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Dion Dawkins: LT/RT or Guard???


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I've been on lockdown all week with the coronavirus pandemic affecting everyone's life. But it gave me a chance to watch every Bills game from the past season. I really like Dion Dawkins, but I can't see paying an average LT almost 45 million with almost 25 million guaranteed. This years draft is loaded with true LT prospects. In all honesty when Dion came out of college his skill set and body type was that of a guard. Honestly Dion nor Cody are true LT and RT. Both players need to be moved inside. Have you watched the Houston! Granted Josh made some bad decision, but all the pressure was coming off the edge. There's several OT who will be in reach with our 54th pick. Be it moving up or staying put. Players like Austin Jackson from USC, Isaiah Wilson from Georgia, Prince Tega Wanogho from Auburn, Josh Jones from Houston and Ezra Cleveland from Boise State. I'm not trying create more holes, but both tackles need to be upgraded in my opinion.         

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I think Dawkins is an above-average LT, say 70th percentile. Yeah, he had some gaffs in the playoff game, but still a solid player. I agree he isn't worth top-5 LT money, hopefully he'll follow Spain's lead & take a reasonable deal. Otherwise, we're either paying a FA LT top dollar, trying to draft a rookie with a likely very late 1st rounder, or going back to having a bad LT situation.

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19 minutes ago, r henderson said:

I've been on lockdown all week with the coronavirus pandemic affecting everyone's life. But it gave me a chance to watch every Bills game from the past season. I really like Dion Dawkins, but I can't see paying an average LT almost 45 million with almost 25 million guaranteed. This years draft is loaded with true LT prospects. In all honesty when Dion came out of college his skill set and body type was that of a guard. Honestly Dion nor Cody are true LT and RT. Both players need to be moved inside. Have you watched the Houston! Granted Josh made some bad decision, but all the pressure was coming off the edge. There's several OT who will be in reach with our 54th pick. Be it moving up or staying put. Players like Austin Jackson from USC, Isaiah Wilson from Georgia, Prince Tega Wanogho from Auburn, Josh Jones from Houston and Ezra Cleveland from Boise State. I'm not trying create more holes, but both tackles need to be upgraded in my opinion.         

 

19 minutes ago, r henderson said:

 

I have similar thoughts.  Dawkins had a solid year in 2019, but he is not yet elite.  He may grow into that status.  Time will tell.  This upcoming draft will be interesting.  I have no idea who they will draft in the second round.  Hopefully BPA.

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23 minutes ago, r henderson said:

I've been on lockdown all week with the coronavirus pandemic affecting everyone's life. But it gave me a chance to watch every Bills game from the past season. I really like Dion Dawkins, but I can't see paying an average LT almost 45 million with almost 25 million guaranteed. This years draft is loaded with true LT prospects. In all honesty when Dion came out of college his skill set and body type was that of a guard. Honestly Dion nor Cody are true LT and RT. Both players need to be moved inside. Have you watched the Houston! Granted Josh made some bad decision, but all the pressure was coming off the edge. There's several OT who will be in reach with our 54th pick. Be it moving up or staying put. Players like Austin Jackson from USC, Isaiah Wilson from Georgia, Prince Tega Wanogho from Auburn, Josh Jones from Houston and Ezra Cleveland from Boise State. I'm not trying create more holes, but both tackles need to be upgraded in my opinion.         

 

 

I've flipped on the 2 biggest positions need (tho we're ok or pretty good at both).

 

OT and then DE.  Shocker.  The trenches.  I said I'd still consider WR in the draft--maybe later tho.. and go OT or a Center (I'm in a small minority with that one) in round 2.  Depends on their board going BPA is never a bad idea.  But if the OT can push for a job absolutely and we need depth there.  

As for Dawkins he's a top 15 LT in the league.  He had his best year.  Someone would have to push him to lose his job.  He definitely improved this season.  And works well with Spain.  

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He'll get paid because he's a good player and nobody on the roster can play LT better than him. Above average linemen are held on to unless they get the injury bug or you are cap strapped.

 

Yeah, he's not elite, but he's solid. He deserves to get paid when his turn is up.

 

EDIT: And people need to stop pretending to know what makes a player a good guard vs a tackle. You don't know. You're just spewing nonsense from other people who also don't know. Leave it to the coaches to line them up.

Edited by MJS
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4 hours ago, r henderson said:

I've been on lockdown all week with the coronavirus pandemic affecting everyone's life. But it gave me a chance to watch every Bills game from the past season. I really like Dion Dawkins, but I can't see paying an average LT almost 45 million with almost 25 million guaranteed. This years draft is loaded with true LT prospects. In all honesty when Dion came out of college his skill set and body type was that of a guard. Honestly Dion nor Cody are true LT and RT. Both players need to be moved inside. Have you watched the Houston! Granted Josh made some bad decision, but all the pressure was coming off the edge. There's several OT who will be in reach with our 54th pick. Be it moving up or staying put. Players like Austin Jackson from USC, Isaiah Wilson from Georgia, Prince Tega Wanogho from Auburn, Josh Jones from Houston and Ezra Cleveland from Boise State. I'm not trying create more holes, but both tackles need to be upgraded in my opinion.         


So here’s the thing, there is close to zero chance any of those guys will be better than Dawkins over the next few years. You are taking your home grown guy, who was raw coming out, who has developed into an average left tackle with room to grow and replacing him with people who will be a work in progress during our window of contention? Just doesn’t make sense. 
 

Like Jackson, he’s raw, very athletic, good length, but is going to need a lot of time and may wind up at guard. 
 

I like Isaiah Wilson a lot, but he is a right tackle prospect and I think he is going to be very good. But he is a RT only guy, and like Cody Ford has issues in pass pro he needs to work on. 
 

Prince is extremely raw, being a late comer to the sport. His body is long and lean and has to add muscle. He also has extremely short arms so its a long-shot that he stays at LT in the pros. And is probably too small to kick inside. 

Jones is a nice prospect, but again he is raw and isn’t likely to be ready to start right away. He also has shorter than ideal arms. 


Cleveland again is another athletic guy, with short arms, who needs to add strength to his frame to hold up against NFL rushers. 


Even guys like Wirfs and Thomas are likely right tackles in the NFL. 

 

My point is none of these people will be instant upgrades at either position and they all have holes in their game that need to get developed. Dawkins has developed. Just a year ago Ford was a raw line prospect who had some struggles. A year under his belt helps him develop. We really want to hit the reset button and start that process over? Cody flashed at times and You do not move him to guard unless you know for sure that he can’t play tackle. Dion may never be an elite LT, but the dude is at the very least above average, and at 25 years old still has room to grow. There are a couple of elite left tackles in the NFL, and then there is everybody else. 

 

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4 hours ago, Mountain Man said:

I wondered when the next pointless move Dion Dawkins topic would be created. 

 

He is a decent LT. They are rare in the NFL. End of story. 

You couldn't be more correct.  If you read this board, we should have about 6 guys playing guard, a couple of new rookies playing tackle or at a minimum someone's castoff playing right tackle.  People want to point to isolated statistics and make grand proclamations about the team.  The o-line has room to improve, receivers need to get open within the timing of the play, the QB needs to deliver the ball on time, and running backs need to hit the hole and read the blocks.  Watching the Bills last year, those things didn't always happen in unison and the result looked like the o-line didn't perform which was not always the case.  I trust the coaches to have a better grip on this than any of us who are posting on this board.

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6 hours ago, r henderson said:

I've been on lockdown all week with the coronavirus pandemic affecting everyone's life. But it gave me a chance to watch every Bills game from the past season. I really like Dion Dawkins, but I can't see paying an average LT almost 45 million with almost 25 million guaranteed. This years draft is loaded with true LT prospects. In all honesty when Dion came out of college his skill set and body type was that of a guard. Honestly Dion nor Cody are true LT and RT. Both players need to be moved inside. Have you watched the Houston! Granted Josh made some bad decision, but all the pressure was coming off the edge. There's several OT who will be in reach with our 54th pick. Be it moving up or staying put. Players like Austin Jackson from USC, Isaiah Wilson from Georgia, Prince Tega Wanogho from Auburn, Josh Jones from Houston and Ezra Cleveland from Boise State. I'm not trying create more holes, but both tackles need to be upgraded in my opinion.         


 

Man - I knew the virus was bad, but it really seems to be affecting Logic.

 

So you do not want to a proven LT 45 million with 25 GTD, but you think we should look to move him elsewhere and then draft a replacement at the end of the second round.  Great let’s spin the tires some more. 
 

1st off - it really doesn’t matter where you move him LT/RT/Guard - basically at this point the top guys are getting paid nearly the equivalent salary.  Top LTs are around 17 million, with the top RT exceeding that, guards are getting 15+ million - so you are paying him 3/45million with 25 GTD approximately whether you keep him at tackle or guard.  
 

So the real idea is don’t sweat it.  Draft BPA - do not create un-needed holes and if the BPA is a Tackle prospect let him play and use that in your decision.  If BPA is RB, WR, DE, etc - draft that and you still have Dion who is fine.  No matter what you are paying Dion the same money or you are getting rid of him.

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