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RD 2, Pick 38: OT Cody Ford, Oklahoma


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On 4/27/2019 at 12:19 PM, starrymessenger said:

Some of the reporting on Ford is contradictory. Some people say he's a road grader. Maybe they see a huge guy and figure he's a mauler (even if he's not) and therefore project him to guard. Others say his actual skill set is pass pro which maybe bodes well in a pass happy league. Somebody doesn't have it right here. Just goes to show that half the "experts" really don't know what they are talking about. Best to watch the tape and make up your own mind. I haven't watched all the tape, just highlight reel stuff and his Alabama game so I don't know what I'm talking about either but from what little I've seen he looks like he can run block (though not a road grader) and is better as a pass blocker (consistently snuffed out # 99 in the championship game). Some question around the quickness of his first lateral step so maybe some vulnerability to very quick outside speed rushers. He looks athletic for a big guy who can get to and be effective at the second level. 

Hes a good prospect ar RT IMO who will benefit from being coached up (like all of these guys). He seems to appreciate the importance of coaching (and therefore of learning) and he really likes our O-line coach who he knows and who obviously knows and likes him. 

 

I get the same thing and you might be the first I've seen mention it, starrymessenger.  Been hearing he's mean, physical, mauler, etc. and sometimes more a finesse and technique guy.  The tape doesn't show me road-grader per say.  What I see though is a big fella who really uses what he naturally has very well.  Maybe not the most gifted RT draftee ever but very smart, very sound on technique (which means very coach-able), great awareness and absolutely awesome hustle and effort to the whistle.  He does look a tad slow in the foot-shuffle and yeah might be vulnerable to the really fast edge guys.  But he seems to know how to compensate for his shortcomings well and I think he'll get really good after a year or two as a pro.  Should be able to improve a lot with good coaching.  And just a good young guy too.  A guy who's good, is known to be good, but won't let it get to his head.  Very respectable and obviously raised well.  I think Bills fans are going to really like him for many years.  Great pick!

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On 4/26/2019 at 9:03 PM, MrEpsYtown said:

 

A lot of pressure there. I'm not sure. I think it's either:

 

Dawkins-Spain-Morse-Ford-Nsehke or 

 

Dawkins-Spain-Morse-Long-Ford with Nsehke as the swing guy and Feliciano as the interior backup. 

 

I hope Ford is a right tackle, but I think he will be really good in either spot. Similar to Dawkins, even though he is a bit shorter, he has long arms (longer than Dillard and Williams) so I think he would be fine at RT and I think that you have to try him there before moving him in. I think Spencer Long will surprise some people at RG but I feel like I am in the minority there. 

 

I don't think Dawkins is a lock, Nsehke could challenge him there,move Dawkins to LG

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16 minutes ago, Mrbojanglezs said:

 

I don't think Dawkins is a lock, Nsehke could challenge him there,move Dawkins to LG

 

I think that they will only move Dion if he is truly awful. It just makes no sense to move a 25 year old up and down player to stick a soon to be 34 year old journeyman in there. It does make sense if Dion shows no improvement though. 

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1 hour ago, MrEpsYtown said:

 

I think that they will only move Dion if he is truly awful. It just makes no sense to move a 25 year old up and down player to stick a soon to be 34 year old journeyman in there. It does make sense if Dion shows no improvement though. 

Think Dawkins Spain Morse Long Ford the likely starters, though there's a lot of competition at guard. We actually appear to have quality depth. Waddle was supposed to be the swing tackle, but I think Nsehke might end up filling that role now that Ford is part of the equation. The other possibility is Ford gets kicked inside to RG and Nsehke plays RT. I personally think Dawkins could excel at LG, but I agree he will have to clearly fail at LT before they contemplate that.

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21 hours ago, c-troop said:

 

You just click that little up arrow at the bottom right of the tweet to copy the link (you can’t copy the link from the top address bar. It doesn’t work to embed here, at least for me).

 

Paste it here and then click on that “post as plain text” thing that pops up at the bottom of the post. 

 

Or you can just paste the link and hit the return/enter key. That usually automatically 

embeds it. 

Edited by BillsFan4
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A few thoughts on this pick:

 

1: It's great value. Many expected Ford to go off the board before this pick so to get him at 38 is a great start.

 

2: To me, it fills a need. I know some people are saying we loaded up on free agent linemen but you can't rely on cheaper free agents to fix your offensive line. Mitch Morse? Yeah. Ty Nsekhe? Maybe. But the other guys? I don't know. I think it's a huge toss-up on if they're good enough solutions for 2019. Especially at tackle.

 

3: I would bet Ford gets the first shot at being the starting RT considering he was the right tackle at Oklahoma in 2018 and was a high pick. If you have a chance to find a young solution at tackle then you'll try everything to make it work. Dawkins and Nsekhe compete for LT with Dawkins the heavy favorite due to his youth. All one man's opinions but....

 

4: Overall, I feel a lot better about our options on the line knowing that Ford is now in the mix. Our o-line was just terrible last year(ranked 26th by PFF) and having a bad o-line is a great way to ruin a 22 year old QB. We had to go to great lengths to fix it this offseason and I think the front office has now done enough. There really are a lot of directions we can go with the line. It's exciting!

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8 hours ago, Generic Screen Name 2 said:

 

I get the same thing and you might be the first I've seen mention it, starrymessenger.  Been hearing he's mean, physical, mauler, etc. and sometimes more a finesse and technique guy.  The tape doesn't show me road-grader per say.  What I see though is a big fella who really uses what he naturally has very well.  Maybe not the most gifted RT draftee ever but very smart, very sound on technique (which means very coach-able), great awareness and absolutely awesome hustle and effort to the whistle.  He does look a tad slow in the foot-shuffle and yeah might be vulnerable to the really fast edge guys.  But he seems to know how to compensate for his shortcomings well and I think he'll get really good after a year or two as a pro.  Should be able to improve a lot with good coaching.  And just a good young guy too.  A guy who's good, is known to be good, but won't let it get to his head.  Very respectable and obviously raised well.  I think Bills fans are going to really like him for many years.  Great pick!

I keep hear the slow feet thing (I dont see it myself.....looks like he is locking up pass rushers just fine)

 

but.....lets say for arguement sake that this even was true...this is why he is a "right OT and not a left OT" even though he played OLT in college as well......you take a look at Jordan Mills (and to me Cody Ford is so much better then Mills) but Mills would just flat get embarrised by speed to the outside.....sometimes not even able to get out of his stance.

 

Cody Ford is a technician.....I think the right side is in good hands here.....and if you put a veteran next to him to help him out in that first year he should be fine.

 

Then of course there is the run blocking......how long has it been since our YPA running was the same on the right side as it was on the left?

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On 4/29/2019 at 9:53 AM, YoloinOhio said:

 

What that tells me about scheme and fit, more than anything, is that Ford is viewed as a guy who will dominate in the run game when the defender is on their heels and hold up well when the edge defender can't fully commit. He's not really built to be an elite pass blocker, but a heavy PA scheme doesn't require that.

 

A perfect fit at RT.

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On 4/30/2019 at 6:31 AM, MrEpsYtown said:

 

I think that they will only move Dion if he is truly awful. It just makes no sense to move a 25 year old up and down player to stick a soon to be 34 year old journeyman in there. It does make sense if Dion shows no improvement though. 

Definitely agree in the grand scheme of things. People wanted to move Glenn because we needed an unnamed "natural" LT. I actually think we've had "relative" stability at the position. You give Dawkins every chance in the world to win the job. Magical LT's don't grow on trees.

 

I think if they didn't believe Dawkins was the LT going forward, they wouldn't have drafted a guy projected to play RT early in the 2nd round. 

Edited by LSHMEAB
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1 hour ago, LSHMEAB said:

Definitely agree in the grand scheme of things. People wanted to move Glenn because we needed an unnamed "natural" LT. I actually think we've had "relative" stability at the position. You give Dawkins every chance in the world to win the job. Magical LT's don't grow on trees.

 

I think if they didn't believe Dawkins was the LT going forward, they wouldn't have drafted a guy projected to play RT early in the 2nd round. 

 

Yup. That’s why I was adamant that the Bills weren’t going to take Dillard, Taylor or Williams at 9.  Especially since they have Nsekhe. 

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On 4/27/2019 at 3:26 PM, junior12thman92 said:

 

 

 

That's a great and very encouraging article, a lot of good gifs. 

 

 

 

 

Quote

But it wasn’t just Ford’s punch or grip that impressed me about how he used his hands in pass protection. He also has already learned how to chop down on a pass rusher’s arms before that pass rusher can try to do a power rush, like a bull rush or a long arm, on him.

 

The first time I saw him do it I had to rewind the tape a few times just to make sure I wasn’t tripping. There are starting NFL offensive tackles who either don’t know how to do that, or aren’t comfortable enough with the technique to try it in a game. Yet here was this kid mixing it into his regular repertoire, and looking quite good while doing so.

...

While it’s true that he didn’t rack up a bunch of pancakes, Ford was routinely what I would call a “just enough” guy. He would get just enough push on the defender to give the ball carrier a lane to work with. Those kinds of blocks aren’t as exciting to watch, but as long as they’re effective, that’s all that truly matters.

...

Yes, it took me a few times watching his tape before I came to really appreciate Ford’s play, but now I am completely sold on the guy.

With his ability to protect the passer, his athleticism as run blocker, and his potential to play at either tackle spot, Ford looks to me like a guy who should be drafted in the top half of the first round in a few weeks.

 

He may well end up being the best tackle to come out of this draft class.

 

 

 

"Just enough" in the run game and a very good pass protector. 

 

I really hope he wins the RT job. RT has been so freaking mediocre (at best) for years. 

 

 

I've probably said and thought this 100 times, but damn this FO is refreshing. 

Edited by elroy16
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