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The OL Is Bad....How Do You Fix It?


BuffaloRush

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27 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

I agree that Daboll is not the problem. We have little to no offensive talent aside for an aging McCoy. That's basically it.

Funny how that works. Good coaches can sometimes scheme around deficiencies; however, well, what is the old saying? It is hard to make chicken salad out of chicken s%#t?

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Just now, oldmanfan said:

Can someone explain to me why they can't just do this:

 

See the guy across from you.  Knock him down. Then go knock another guy down.

 

 

Guy across from you is better at not getting knocked down than you are at knocking him down.  he gets past you and you can't stop him. 

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Just now, Soda Popinski said:

Guy across from you is better at not getting knocked down than you are at knocking him down.  he gets past you and you can't stop him. 

That's my biggest concern.  When I watched the Bengals pre-season game, all three guys on the interior were just getting knocked straight back.  No evidence of physicality.  I've asked before and will ask again:  how can a guy that weighs over 330 like Ducasse just get knocked around like a bowling pin?  Or groy?  Or Miller?

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10 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

Can someone explain to me why they can't just do this:

 

See the guy across from you.  Knock him down. Then go knock another guy down.

 

Erm, because the guy across from you is an immensely talented athlete playing NFL football and is trying his best to not be knocked down and to do that to you?

(And in this case, for the most part, the guy across from you is more talented)

 

Taking this seriously and at face value, the whole chess game of the trenches is to create confusion as to who the guy across from you is going to be, post snap.  We aren't just losing the physical battle, we're losing the chess game.

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Just now, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Erm, because the guy across from you is an immensely talented athlete playing NFL football and is trying his best to not be knocked down and to do that to you?

(And in this case, for the most part, the guy across from you is more talented)

 

Taking this seriously and at face value, the whole chess game of the trenches is to create confusion as to who the guy across from you is going to be, post snap.

Yeah, a bit tongue in cheek of course.  But to an earlier point I made, a couple years ago didn't Richie go to the coaches and tell them to simplify the schemes?  And things improved immediately?

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In a perfect world id draft a top nasty Center to work with Allen for the next 12yrs and then pay $$$ to a really good FA Guard to mentor that C. 

 

At least that way we would have 3/5 of the line done next season. Bring in a couple of lower level FA to replace the RT and the other G position. And repeat the strategy in 2020 and hopefully by the start of the 2020 seasom we have 5/5 good players on the Oline. 

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Trade Dawkins for a second round pick, and use that second to trade for a damaged goods, low effort receiver.  Don’t worry we’ll draft for that hole at T in an upcoming draft in the 7th round or overpay in FA - just be patient. Sign a street free agent T for a couple million and then cut him to create more dead cap - I gotta fever and the only prescription is that we gotta have more dead cap dammit! (Think “more cowbell” skit)

 

Promote Juan Castillo to both DC and OL coach (believe it or not he has been a DC before - that didn’t go well btw) and clap profusely. 

 

 

 

Edited by Ayjent
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Is there a list out there of OL players on other team's Practice Squads?

 

A few years back the Bills had collegiate TE Jason Peters on their PS as he was a raw athletic talent who could not pierce our TE active roster.  However, when some other team moved to sign him to their active roster, the Bills signed him and used him as an ST player where he quickly showed his value and earned his spot.  I think it was our OL AC Mouse Davis that convinced Peters his way to score big bucks in the NFL was actually to focus his athletic skills on OL.

 

This unique talent actually quickly earned a slot as a starting G, then RT, and then actually forced the Bills to trade him to Philly where he signed a huge LT deal and became a Pro Bowl level talent.

 

He is a rarity, but looking at other team's PS's might yield an improvement for our sorry OL.

 

If the Bills were to attempt to sign such a player then I believe they MUST by rule sign this player to their active roster.  However, this list is likely worth surveying because:

 

1. Our OL talent on the face of it does not appear impossible (or even difficult) to improve.

2. Other teams have made a tangible decision that these PS OL players though not good enuf to make the active roster on other teams, they are in fact worth developing.

3. Strategic attempts to sign such players at worse may force other teams to mess up their rosters as they would be forced to move their PS player to their own active roster to protect them.

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9 hours ago, Shotgunner said:

 

This here in bold. If everyone is going to suck, it might as well be a rookie who might actually learn and progress.

 

Then hit up other teams PS for OL prospects, sign them, and start them. At the end of the year, if any of the young guys show promise, awesome! But if not, in a worst case scenario, we are right back where we are now needing every spot on the line replaced besides LT.

I like it--at least give Teller a shot--could it really be any worse if we do? Like you said, he may learn and progress, whereas anyone he jumps in for on the current spots may have already plateaued? Plus it would show McD means business with shaking things up-no one's job is "safe," and if it lights any kind of fire under guys getting benched, so much the better down the road.

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There is no fixing it this season by adding free agents.  The players available on the street  are just about the same level of junk that we have, beside the new players have a learning curve too. 

 

The idea that a team with a good OL player will trade him to us for a draft choice is not going to happen either. 

 

The weakest player is Miller, then Groy, then Mills and  Ducasse.  Dawkins is the only solid player in the group.  Groy is decent as a C/G backup player as he can back up two positions.  Kind of like a Mitch Ferotte but not as good.

 

Most people wont agree and they will say Ducasse is 2nd worst or even the worst but that is not what the game film breakdown tells you.   Not that Ducasse is solid, he isn't. 

 

Groy is not making good line calls and he has been flagged for illegal procedure.  He telegraphs the snap with a head bob on almost every down, putting the rest of the line in a bad position right off the bat.

 

Bodine at center and move Groy to guard and get Miller out ... that is an option. The other is to  stay with Groy at center and try Teller for Miller.

 

The OT situation is almost as bad.  Pray that Dawkins and the very marginal Mills stay healthy. 

 

To fix this mess I think that trading down on our #1 pick to stockpile a few prime picks is in order.  We need to draft a few lineman next year in the earlier rounds and we need to find some real help in free agency.    We also have dire needs at WR and CB. 

 

There is a lot to fix. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Bob in STL
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I sit pat in this draft and in the 1st go BPA.  If we go 1 overall, i think we should go Ed Oliver.  He'll immediately improve our defense, and is a potential all-pro DT.  

 

After that I would look to improve the oline.  Maybe trade down to accumulate a couple extra shots, and try and come out of the draft with 3 offensive linemen.  

 

From a free agency perspective - i'd look at pass rushers.  There's a ton coming up, and i don't think they'll all get tagged.  Clowney probably will, but lawrence won't get tagged again.  Fowler will be available and he's probably better than everyone we have but hughes.  

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