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Is Dion Dawkins better at LT or LG


RPbillsfan

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46 minutes ago, thebandit27 said:

 

It's not necessarily easier at guard; for some guys, it's actually much more difficult. Things happen a LOT faster inside, and you're facing bigger guys that are built lower to the ground, so the prototypical tall, angular tackle could struggle mightily to adapt.

 

Definitely agree with regards to taller guys.  But you can get by easy as a lesser G than T because you are surrounded on both sides.  Besides chilling with TEs and RBs, you are more alone on an island at OT.  

 

Personally, I think Dawkins is fine at OT, though RT might be his best position.  I think some people think because of his attitude, he could be a mauler type G.  But I freely admit I don’t really pay attention to oline play.

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3 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Definitely agree with regards to taller guys.  But you can get by easy as a lesser G than T because you are surrounded on both sides.  Besides chilling with TEs and RBs, you are more alone on an island at OT.  

 

Personally, I think Dawkins is fine at OT, though RT might be his best position.  I think some people think because of his attitude, he could be a mauler type G.  But I freely admit I don’t really pay attention to oline play.

 

It was as a rookie and it was pre-season and maybe I put too much store by it. But he just looked unnatural moving at right tackle. I have always felt his flexibility was Tackle / Guard rather than Left / Right.

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12 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

It was as a rookie and it was pre-season and maybe I put too much store by it. But he just looked unnatural moving at right tackle. I have always felt his flexibility was Tackle / Guard rather than Left / Right.

The amount of guys who successfully switch L/R is much less than we think. It’s learning a new position, truly, and every instinct can be wrong.

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23 hours ago, Rc2catch said:

He’s a fine tackle, he just needs a little help on the rest of the line. He handled himself quite well when incognito was next to him, if they can put some talent on the line Dawkins is the least of my concerns 

He wasn’t “fine” last year.  He was awful. 

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8 hours ago, MJS said:

Any claim that he would be better at guard is complete speculation. What do we know? He can hold his own at LT, the most important position on the line. I think the Bills would be foolish to move him unless they have a sure fire, proven (in the NFL) upgrade at LT.

This makes complete sense.  I do not understand the voices to move him without a better replacement.  

 

It is also easier to find a G than a LT so focus on G.

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2 minutes ago, Just Joshin' said:

This makes complete sense.  I do not understand the voices to move him without a better replacement.  

 

It is also easier to find a G than a LT so focus on G.

 

I don't think they should. If they can get an upgrade at LT they should take him. If they can't keep Dawkins there and focus on upgrading at guard.

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16 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I don't think he was either fine or awful. The truth is somewhere between the two.

Gunner, in this country, you only have two choices.  Everything is either the worse or best, black or white, wrong or right.  There is no such thing as gray areas.

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1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

No he wasn't. He was the LT at Temple. I do think he is an average to just above average LT and that is probably his ceiling there whereas he has all pro potential at guard.

I guess the other thing to think about is if you’re Dawkins, why would you ever be ok moving from T to G, especially LT?  An average LT makes more than a good G.  This could be a mini Peters type situation. 

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5 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

I guess the other thing to think about is if you’re Dawkins, why would you ever be ok moving from T to G, especially LT?  An average LT makes more than a good G.  This could be a mini Peters type situation. 

 

As Badol has said - he kind of opened himself up to it with his admission about his play this year. If the Bills want to do it I think they kind of have a window. But clearly they need to have an answer at LT before they do that.

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Just now, GunnerBill said:

 

As Badol has said - he kind of opened himself up to it with his admission about his play this year. If the Bills want to do it I think they kind of have a window. But clearly they need to have an answer at LT before they do that.

I hate to say it, but if he got moved to G, and I was his agent, I’d wait until after the draft and free agency and have him hold out.  It sucks but it’s still a business.  

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1 minute ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

I hate to say it, but if he got moved to G, and I was his agent, I’d wait until after the draft and free agency and have him hold out.  It sucks but it’s still a business.  

 

The Bills can't renegotiate his contract yet. You have to have played 3 years. So holding out just means a year he isn't accruing. There is zero benefit to it. It is why if the Bills are doing it they have to do it this year.

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4 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

The Bills can't renegotiate his contract yet. You have to have played 3 years. So holding out just means a year he isn't accruing. There is zero benefit to it. It is why if the Bills are doing it they have to do it this year.

Good post.  But that move inside could cost him a lot of money in the future.

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3 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Good post.  But that move inside could cost him a lot of money in the future.

 

Could. But if he is a potentially elite guard (as many think) then it won't cost him money compared to being an average tackle. Middle of the league LT money is in that $9m-$12m range. Top end LG money is in that $10-13m range. He knows he wasn't better than a middle of the league LT in 2018 - he has said it himself.

 

Again it only becomes a question if the Bills think they can upgrade at LT and I don't immediately see who that guy is myself. Williams, Little, Dillard? Hmm. Not convinced.

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It's a tricky dynamic here. While I think he could be a stud LG, I think he's fine as an LT and he's playing on a rookie contract at a premium position. I'd be inclined to keep him at LT and allocate resources at guard. I happen to think Teller is a player, so I believe we only need one G. 

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1 hour ago, NewEra said:

He wasn’t “fine” last year.  He was awful. 

I never said he was fine last year. Just that he’s a fine tackle. They all sucked last year. He’s a young guy and acknowledged he was bad last year and needs to be better. He’s the least of the worries on the line 

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3 minutes ago, Rc2catch said:

I never said he was fine last year. Just that he’s a fine tackle. They all sucked last year. He’s a young guy and acknowledged he was bad last year and needs to be better. He’s the least of the worries on the line 

He’s the least of the worries but he plays the most important position, Josh Allen’s blindside. 

 

Im not saying he’s doomed.  He has a chance to be a solid starting LT.  He has the attributes.  I’m just saying that he wasn’t good at all last year.  Maybe I went overboard with saying he was awful.  I think he’s been a pass due to everyone else being so bad.  He’s known as our most talented OLmen, yet he performed nearly as bad as the much less talented players and had the 4th most penalties in the league among OL.  He’s no sure thing and he protects our franchise blindside.   I’d prefer that we had a stud LT and moved Dawkins elsewhere as it stands right now, but the free agent market and draft is stronger at RT and interior than LT. 

 

 

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