Could Cody Ford be the key to the offense improving this year?

[mjt328]

On 4/3/2021 at 9:38 PM, biggerdaddynj said:

The FO has too much invested in him being more than just OK—they traded up and told us he was an OT unlike everyone else ... and I believed them.  They had so much credibility.  
 

Same thing goes with Edmunds.  They won’t do anything with him either that would undermine their anointment of him as stud for years to come.  And, I believed them too.    

 

This post doesn't make much sense.  

Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott have always been very quick to recognize their mistakes (Kelvin Benjamin, Zay Jones for example), regardless of the investment made up-front.  It's one of their strong points.

 

Cody Ford is not guaranteed a starting spot in 2021 by any means (they also re-signed Jon Feliciano and tendered Ike Boettger).  And if he does win the job, it will indeed be at one of the Guard spots.  The Bills coaching staff slid him inside last year, so I don't understand the implication they are stubbornly playing him at Tackle.  Coming out of the draft, there were a mix of opinions on whether Ford could play on the outside.  The Bills were absolutely not the only ones in that boat.

 

And I have no idea what the comment about Tremaine Edmunds means.  The Bills haven't "anointed" him as anything, except the team's starting middle linebacker.  Are you suggesting we should have been starting Tyrel Dodson instead?  Are you suggesting the Bills should cut him?  I'm not exactly sure what you think the team should be doing differently with Edmunds.  The guy has been in the NFL for three years, is only 23 years old, and made the Pro-Bowl twice. 

 

 

[biggerdaddynj]

9 hours ago, mjt328 said:

 

This post doesn't make much sense.  

Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott have always been very quick to recognize their mistakes (Kelvin Benjamin, Zay Jones for example), regardless of the investment made up-front.  It's one of their strong points.

 

Cody Ford is not guaranteed a starting spot in 2021 by any means (they also re-signed Jon Feliciano and tendered Ike Boettger).  And if he does win the job, it will indeed be at one of the Guard spots.  The Bills coaching staff slid him inside last year, so I don't understand the implication they are stubbornly playing him at Tackle.  Coming out of the draft, there were a mix of opinions on whether Ford could play on the outside.  The Bills were absolutely not the only ones in that boat.

 

And I have no idea what the comment about Tremaine Edmunds means.  The Bills haven't "anointed" him as anything, except the team's starting middle linebacker.  Are you suggesting we should have been starting Tyrel Dodson instead?  Are you suggesting the Bills should cut him?  I'm not exactly sure what you think the team should be doing differently with Edmunds.  The guy has been in the NFL for three years, is only 23 years old, and made the Pro-Bowl twice. 

 

 

Just my opinion—I think my post makes sense and you are free to disagree, my feelings aren’t hurt.  With the draft coming up and all the fun we’re having with it.  I thought back to the Edmunds and Ford moves (which I believe I indicated in my post and definitely at the time, I was excited about on draft night). 

 

But, I believe there’s a big difference between ditching Benjamin or other “prove it deal” players or getting rid of Zay Jones.  I’m not going to dissect every player move (Kroft, the D-Line moves last off-season, Wyatt Teller, etc), I was only addressing my view, or disappointment, on the Edmunds and Ford moves and my personal opinion of human nature in regard to holding out longer with some decisions we make. 
 

I merely believe when a FO rolls the dice in what I’d say is a pretty big way (and I’m OK with taking those shots), it makes it hard for them to go in an opposite direction (Dawson Knox is the flip side, he’s the flip side).  

I think it’s entirely different with Edmunds and Ford (two entirely different stories and much bigger moves).  I think most everyone here agrees that Ford is not the player the FO hoped he would be, a starting tackle.  From what I recall (but my memory isn’t what it used to be) a lot of people thought he wasn’t an OT early on in camp and he was later resigned to the role of a guard (which I don’t think we saw from the FO as early as I think you’re implying).

 

As for Edmunds, Pro Bowl votes aren’t my measuring stick and I’ve seen the games and the game play of Edmunds is very frustrating for a guy drafted where he was, what he’s supposed to be with the amount of snaps he has (and I have seen lots of posts by many people who agree he doesn’t seem like the guy he is supposed to be—look at the game day posts and others).  
 

I’m sorry you misconstrued my what I said, particularly about Edmunds.  Never said he should be cut, that’s absurd, or that others we have on the roster right now are better than he is in his role (which is my point, why no real competition).  As for Edmunds, look at the posts before Milano was re-signed, many people wanted his role on defense changed and people wanted us to draft a LB to take that old role.  With his option coming up and my hope to keep giving Josh what he needs, I think it’s ok to reflect on the pick.  I hope this is the year he turns it around, I’m rooting for him, and I hope Ford can play guard like we need. 

Edited April 6, 2021 by biggerdaddynj

[Victory Formation]

He seems like he can effective pushing the pile forward but I don’t think he’s athletic enough to be a good pulling guard, he runs way too flat footed but I think he can be a solid guard in pass pro as well so that’s a plus. Seems like he’s pretty strong in those two regards.. I think he’d be better at RG.

[BrainwashedBillsFan]

Am I the only one who thinks Ford is soft?? I mean some people say he is a mauler in the run game but I haven’t seen it....plus two years ago when he was crying on IG about fans being upset with him about that penalty in the Houston playoff game just screams I’m a softy to me.... Get with the program we are fans ignore us and play the game....wahhhh someone said I should die wahhh.... what a *****

[Arm of Harm]

20 hours ago, BrainwashedBillsFan said:

Am I the only one who thinks Ford is soft?? I mean some people say he is a mauler in the run game but I haven’t seen it....plus two years ago when he was crying on IG about fans being upset with him about that penalty in the Houston playoff game just screams I’m a softy to me.... Get with the program we are fans ignore us and play the game....wahhhh someone said I should die wahhh.... what a *****

 

In fairness to Ford, the penalty called on him was bogus. I'm on his side on that one. If a player is victimized by a bad call, should he complain about it on social media? I don't have the answer to that. Normally how a player conducts himself on social media won't affect my opinion of him much, one way or the other, unless he's either a) a really incredible guy, or b) a total dirt bag. Complaining about a bad call is somewhere in between those extremes.

 

That said, I agree with you that he isn't any kind of mauler in the run game. A few months ago a website put together film analysis of what was wrong with the Bills' run game. Based on their analysis, it did not appear that Ford's run blocking was what you'd expect from a starting caliber OG. If he can get that fixed, the effect on the Bills' run game would be significant. If he can't, he needs to be replaced.

Edited April 6, 2021 by Arm of Harm