Per Chris Brown, Dion Dawkins has a “virtual lock on the starting LT position”

[formerlyofCtown]

6 hours ago, Happy Gilmore said:

 

Hoping Cody Ford can win the RT job.  If Dawkins is a lock at LT, that means Ngeski may not be quite what they thought.  Still seems very early to make this determination.

Unless Dawkins has put in a lot of work and is that good.

[ColoradoBills]

9 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

I thought Nsekhe was a virtual lock at RT until we drafted Ford.  Now I wonder if Ford starts at RG/LG to get all 3 on the field?

 

I don't know.  I guess it depends on if they want him to work at RT all summer or not.  If he starts to get a lot of snaps at G with the 2's

then maybe what you said may happen.

[NoSaint]

6 hours ago, Happy Gilmore said:

 

Hoping Cody Ford can win the RT job.  If Dawkins is a lock at LT, that means Ngeski may not be quite what they thought.  Still seems very early to make this determination.

 

Or that Dawkins is a pretty decent player at a tough position and when you have a multi year starter like that it’s their job to lose 

[Doc]

I figured they would give Dawkins every chance to earn the starting LT spot because he's the only young guy who can do it.  Having Nsekhe start there only puts them in a bind a few years down the road.  And I'm sure having a competent LG next to him is helping a lot.

[NoSaint]

5 hours ago, thebandit27 said:

 

Not sure that's true.  Sure, he may want to be paid like a tackle, but it's not exactly a rarity for a tackle to get moved to guard and subsequently paid like a guard.  Off the top of my head I can tell you that it's happened with Rodger Saffold, Marshal Yanda, Kelechi Osemele, and James Carpenter.

 

Point is: if you are going to pay him like a LT, then great, leave him at LT.  If you aren't going to pay him like a LT, then wouldn't you at least entertain the possibility of getting better play out of him at guard in the hope that he'll stay there long-term?  I mean, the difference between guard money and tackle money isn't much these days anyway; 2 of the 10 highest paid OLmen in the NFL are guards.

 

Ultimately, I think you can make a case to a player if you think they will be more impactful at the new position.

 

”we think LG is your real calling and you will be elite there” plays better then “if it’s all the same to you, we’d like to kick you inside since we have a decent backup tackle and you can probably fill a hole elsewhere”

[WideNine]

6 hours ago, thebandit27 said:

 

The idea of moving Dawkins to guard was more focused on (a) getting the best combination of 5 on the field and (b) putting Dawkins in a position to be the greatest asset to the team.

 

And it wasn't a hard and fast "move him to guard"...it was that the team should be open to trying him at guard as part of their tinkering to see if that combination gave them a better set of 5.

 

If he stays at LT, then the team better be willing to pay him LT money in another year.  If they're not, then they should at least be willing to try him at LG to see if he's worth a premium contract at that spot.  Because one way or another, Dawkins is going to want to get paid after the 2020 season.

 

I think he will play well this season.

 

Some talented players are competitive and driven by their nature and some you have to light a fire under, but the talent is still there.

 

If he is the latter will he still play at a high level after a big contract?

 

Only time will tell, but Bean should have a healthy cap to retain key players.

 

 

 

 

 

[Rocky Landing]

9 hours ago, JoshAllenHasBigHands said:

I mean, its fun to brainstorm as fans, but did anyone actually think this was a possibility? 

I did. Dawkins was listed as a guard when we drafted him. Add to that the Nsekhe signing, whom, by his own admission, is less comfortable on the right side. 

And this isn’t some fan-based brainstorming. There were several articles written in the subject:

https://buffalonews.com/2019/04/26/cody-ford-buffalo-bills-right-tackle-nfl-draft-offensive-line-new-starters-analysis/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.buffalorumblings.com/platform/amp/2019/1/11/18177359/buffalo-bills-not-ruling-out-a-position-switch-for-left-tackle-dion-dawkins-in-2019

[Estro]

Ive said it before and Ill say it again: The Bills did not give Ty Nsekhe $6.5M this year to be a backup.  If he is a backup, then it was a really bad signing, that is not a backup contract.

 

Whether its LT or RT I fully expect Nsekhe to be a starter come week 1.

[Dr. Who]

4 minutes ago, Estro said:

Ive said it before and Ill say it again: The Bills did not give Ty Nsekhe $6.5M this year to be a backup.  If he is a backup, then it was a really bad signing, that is not a backup contract.

 

Whether its LT or RT I fully expect Nsekhe to be a starter come week 1.

Then you are expecting Cody Ford to start at RG. I think the Ford pick changes their plans. Nsekhe becomes a high-priced swing tackle imo, but we'll see.

[Green Lightning]

20 minutes ago, Estro said:

Ive said it before and Ill say it again: The Bills did not give Ty Nsekhe $6.5M this year to be a backup.  If he is a backup, then it was a really bad signing, that is not a backup contract.

 

Whether its LT or RT I fully expect Nsekhe to be a starter come week 1.

I have to agree. Cody goes to Guard for a bit. That's a lot of coin to pay a back up.

[Rocky Landing]

If there is a real reason to say that Dawkins has the job locked down, it is because he earned it. Which is rather hard to do for an offensive lineman without pads on. 

 

If I am not mistaken, Levi Wallace played the CB spot opposite White in OTAs, as well. Does that mean Wallace has that CB spot “locked down?”

[BillyWhiteShows]

3 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

Why is that?  He’s employed by the team...  whether you agree with what he’s saying or not, it’s probably happening if he’s saying it 

 

Thats so not true.  He makes ridiculous predictions all the time that never happen - same with John Murphy .  I’ve known this for a while.  I believe it was right be for Chan was fired he alluded to the fact that Chan would be returning.  Fortunately no one took his word as gospe just because he works for the team.    

[Richard Noggin]

10 hours ago, MichaelAbdallah said:

I'd also like to see the Bills try rolling with 10 OL on the roster. An entire backup line of Nsekhe - Spain - Bodine - Feliciano - Waddle would be the envy of the league! 

That backup line is probably a bloated use of roster spots, as Feliciano and Long both have C flex, making Bodine (who doesn't really play G--not a big, strong dude) expendable. If only one of our depth guards also had T flex, we could do away with a 4th T as well. I think nine linemen is the max we'll carry, eliminating Bodine. I could listen, albeit un-enthusiastically, to an argument for eight, even, with either Waddle or Spain being cut (as neither has position flex--that I know of).

 

It's all about position versatility for oline backups. Just like it's often about special teams utility for WR/RB/TE/LB/DB backups. 

 

P.S. Sometimes I feel like an a-hole predicting cuts or critiquing players like this, when my 2nd job has me interacting and getting to know them, their families, and the staff (of PSE/Buffalo sports teams in general) fairly well over time. Bodine is a smart, cool guy. I wish him the best. (He's NOT very large by linemen standards, btw. Listed at 6'4" 311, which might be a bit generous for both measurements.) 

[Richard Noggin]

3 hours ago, Estro said:

Ive said it before and Ill say it again: The Bills did not give Ty Nsekhe $6.5M this year to be a backup.  If he is a backup, then it was a really bad signing, that is not a backup contract.

 

Whether its LT or RT I fully expect Nsekhe to be a starter come week 1.

 

Plans change.

 

2 hours ago, Dr. Who said:

Then you are expecting Cody Ford to start at RG. I think the Ford pick changes their plans. Nsekhe becomes a high-priced swing tackle imo, but we'll see.

 

Right. Circumstances now dictate that Nsekhe might be best utilized a swing tackle, which he does quite well. The Bills can afford a highly paid swing guy with their cap situation. No sweat. 

[Logic]

5 minutes ago, Richard Noggin said:

 

Plans change.

 

 

Right. Circumstances now dictate that Nsekhe might be best utilized a swing tackle, which he does quite well. The Bills can afford a highly paid swing guy with their cap situation. No sweat. 

This.

Nsekhe was signed as insurance, in case Dawkins didn't bounce back at LT or they couldn't land a top RT in the draft. Luckily for the Bills, both things happened. Dawkins "has a lock" on the LT job and Ford has yet to play himself out of the starting job at RT. Nsekhe will push both to be the best they can be, and he'll either beat one of them out or be one if (if not THE) best swing tackles in the league. And best of all, if Ford or Dawkins go down with injury at some point, the o-line shouldn't miss a beat.

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

4 hours ago, Logic said:

This.

Nsekhe was signed as insurance, in case Dawkins didn't bounce back at LT or they couldn't land a top RT in the draft. Luckily for the Bills, both things happened. Dawkins "has a lock" on the LT job and Ford has yet to play himself out of the starting job at RT. Nsekhe will push both to be the best they can be, and he'll either beat one of them out or be one if (if not THE) best swing tackles in the league. And best of all, if Ford or Dawkins go down with injury at some point, the o-line shouldn't miss a beat.

 

 

...sure as hell is nice to have all of these "OL personnel conundrums (FINALLY)"..................

[GunnerBill]

15 hours ago, thebandit27 said:

 

The idea of moving Dawkins to guard was more focused on (a) getting the best combination of 5 on the field and (b) putting Dawkins in a position to be the greatest asset to the team.

 

And it wasn't a hard and fast "move him to guard"...it was that the team should be open to trying him at guard as part of their tinkering to see if that combination gave them a better set of 5.

 

If he stays at LT, then the team better be willing to pay him LT money in another year.  If they're not, then they should at least be willing to try him at LG to see if he's worth a premium contract at that spot.  Because one way or another, Dawkins is going to want to get paid after the 2020 season.

 

I don't think they know yet whether he is their left tackle. But I have said all offseason that as much as I think he would be borderline elite at guard, you don't move a young guy who was a 2nd round pick from LT to put a mid 30s journeyman there unless you have made your determination that the guy you are moving (ie. Dawkins) is not your franchise left tackle. I think the Bills feel like they were not able to further that evaluation last year because of what they put around him. This year is when they will have to decide. Is he our guy (in which case they might even start extension negotiations after this season) or do we need to move on at LT? If they decide the latter the smart money is Dawkins plays LG in 2020 and then walks. 

[freddyjj]

Don't know if Ty Nsekhe starts or backs up at OT.  But he is first guy off the bus on the road. 

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

I like Dawkins. I am completely comfortable with him as the franchise LT for the foreseeable future. He’s the biggest reason I didn’t want us to take a Lineman in round 1 of the draft. I couldn’t understand why so many people (on here) were down on him. He’s very solid. I think Dawkins is one of the cornerstones of the offense and I havent felt like it needed an upgrade at all. I fully expect him to start and stay at LT for a while.

[vincec]

This is nice, and the logical place to start, but until contact starts there's no way to evaluate how Dawkins actually looks so this is basically just PR.

[YoloinOhio]

12 hours ago, Rocky Landing said:

If there is a real reason to say that Dawkins has the job locked down, it is because he earned it. Which is rather hard to do for an offensive lineman without pads on. 

 

If I am not mistaken, Levi Wallace played the CB spot opposite White in OTAs, as well. Does that mean Wallace has that CB spot “locked down?”

I don’t know. I didn’t hear the whole show, he may have said something about that position but everything I’ve read is that he does not have it locked down and that Kevin Johnson is making a strong push for that spot. 

 

The LT position is different from the CB position in that Nsecke is probably Dawkins’ main competition and he missed a lot of OTAs. 

Edited June 15, 2019 by YoloinOhio

[Doc]

1 minute ago, YoloinOhio said:

I don’t know. I didn’t hear the whole show, he may have said something about that position but everything I’ve read is that he does not have it locked down and that Kevin Johnson is making a strong push for that spot. 

 

Which is a good problem to have.

[Rocky Landing]

16 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

I don’t know. I didn’t hear the whole show, he may have said something about that position but everything I’ve read is that he does not have it locked down and that Kevin Johnson is making a strong push for that spot. 

 

The LT position is different from the CB position in that Nsecke is probably Dawkins’ main competition and he missed a lot of OTAs. 

I know. The reason I brought up Wallace was just to draw into question Dawkins' "lock" on the LT position based on where he has been positioned during OTAs without pads on. I have a hard time believing that there is even a lot of actual competition going on for O-line position until TC. I think there is probably more opportunity to compete for D backfield positions during OTAs based on what happens in 11-on-11s, for example, as there are more meaningful things happening in those positions, as opposed to linemen who are not allowed to do the biggest part of their job. Is there any chance that Dawkins has already outperformed Nsekhe? I don't see how.

 

So, to say the Dawkins has the LT position "locked down" is making the assumption that either Nsekhe has no chance to outperform him in TC, or that McD won't care. I wouldn't bank on either of those things.

[YoloinOhio]

11 minutes ago, Rocky Landing said:

I know. The reason I brought up Wallace was just to draw into question Dawkins' "lock" on the LT position based on where he has been positioned during OTAs without pads on. I have a hard time believing that there is even a lot of actual competition going on for O-line position until TC. I think there is probably more opportunity to compete for D backfield positions during OTAs based on what happens in 11-on-11s, for example, as there are more meaningful things happening in those positions, as opposed to linemen who are not allowed to do the biggest part of their job. Is there any chance that Dawkins has already outperformed Nsekhe? I don't see how.

 

So, to say the Dawkins has the LT position "locked down" is making the assumption that either Nsekhe has no chance to outperform him in TC, or that McD won't care. I wouldn't bank on either of those things.

That’s actually not all of what he based it on. I can’t remember everything he said. You can pull it up on wgr on demand. I give it credence since he’s employed by the team and isn’t going to throw out baseless opinions or wrong info other than what he’s told to say or allowed to say. 

[Socal-805]

23 hours ago, TigerJ said:

So, Dawkins and Morse are written in stone.  I think Spencer Long is close to being a lock at left guard.  That means right guard and tackle are not certain.  I think Bodine is a likely cut.  Feliciano is likely an interior backup, having the ability to play guard and center.  Right guard will be between Spain and Teller to start.  I think Ford might have an advantage at right tackle over Nsekhe, because Nsekhe gives you a two year starter, and then you're having to break in a new starter.  Ford might give you some long term continuity.  At right guard, Spain gives you a mauler.  Teller is potentially a little more athletic.

 

Well, Nsekhe is already 33 years old.  Not sure I understand why the Bills gave him that huge 2 year contract.

 

$14.5 million and $7.7 million guaranteed.

 

[ComradeKayAdams]

6 hours ago, Socal-805 said:

 

Well, Nsekhe is already 33 years old.  Not sure I understand why the Bills gave him that huge 2 year contract.

 

$14.5 million and $7.7 million guaranteed.

 

 

Two obvious reasons:

 

1. They weren't sure how the draft would play out and couldn't assume they would be able to draft Ford or any other decent RT.

2. Cap space isnt even remotely an issue this season or next.

[njbuff]

This is some investigative reporting by Chris Brown.

[CSBill]

I think the BIG positive in all this discussion is the Bills can now experiment and actually out the best five OL people out there.

 

It seems every one of them (except Morse, he's a lock at Center) are able to play multiple positions. This group has real on-field diversity. With that, find the other top four guys then figure out how to best line them up.

 

Related, while not a major concern, the one disappointment out of OTAs is the many injuries to O-linemen. It suspect it slowed down the process of accessing who could best fit where. We'll see once Training Camp opens, but for now I would bet it's the best four after Morse--then figure out the best place to put each.

[GimmeSomeProcess]

I’ve been an advocate of moving him inside but I am looking wrong on that one. Keep it going dawk 

[Magox]

On 6/14/2019 at 8:18 PM, BillyWhiteShows said:

 

I put very little stock in what Chris Brown says - and you should as well.  With that being said, I think he’s probably right here though.

Chris Brown is not going to make any proclamations without the seal of approval of the Bill's.  If he says it, its happening.

 

With that said, I find the statement odd and to be honest counterproductive.  Dawkins shouldn't be handed anything, he regressed and the fear of losing his starting position should remain as a motivator.

[YoloinOhio]

9 hours ago, njbuff said:

This is some investigative reporting by Chris Brown.

His job isn’t to be an investigative reporter. He’s the media mouthpiece for the team.