YoloinOhio Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 Nice piece from Carrucci There has been speculation that if Dawkins doesn’t keep the job, he could be moved to guard or right tackle, where the Bills intend to start out with second-round draft pick Cody Ford. "I mean, is it ever really our choice? No,” Dawkins said during a conversation with The Buffalo News during the start of the Bills’ offseason workouts and before last week’s draft. “As the left tackle, I'm going to strongly be confident in myself that if I just do what I'm supposed to do, that question would never come up. So, I feel like that I am a left tackle, that I'm special at tackle, but only God knows the future. I’m here to win, whether it's me playing center, playing guard, playing at left tackle or just being a hoorah guy. Whatever it is, man, I'm here to win.” Dawkins, who joined the Bills as a second-round draft pick from Temple, fully grasped the strong message the team sent by signing so many offensive linemen among the 18 free agents it added. He also insisted that he is unfazed by the enhanced competition. “Most players would probably be nervous, because there's a lot of new guys, but I love it because nobody's safe,” Dawkins said. “That means that there's no opportunity to relax, there’s no opportunity to just take a step back. Everything is, ‘Go, go, go, go, go.’ It has to happen, ‘Now, now, now, now, now.’ And I honestly think that that's the best way to play. We're all players, we're all human and it just takes growth and the recognition of changes to open up eyes.” 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEpsYtown Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 I believe in Dion. He has the measurables and I think he can succeed at tackle. He sounds like he struggles a bit with staying motivated and he needs to get that straightened out. We will see how he responds with his job and career on the line. I believe he will respond strongly and I feel that Dion will show great improvement with Coach Johnson as his coach. The misconception is that he sucks, because of a bunch of PFF grades. The misconception is that he is a guard because Mike Mayock said he was. I think he struggled a bit last year, but he did flash some upside and he was not terrible. He's a young developing player facing the opposing team's best rusher with a terrible coach working with him. We just went through the same thing with Cordy Glenn for the last few years. Give Coach Johnson a chance to work with Dion and give him an opportunity to prove himself before moving his position. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malazan Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 I think the idea that Dawkins will be replaced as LT has a lot more traction among fans than it does among the coaches. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted April 30, 2019 Author Share Posted April 30, 2019 (edited) 2 minutes ago, MrEpsYtown said: I believe in Dion. He has the measurables and I think he can succeed at tackle. He sounds like he struggles a bit with staying motivated and he needs to get that straightened out. We will see how he responds with his job and career on the line. I believe he will respond strongly and I feel that Dion will show great improvement with Coach Johnson as his coach. The misconception is that he sucks, because of a bunch of PFF grades. The misconception is that he is a guard because Mike Mayock said he was. I think he struggled a bit last year, but he did flash some upside and he was not terrible. He's a young developing player facing the opposing team's best rusher with a terrible coach working with him. We just went through the same thing with Cordy Glenn for the last few years. Give Coach Johnson a chance to work with Dion and give him an opportunity to prove himself before moving his position. I believe he could return to form with a decent vet LG next to him again. I’m thinking L -R Dawkins Spain Morse Ford Nseghe put the rook at RG between 2 vets.... then perhaps he becomes RT in 1-2 years Edited April 30, 2019 by YoloinOhio 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlbillsfan1975 Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 (edited) Dion says all the right things and I feel he is genuine. To be the leader he wants to be and the team needs him to be he has to show progression from his rookie production. Last year wasn’t good for anyone on the oline. Speaking as an old olineman it really is a group effort. He doesn’t deserve a pass. Dion can go out this year and prove he is the guy we thought after 2017 could be LT for the foreseeable future. Edited April 30, 2019 by atlbillsfan1975 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed83HOF Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 5 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said: I believe he could return to form with a decent vet LG next to him again. I’m thinking L -R Dawkins Spain Morse Ford Nseghe put the rook at RG between 2 vets.... then perhaps he becomes RT in 1-2 years I don't know how we can really include last year as to hell well he performed. He was the other player from last year's line who is in any discussion to start. Losing Richie and Wood weakened the line tremendously, it was a dumpster fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 6 minutes ago, MrEpsYtown said: I believe in Dion. He has the measurables and I think he can succeed at tackle. He sounds like he struggles a bit with staying motivated and he needs to get that straightened out. We will see how he responds with his job and career on the line. I believe he will respond strongly and I feel that Dion will show great improvement with Coach Johnson as his coach. The misconception is that he sucks, because of a bunch of PFF grades. The misconception is that he is a guard because Mike Mayock said he was. I think he struggled a bit last year, but he did flash some upside and he was not terrible. He's a young developing player facing the opposing team's best rusher with a terrible coach working with him. We just went through the same thing with Cordy Glenn for the last few years. Give Coach Johnson a chance to work with Dion and give him an opportunity to prove himself before moving his position. I don't think that moving Dawkins is as much about his play at tackle (though he admittedly regressed in year 2) as it is how great a fit he could be at guard. It also has been spurred on a bit by the fact that they signed a player that has had success at LT to starting-tackle money. Personally, I want the best combination of 5, and I don't care who plays where. If I had to guess, the best combo of 5 will look like one of the following 2 line-ups: LT: Nsekhe LG: Dawkins ? Morse RG: Spain RT: Ford OR LT: Dawkins LG: Spain ? Morse RG: Ford RT: Nsekhe 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeelingOnYouboty Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 I just feel like he would be such a mean, mean LG. Really need Dawkins and Zay Jones to step up this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 He sounds pretty damned motivated. Which is a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IgotBILLStopay Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 I like Dawkins attitude. If he does win the starting job and Ford wins his on the other side, Nsekhe can serve capably as the backup LT and Ladrian Waddle (whose wife has fully embraced the Bills Mafia) can serve as the backup RT. We do not even need a swing tackle. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaw66 Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 Man, there's the process on display. Read those quotes. McDermott wants guys obsessed with winning and doing everything they can to win. Everything, even if it's being a hoorah guy. When McDermott has a room full of those guys, McDermott thinks he can accomplish anything, because the effort turns into a 100% team effort. No one cares about himself. This isn't a mindset that McDermott wants to teach. It's a mindset he wants hard wired into the guys he has on his team. He may need to remind them from time to time that that's who they are, but he doesn't want a guy he has to convince about this philosophy. Dawkins has it. They wanted Allen because he has it. Oliver has it. Beasley has it. Shady and Gore have it. Hyde has it. Kyle had it. Ford and Knox and Sills have it. You can hear it in how they talk about who they and what they do. McBeane are building a team of guys who all say the same thing: "Let's get to work." 14 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Joshin' Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 It feels like posters here will always want the LT moved to G 6 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yungmack Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 Throw out his performance last year. The incompetent line coaching, the loss of Glenn, Incognito and Wood, and the inferior play of their replacements on the unit that requires the most "in sync" play is more likely the reason Dawkins had a down year. Far too soon to write him off. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BmarvB Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 He's going to be just fine at whatever position he plays on the line be it guard or tackle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangarang Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 That’s a good dude right there 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T master Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 Dawkins has proved to be a good LT that will continue to improve on his skills while here & has also proven by his statements that he is the type of player the Bills want to have a team first guy not like a AB where it's all about him which i am so glad for & hope we don't ever have any AB types on the Bills team ! With the addition of all the new guys to the team it will also add as motivation as he said to not slack off because you know that if your not doing your job you can be easily replaced so i believe it to be a win all the way around but it will be interesting to see who is left standing after the dust has cleared from camp to the pre season !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewEra Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 Now go out and win your first NFL competition Dion! It may not seem like it based on my skepticism (due to his poor play last year and blubbery body), but I really hope he can turn into our franchise LT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaaadThingsMan Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 55 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said: I believe he could return to form with a decent vet LG next to him again. I’m thinking L -R Dawkins Spain Morse Ford Nseghe put the rook at RG between 2 vets.... then perhaps he becomes RT in 1-2 years I don't hate this line Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Boy Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 I read it and immediately thought, “ Ahhh, competition!” This is what we’ve dreamed about for so long. A GM and coach who not only raise the talent level bar but also allow players to win jobs fairly. I said it last year but I truly believed when they canned KB and admitted their mistake during the season. Dawkins is simply stating he understands this and I for one take it as an excellent sign of things to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaaadThingsMan Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 The increased competition across the roster should make for one of the best lineups in years imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 49 minutes ago, eball said: He sounds pretty damned motivated. Which is a good thing. Exactly. He's telling McDermott he's come to Jesus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewEra Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 3 minutes ago, T master said: Dawkins has proved to be a good LT that will continue to improve on his skills while here & has also proven by his statements that he is the type of player the Bills want to have a team first guy not like a AB where it's all about him which i am so glad for & hope we don't ever have any AB types on the Bills team ! With the addition of all the new guys to the team it will also add as motivation as he said to not slack off because you know that if your not doing your job you can be easily replaced so i believe it to be a win all the way around but it will be interesting to see who is left standing after the dust has cleared from camp to the pre season !! He proved that he could be our LT of the future in his rookie year. Last year, he proved nothing except that he is much worse without incognito and wood playing with him. Hopefully adding Spain or whoever plays LG will get him back on track. Also excited to see how Bobby Johnson can impact our OL. Castillo was my nemesis and McDermotts biggest mistake to date imo 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndirish1978 Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 You mean he didn't unfollow the Bills when we signed some LTs? i thought that was the move to do in the NFL when competition is brought up at your position? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeTeam Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 43 minutes ago, Shaw66 said: Man, there's the process on display. Read those quotes. McDermott wants guys obsessed with winning and doing everything they can to win. Everything, even if it's being a hoorah guy. When McDermott has a room full of those guys, McDermott thinks he can accomplish anything, because the effort turns into a 100% team effort. No one cares about himself. This isn't a mindset that McDermott wants to teach. It's a mindset he wants hard wired into the guys he has on his team. He may need to remind them from time to time that that's who they are, but he doesn't want a guy he has to convince about this philosophy. Dawkins has it. They wanted Allen because he has it. Oliver has it. Beasley has it. Shady and Gore have it. Hyde has it. Kyle had it. Ford and Knox and Sills have it. You can hear it in how they talk about who they and what they do. McBeane are building a team of guys who all say the same thing: "Let's get to work." It's great to hear that from Dawkins. It's absolutely the right attitude and I wish him the very best in training camp. One thing though I must state, is that I don't think McCoy has that selfless attitude. I don't mean to give him too much slack, especially now since he's been getting a bunch around here lately but I don't think he's a good leader. He's too concerned about his numbers, he's too unpredictable off the field, and he's too petty about things the little things (i.e. using social media to criticize his OL). That being said, I like McCoy and I believe that he will have a bounce back year but I don't think he should be voted a default captain. I think he's better suited focusing on his own game. It will be interesting to see who steps up as a leader this year. I'm not concerned, because I believe that leadership arises naturally given the circumstance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyBills24 Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 I'm really excited to see how the O-line battles play out. There's a few guys that could play multiple positions so the competition should be high at every position, other than Center which is locked down by Morse. It could be wishful thinking, but it feels like the "cream will rise to the top" at every position and some players that are fringe starters will end up as backups which is a very good position for the team to be in. Hopefully the potential is real that is talked about with all of the free agents we brought in and with Ford and we're able to put together a line that can actually create some lanes for the running game and keep JA upright long enough to make some plays downfield when needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Linen Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 His response was that of an ultimate professional and would translate in any business. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrbojanglezs Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 1 hour ago, jeremy2020 said: I think the idea that Dawkins will be replaced as LT has a lot more traction among fans than it does among the coaches. Coaches will have competition at every position this camp except center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEpsYtown Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 Sounds like he has a chip on his shoulder. ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NY Nole Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 28 minutes ago, NewEra said: He proved that he could be our LT of the future in his rookie year. Last year, he proved nothing except that he is much worse without incognito and wood playing with him. Hopefully adding Spain or whoever plays LG will get him back on track. Also excited to see how Bobby Johnson can impact our OL. Castillo was my nemesis and McDermotts biggest mistake to date imo OL play is significantly impacted by the cohesiveness of the players next to you -- I feel like Anthony Munoz would have struggled at LT last year with our previous supporting cast -- as they were shuffling anyone with a pulse in at LG to see if they could work better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewEra Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 2 minutes ago, NY Nole said: OL play is significantly impacted by the cohesiveness of the players next to you -- I feel like Anthony Munoz would have struggled at LT last year with our previous supporting cast -- as they were shuffling anyone with a pulse in at LG to see if they could work better. I realize that. I was responding to someone that said “Dawkins has proved to be a good LT that will continue to improve on his skills“. The only thing he proved to me last year: that he’s much worse without incognito and wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 If Ford ends up at RG so be it.....but I really want thim to work out at RT..... We have guards..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4BillsintheBurgh Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 (edited) We'll know if the words will translate to action by where he ends up come week one. Edited April 30, 2019 by 4BillsintheBurgh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LABILLBACKER Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 1 hour ago, thebandit27 said: I don't think that moving Dawkins is as much about his play at tackle (though he admittedly regressed in year 2) as it is how great a fit he could be at guard. It also has been spurred on a bit by the fact that they signed a player that has had success at LT to starting-tackle money. Personally, I want the best combination of 5, and I don't care who plays where. If I had to guess, the best combo of 5 will look like one of the following 2 line-ups: LT: Nsekhe LG: Dawkins ? Morse RG: Spain RT: Ford OR LT: Dawkins LG: Spain ? Morse RG: Ford RT: Nsekhe I think your 1st line is our best combination. Sliding Dion over to LG might rekindle some motivation from him. Nsekhe's tape looks pretty impressive at LT. No matter what combination they go with it will be a substantial upgrade from last year. Shady's production should go up and Josh's scrambling attempts will come down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan17 Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 2 hours ago, jeremy2020 said: I think the idea that Dawkins will be replaced as LT has a lot more traction among fans than it does among the coaches. That's understandable, however, when the team turns around and signs as many players as they do along the line... two of which are tackles, then they trade up for a RT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malazan Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 38 minutes ago, Mrbojanglezs said: Coaches will have competition at every position this camp except center. ..and water is wet. Competition doesn't mean they're gunning to replace him or have him penciled in as losing said competition like many on this board are.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logic Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 I believe Dawkins will be fine. He got the wake-up call he needed. I also believe Ford will win the RT job. Dawkins Spain Morse Feiciano Ford Backups: Waddle, Nsekhe, Long Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2003Contenders Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 2 minutes ago, Logic said: I believe Dawkins will be fine. He got the wake-up call he needed. I also believe Ford will win the RT job. Dawkins Spain Morse Feiciano Ford Backups: Waddle, Nsekhe, Long Considering the amount of coin they signed Nsekhe to, I am hard pressed to see him serving in a backup role. Regardless, after last year's fiasco it is nice to see depth -- and so many options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangarang Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 Just now, 2003Contenders said: Considering the amount of coin they signed Nsekhe to, I am hard pressed to see him serving in a backup role. Regardless, after last year's fiasco it is nice to see depth -- and so many options. They paid him like a low end starter or high end backup which is really what he is. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubes Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 2 hours ago, YoloinOhio said: I believe he could return to form with a decent vet LG next to him again. I’m thinking L -R Dawkins Spain Morse Ford Nseghe put the rook at RG between 2 vets.... then perhaps he becomes RT in 1-2 years I'm thinking the same thing...give Ford time to develop and then take over for Nsekhe in a year or two. I like the sound of this line... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 1 hour ago, ndirish1978 said: You mean he didn't unfollow the Bills when we signed some LTs? i thought that was the move to do in the NFL when competition is brought up at your position? I know you're referring to Rosen but it wasn't competition brought in for Rosen....it was a replacement. Rosen was not going to be given the chance to be Cards starting QB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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