with as much passing as there is it really doesnt matter anymore If the Bills take a tackle at 9 it will be just that, a tackle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPS Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Chris Brown @ChrisBrownBills Mar 19 Our 'On the Clock' draft series driven by Michelin & Dunn Tire is up, w/'Rise of the Right Tackle.' #Bills http://www.buffalobi...066dea … Yep, that answers his question! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealityCheck Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 The "on the clock" series pertaining to RT has an important caveat in it. The RT is on the rise in "spread" offenses. Teams that are focused on the power run game and utilize the TE on the strong side to chip do not share this philosophy. Those teams still value run blocking in their RTs over pass protection. The question is what are the Bills running? If the power running is going to be the bedrock of this team, then drafting a RT in the top ten to be a "dancing bear" simply won't be in the cards. If they intend to move towards the spread then it is obviously on the table. I think that smash mouth running is what Marrone believes in at his core, and so drafting a RT at 9 over a rare skill position specimen just isn't going to happen. The Williams pickup exemplifies to me a fundamental focus on run blocking value over pass protection skills. If a player has good feet, he can in theory be coached up in pass protection. The ability to go hat on hat and blow your man off the ball isn't something that can be taught as easily, if at all. From the second round on, I would expect a Tackle to be taken that has strong run blocking ability and a massive wing span. 90% of the time the TE is going to be there to chip much like last year if necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris heff Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 The "on the clock" series pertaining to RT has an important caveat in it. The RT is on the rise in "spread" offenses. Teams that are focused on the power run game and utilize the TE on the strong side to chip do not share this philosophy. Those teams still value run blocking in their RTs over pass protection. The question is what are the Bills running? If the power running is going to be the bedrock of this team, then drafting a RT in the top ten to be a "dancing bear" simply won't be in the cards. If they intend to move towards the spread then it is obviously on the table. I think that smash mouth running is what Marrone believes in at his core, and so drafting a RT at 9 over a rare skill position specimen just isn't going to happen. The Williams pickup exemplifies to me a fundamental focus on run blocking value over pass protection skills. If a player has good feet, he can in theory be coached up in pass protection. The ability to go hat on hat and blow your man off the ball isn't something that can be taught as easily, if at all. From the second round on, I would expect a Tackle to be taken that has strong run blocking ability and a massive wing span. 90% of the time the TE is going to be there to chip much like last year if necessary. I think based on what you have posted and what Maryland has posted it makes it unlikely the take a tackle at nine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dopey Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Thank you. I second that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryland-bills-fan Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 people really need to get over the left vs right OT way of thinking because in todays NFL with as much passing as there is it really doesnt matter anymore If the Bills take a tackle at 9 it will be just that, a tackle I don't agree. What do you suggest paying the guy, once he is past the rookie contract. $5-10M to play ROT, where the next highest ROT is going for $3.5M? There are 32 NFL teams that don't agree with your approach. A $4M offer? If he is a top 9 pick and one of the rare people who can play LOT well, he is out of here in a heartbeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Bills Fan Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 (edited) NFL Draft rumor: Bills hoping Matthews falls to them http://fansided.com/...matthews-falls/ CBF Edited March 21, 2014 by Canadian Bills Fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I don't agree. What do you suggest paying the guy, once he is past the rookie contract. $5-10M to play ROT, where the next highest ROT is going for $3.5M? There are 32 NFL teams that don't agree with your approach. A $4M offer? If he is a top 9 pick and one of the rare people who can play LOT well, he is out of here in a heartbeat. Worst case scenario: the guy performs well enough to play LT...the team would've gotten 5 years of excellent play from their RT...that's not a bad thing. That said, I don't think there's any urgency to draft a RT at 9th overall...it's a deep class, and the RT position falls behind WR, TE, and LB in terms of need IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I don't agree. What do you suggest paying the guy, once he is past the rookie contract. $5-10M to play ROT, where the next highest ROT is going for $3.5M? There are 32 NFL teams that don't agree with your approach. A $4M offer? If he is a top 9 pick and one of the rare people who can play LOT well, he is out of here in a heartbeat. That's because they don't have 2 OTs worth that much. The cap is going up. I think things will change in the future with these OTs and yes, if a team is lucky enough to have 2 really good OTs, they will pay them what they think they are worth to the team which could be higher than what RTs have made in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPS Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 NFL Draft rumor: Bills hoping Matthews falls to them http://fansided.com/...matthews-falls/ CBF I wouldn't call that a rumor. They quote a writer from the B-news who think "it would be hard for the Bills to pass him up if he's there." They might as well come to TBD for rumors... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max997 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I don't agree. What do you suggest paying the guy, once he is past the rookie contract. $5-10M to play ROT, where the next highest ROT is going for $3.5M? There are 32 NFL teams that don't agree with your approach. A $4M offer? If he is a top 9 pick and one of the rare people who can play LOT well, he is out of here in a heartbeat. you dont pass on a player because you are worried about what it would take to resign him in 5 years, thats just ridiculous logic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Bills Fan Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I wouldn't call that a rumor. They quote a writer from the B-news who think "it would be hard for the Bills to pass him up if he's there." They might as well come to TBD for rumors... Fair enough lol CBF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max997 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 (edited) That's because they don't have 2 OTs worth that much. The cap is going up. I think things will change in the future with these OTs and yes, if a team is lucky enough to have 2 really good OTs, they will pay them what they think they are worth to the team which could be higher than what RTs have made in the past. excellent points The "on the clock" series pertaining to RT has an important caveat in it. The RT is on the rise in "spread" offenses. Teams that are focused on the power run game and utilize the TE on the strong side to chip do not share this philosophy. Those teams still value run blocking in their RTs over pass protection. The question is what are the Bills running? If the power running is going to be the bedrock of this team, then drafting a RT in the top ten to be a "dancing bear" simply won't be in the cards. If they intend to move towards the spread then it is obviously on the table. I think that smash mouth running is what Marrone believes in at his core, and so drafting a RT at 9 over a rare skill position specimen just isn't going to happen. The Williams pickup exemplifies to me a fundamental focus on run blocking value over pass protection skills. If a player has good feet, he can in theory be coached up in pass protection. The ability to go hat on hat and blow your man off the ball isn't something that can be taught as easily, if at all. From the second round on, I would expect a Tackle to be taken that has strong run blocking ability and a massive wing span. 90% of the time the TE is going to be there to chip much like last year if necessary. if that is the case and with Glenn being as good as he is in the running game wouldnt moving him to RT be something to consider if you can get a guy like Matthews or Robinson to play the left side? for the record im not suggesting they move Glenn just something to consider based on your points Edited March 21, 2014 by Max997 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangarang Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 NFL Draft rumor: Bills hoping Matthews falls to them http://fansided.com/...matthews-falls/ CBF This makes sense. Whaley and 3 scouts did attend A&M's pro day where Manziel and Evans didn't participate. I'd imagine all eyes were on Matthews and rightfully so. The guy is going to play at a high level for the next 10 years for the team lucky enough to draft him. He's by far the safest pick in the draft and more than likely BPA if he's available at 9. I'd be thrilled if we landed him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonborn10 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 If no trade down take BPA. If that is OT then play him at RT and upgrade the line. If it is Watkins then upgrade at WR. Ebro may be a reach at 9 maybe not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombstone56 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 WITH the increase of pass rushers many teams have equal talent coming off both sides from the DE s ,,J Matthews played right tackle till his last year i think, nowadays both tackles need to be top shelf more than in the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filthymcnasty08 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Taking Matthews is a zero risk and tremendous value at 9. Bills=better immediately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealityCheck Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 excellent points if that is the case and with Glenn being as good as he is in the running game wouldnt moving him to RT be something to consider if you can get a guy like Matthews or Robinson to play the left side? for the record im not suggesting they move Glenn just something to consider based on your points Great question. If they managed to get either of those guys, which I think is impossible without trading up, I would assume that the LT spot would be based on competition through the preseason. Perhaps swapping sides in practices and pre-season games to see what combination works best. Cordy looks to me like he would be an absolute beast on the right side, but someone would have to genuinely beat him for the spot on the left side. The top LTs are easy to focus on, just like Cordy Glenn was easy to not focus on as a LT while being heralded as just a quality guard entering the draft. I am more curious as to whether anyone under the radar has the tools to get it done at RT outside of the first round. It would be a wonderful problem to have if they could find a Tackle that can out play Cordy on the left side. That would mean truly great things for the entire offense. I am a big Glenn fan also. Like you, I like him where he is. It's rare to have a LT that can pass protect and run block at his level. He still has upside too. Is their anybody you like that may be available later in the draft that can rock'n roll on the right side? I haven't looked at many of these guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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