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Bills FA options at Right Tackle


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Now that Wagner is gone, what should we do at RT? The draft options beyond the first round are quite bleak this year for finding a this year starter. Even the idea of experimenting by putting Glenn on the right and Kujo on the left is in doubt since we don't know how Kujo's injury may effect him when he comes back. Henderson never was that good before his health issues, and he is on suspension. Mills just was simply poor.

Is Reiff an option? He has said he wants to be a starting LEFT Tackle. Even though when he was drafted the scouts had him at RT because of his arm reach. I don't see anyone else as an option beside him.

Should we instead just look for a quality older vet for a very short term one year fix like a Vollmer or Smith (if he isn't toast from his injuries) and hope next year's draft has better depth at RT?

With a decent RT the Bills could have a top 5 OL in 2017 to protect our QB and let our run game run on all cylinders, since we have thrown in the towel on the passing game by taking the option on TT.

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Is there some reason that this is not an option? Are they worried about hurting Glenn's feelings? I guess we don't know.

 

I believe it is an option--in fact it could be Plan A now that Wagner is off the market.

 

As to FAs, I would kick the tires on a few vets. Sebastian Vollmer would be at the top of my list if he's healthy.

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That would be a shocking and upsetting situation.

This is a nightmare option. If that was the case our 2017 OL could even be worse than it was in 2016 with Mills.

Is there some reason that this is not an option? Are they worried about hurting Glenn's feelings? I guess we don't know.

Forget the Glenn feelings. The reason we want to move him to the right is the belief that Kujo can't play right because of a previous leg injury. He is not even recovered from his hip injury yet. Who knows how how will it affect his play when he comes back, and will it be compounded with the previous leg injury. It was a risky experiment before. Now the risks have been increased 10 fold.

Who are the remaining possibilities on the market for RTs?

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/tackle/

Edited by simpleman
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I'm nervous about RT too and think that Reiff, if he can be signed at the Sportrac valuation, would be a nice, solid pick-up.

 

FWIW--PFF has Reiff graded as the 7th best FA tackle slightly edging out Remmers (who we know has the Carolina tie) and is a baby-step above Jake Long (coming off an Achilles injury who was lost for the season in November) and Will Beatty (another injury risk--played 7 snaps last year after coming back from a missed 2015 season and though the Giants need o-line help too--no one mentions Beatty who was once their LT of the future). Only FA tackles left in our price range coming off decent years with significant snaps last year are Reiff and Remmers. Please get one of them signed ASAP (Ducasse seems to be a Juan Castillo reclamation project/depth guy--Jets fans were so upset he didn't pan out ).

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Reiff is best remaining option and the name im hoping to hear today

I agree, but the problem is that I read in multiple places one of the major reasons be did not resign was he did not want to start at RT, but LT. He might choose to sign at LT somewhere over right tackle, even if it was slightly less. Would we even agree to that, and would he believe us?

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Why should the Bills flip their top OT to the right side to accommodate a 2nd round pick who hasn't earned his way onto the field for the 2 previous coaching staffs?

 

Um, because it would get their best 5 on the field?

 

Cyrus acquitted himself nicely at LT last year...if Glenn needs to move for a year because (a) he's capable of it and (b) it gets their two best tackles on the field, what's the big deal?

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Kouandjio played (more than half his season's snaps) when Glenn was injured the final 3 games of the season. And if the team is searching for RT's as reports suggest, it tells me they're not considering the option of playing Glenn at RT to allow CK to play the other side. And why would they? It makes little sense to pay Glenn 60M for a position that typically has TE help.

 

And I've never heard of a swing OT who can't play the right side.

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The sad tthing is the RT position doesn't even need dominant play, you just need an adequate reliable guy there, Whaley has drafted both Kouandjio/Henderson who both weren't good on the right side and Mills was awful as well, how can you not even find an adequate blocker at RT after numerous tries? There is no way we should spend over 5M on the RT position but that's just my opinion.

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Kouandjio played (more than half his season's snaps) when Glenn was injured the final 3 games of the season. And if the team is searching for RT's as reports suggest, it tells me they're not considering the option of playing Glenn at RT to allow CK to play the other side. And why would they? It makes little sense to pay Glenn 60M for a position that typically has TE help.

 

And I've never heard of a swing OT who can't play the right side.

 

This is hardly as complicated a situation as you're making it.

 

It really means absolutely nothing whether Glenn plays RT or LT; the point you seem to be making is that your RT shouldn't ever be making more than your LT. That doesn't mean a thing on the field; what's important is getting your 2 best tackles on the field.

 

Kouandjio clearly doesn't feel comfortable using his left leg as his push-off leg in pass protection, so he needs to play the left side to be effective.

 

The point is really, really simple: if you can put together a solid 5 with the guys on your roster, do it.

 

The bonus is that you don't have to go out and find a LT if/when Kouandjio gets LT money in FA next offseason--in fact, he'd probably bring a whopper of a compensatory pick. It also gives you an entire season to find a groom someone to take the RT job next year.

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Not at all.

 

The guy is getting paid like a LT, so why on earth would he care about kicking to the other side for a year?

 

That makes no sense.

It could be argued by his agent that playing RT diminishes his future value since LT is paid higher.

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Listening to the John Murphy show, Donald Jones thinks maybe Ryan Groy could be an option at RT. Never thought of that. Has RT size at 6'5" 320. Played damn well at Center in a pinch. Probably better than Jordan Mills right now, lol.

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Um, because it would get their best 5 on the field?

 

Cyrus acquitted himself nicely at LT last year...if Glenn needs to move for a year because (a) he's capable of it and (b) it gets their two best tackles on the field, what's the big deal?

 

CK looked very solid at LT last year. I think he would be an average to slightly above average LT.

 

Conversely.. he has looked bad whenever the team has switched him to the Right Side.

 

Totally fine with flipping Glenn to RT.. and I don't think he would care too much as he already got his big money LT contract.

 

All that said.. looks like Vlad the Impaler is front runner for RT job right now. The RT crop in the draft looks weak. I suppose you could argue that Cam Robinson or Ramcyk would be better than Ducasse at RT.. but I'm not sure about that and I don't think I'd be drafting a RT in the first few rounds if I'm the Bills

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It could be argued by his agent that playing RT diminishes his future value since LT is paid higher.

 

And I would tell his agent that he's in the 2nd year of a 5-year contract, that he'll be moved back to LT next season, and to perhaps focus on one of his other clients that is at least somewhere closer than a half-decade away from his next shot at FA.

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It could be argued by his agent that playing RT diminishes his future value since LT is paid higher.

 

He already got his big $ LT contract .. it's unlikely he'll get another one so what does he care if he plays RT

Listening to the John Murphy show, Donald Jones thinks maybe Ryan Groy could be an option at RT. Never thought of that. Has RT size at 6'5" 320. Played damn well at Center in a pinch. Probably better than Jordan Mills right now, lol.

 

I want Groy at Center and cut Eric Wood to save $4 mil or so this year.

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Listening to the John Murphy show, Donald Jones thinks maybe Ryan Groy could be an option at RT. Never thought of that. Has RT size at 6'5" 320. Played damn well at Center in a pinch. Probably better than Jordan Mills right now, lol.

 

I actually wondered that myself...didn't Groy play some T at Wisconsin?

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Completely agree. This whole "LT is more important than RT is nonsense. Both positions are equally important. Glenn's getting paid so try RT one season and let's see Kujo on the left side. 5 best OL'so on the field. What a concept. If your feelings are hurt, tough.

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This is hardly as complicated a situation as you're making it.

 

It really means absolutely nothing whether Glenn plays RT or LT; the point you seem to be making is that your RT shouldn't ever be making more than your LT. That doesn't mean a thing on the field; what's important is getting your 2 best tackles on the field.

 

Kouandjio clearly doesn't feel comfortable using his left leg as his push-off leg in pass protection, so he needs to play the left side to be effective.

 

The point is really, really simple: if you can put together a solid 5 with the guys on your roster, do it.

 

The bonus is that you don't have to go out and find a LT if/when Kouandjio gets LT money in FA next offseason--in fact, he'd probably bring a whopper of a compensatory pick. It also gives you an entire season to find a groom someone to take the RT job next year.

This. Unless we get Reiff or Remmers moving Glenn to RT and playing kujo at RT might be the best option unless we draft a RT in the first 2 rds
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Moving Glenn to RT is not a bad idea, but the Bills won't do it because they are paying Glenn a shiitte ton of money to play LT. If they move him to RT and Kouange plays LT then they will have to pay Kouange big money too.

 

No, they won't. They'll just have to find a RT either in this year's draft or next year's draft.

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What has everyone heard that I have not?

 

The last I heard months ago:

 

"He underwent successful surgery [Wednesday] and it is anticipated that he will be ready for Training Camp.”

While it is good that Kouandjio will be ready for training camp, he will not be participating in mini-camp or OTAs according to general manager Doug Whaley."

 

That was months ago, and came from a FO that was already less than forthcoming to the fans about recent draft pick Lawson's medical prognosis. Even if he does come back in time for TC, he will have missed mini-camp, OTAs and might not have had the time to get in shape due to his injury. This is a new staff and a new offensive scheme. He will be behind already. And we don't know what the combined effects of his previous injury combined with the latest will be. If the first one so affected his abilities, it is no stretch to think the later one might do so as well. It seems everyone is concerned about the effect on Gilmore, and pretending there is no possibility that Kujo may have medical or psychological issues from the injury that may be even more of an obstacle.

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