All hopes pinned on Star?

[Desert Bills Fan]

I have been reading much about the return of Star - the one true 1 technique DT, we have. If he does not return in good shape , or doesn’t perform at a high level - are we back to last years defense?

i am concerned we don’t have a back up or injury replacement for Star. 

Seems like our last hope is the draft. I am worried about so much being based on a rookie.

what do you guys/gals think about the others on the roster who could play this spot? Any injured/dinged up players returning that would be challenging Star - or are the backup? 

How about those who follow college and the draft? Got some favorites in the first 3 rounds?

[Victory Formation]

They may have some hope left in Harrison Phillips, before his knee injury he looked good, maybe he rebounds? Ultimately I think we add another 1 tech somewhere in the Draft RDs 1-3.

[DrDawkinstein]

2 minutes ago, Desert Bills Fan said:

I have been reading much about the return of Star - the one true 1 technique DT, we have. If he does not return in good shape , or doesn’t perform at a high level - are we back to last years defense?

i am concerned we don’t have a back up or injury replacement for Star. 

Seems like our last hope is the draft. I am worried about so much being based on a rookie.

what do you guys/gals think about the others on the roster who could play this spot? Any injured/dinged up players returning that would be challenging Star - or are the backup? 

How about those who follow college and the draft? Got some favorites in the first 3 rounds?

 

You beat me to it. Was just starting a thread titles "Where's the Beef? (Addressing the 1-Tech)"

 

Even if Star shows up in the best shape of his life, we need to draft another true big-body 1-tech to get ready to take over next year.

 

I don't know who that is in the 2021 draft.

 

Is that Christian Barmore at #30?

Marvin Wilson at #61?

Someone even later?

[Logic]

I have a feeling that Beane and co know that this is a high priority. I expect them to draft a true 1T in the early to middle rounds.

 

They don’t seem like the types to just HOPE for anything from a certain player.

 

An in-shape Star and a fully recovered and healthy Harrison Phillips will make a big difference, but I still expect them to look to the future at the position.

 

 

[H2o]

You draft one regardless. A list to browse through on YouTube in no particular order. 

 

1. Tyler Shelvin - LSU

2. Marvin Wilson - FSU

3. Bobbie Brown III - Texas A&M

4. Tedarrell Slaton - Florida

5. Neil Farrell Jr. - LSU

6. Naquan Jones - Michigan St. 

7. Alim McNeill - NC State

8. Khyiris Tonga - BYU

[DrDawkinstein]

1 minute ago, Victory Formation said:

They may have some hope left in Harrison Phillips, before his knee injury he looked good, maybe he rebounds? Ultimately I think we add another 1 tech somewhere in the Draft RDs 1-3.

 

I havent done any deeper film study (and probably wouldnt know what to look for even if I tried), but Harry looked like he had his best 1-tech game ever in the playoff game against Baltimore. Fingers crossed that the light finally came on for him there.

 

Even so, we still need to draft another to prepare for Star leaving next year.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 minutes ago, Desert Bills Fan said:

I have been reading much about the return of Star - the one true 1 technique DT, we have. If he does not return in good shape , or doesn’t perform at a high level - are we back to last years defense?

i am concerned we don’t have a back up or injury replacement for Star. 

Seems like our last hope is the draft. I am worried about so much being based on a rookie.

what do you guys/gals think about the others on the roster who could play this spot? Any injured/dinged up players returning that would be challenging Star - or are the backup? 

How about those who follow college and the draft? Got some favorites in the first 3 rounds?

 

Well, Star and Harrison Phillips are supposed to be the rotation at 1TDT.  Last year, Phillips struggled initially, but after his benching (which McDermott came out and said after the season, was related to him needing more time to recover) and as he worked back into the lineup, I thought he played better.  The hope is that a full off season of strength and conditioning work will help him.

 

He posted a funny Instagram video of "his vs hers vacations" where he's seen standing at the top of an outdoor staircase doing some sort of high-rep, low-weight leg lift exercise then his girlfriend turns the camera towards herself, puts on a pair of shades, and leans back on the lounger.

Getting back to your question, IMHO we should 100% try to pick up a developmental DT in the draft, not necessarily in a high round.  Ed Oliver and Vernon Butler both were pressed into service to play 1TDT last season but it's neither of their best position.

[H2o]

Just now, DrDawkinstein said:

 

I havent done any deeper film study (and probably wouldnt know what to look for even if I tried), but Harry looked like he had his best 1-tech game ever in the playoff game against Baltimore. Fingers crossed that the light finally came on for him there.

 

Even so, we still need to draft another to prepare for Star leaving next year.

It was definitely his best game post-injury. In all honesty, he was probably playing his best football on the interior DL before he got injured early in 2019. He was clogging running lanes and making some plays. I've always thought he was best suited for a 5-Tech tbh, but he was starting to come around when the ACL happened. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 minute ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

I havent done any deeper film study (and probably wouldnt know what to look for even if I tried), but Harry looked like he had his best 1-tech game ever in the playoff game against Baltimore. Fingers crossed that the light finally came on for him there.

 

Even so, we still need to draft another to prepare for Star leaving next year.

 

He played well against the Colts, Miami, and NE as well IMO.  Which, coincidentally, are the games where he returned to 40-50% of the 1TDT snaps vs the 23-33% he got as he worked his way back into the lineup from being a healthy scratch.

 

The questions are: 1) will a full healthy off-season help him? and 2) can he stay healthy?

[glazeduck]

There are a LOT of reasonable solutions in FA left, too. We'll be fine here even if Star isn't up to snuff.

[CommonCents]

22 minutes ago, H2o said:

You draft one regardless. A list to browse through on YouTube in no particular order. 

 

1. Tyler Shelvin - LSU

2. Marvin Wilson - FSU

3. Bobbie Brown III - Texas A&M

4. Tedarrell Slaton - Florida

5. Neil Farrell Jr. - LSU

6. Naquan Jones - Michigan St. 

7. Alim McNeill - NC State

8. Khyiris Tonga - BYU

Shelvin please. 

[DrDawkinstein]

14 minutes ago, glazeduck said:

There are a LOT of reasonable solutions in FA left, too. We'll be fine here even if Star isn't up to snuff.

 

Who you like?

[Kwai San]

I think with Star coming back even if he doesn't set the world on fire but just eats up blockers it will allow the D to shift back to the 2019 D.  Oliver will be in the position he was much better at and that can not be a bad thing......do the Bills need to address the position???  Hells yeah!  Star ain't getting any younger.

[glazeduck]

13 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Who you like?

"Like" might be too strong of a strong word, but in the event that Star is not cutting it AND we don't draft a rookie capable of holding his own, DaQuon Jones, Steve McClendon, Daniel McCullers, Abry Jones, Domata Peko, Snacks Harrison could all be worth a look. And, in this scenario, if we're supposing that Buffalo doesn't draft any of the 8ish 1Ts available in the draft, there's also the possibility of additional veteran cuts (because other teams WILL be drafting them).

 

I'm not Brandon Beane, but I see 1T as a very plug & play position. That's not to say that there aren't better or worse players out there, but it's almost impossible to have a superstar at that position, so if you're going to get, say an "80" out of one guy and a "75" out of another and there's a big difference in cost, I'd opt for the 75. Given the relative depth at the position in the draft and knowing there are at least serviceable bodies in FA, it's not a position I'm wanting us to splurge on...

Edited April 9, 2021 by glazeduck

[H2o]

13 minutes ago, CommonCents said:

Shelvin please. 

I prefer Brown III or Wilson due to the fact they offer more in the pass rush, as well as being able to clog up running lanes. Shelvin is more like Star, eat up two blockers and hope your LB's are making tackles. 

[Rc2catch]

I think we have fans who use stars absence as a bigger excuse than it was. The defense had to adapt and as the season went on they did. They had to get creative with the blitzes and personnel and I think it ended up being a good thing. Star is not going to make or break this defense. His contribution is going to be more for the run game as he’ll come off the field most passing downs. Our issue imo is mostly in the pass defense 

[BigBuff423]

Let's also keep in mind Harry was coming off an ACL tear in which it routinely takes 14+ months to get back to full strength and ability. That just so happened to align with his impact, while I'm also sure his removal from game days was helpful in getting him to focus. The Draft and Harry coming back healthy with a full Off-season to hone and refine his skills has me thinking this could be a good year for IDL.

[artmalibu]

Star only needs to do his 1/11th for the D.  

[DrDawkinstein]

45 minutes ago, H2o said:

8. Khyiris Tonga - BYU

 

Hmmm, Polynesian from Utah... Where have we seen that before?... And we know Beane loves to stick with his methods...

 

Could be the pick.

 

[Rochesterfan]

46 minutes ago, Desert Bills Fan said:

I have been reading much about the return of Star - the one true 1 technique DT, we have. If he does not return in good shape , or doesn’t perform at a high level - are we back to last years defense?

i am concerned we don’t have a back up or injury replacement for Star. 

Seems like our last hope is the draft. I am worried about so much being based on a rookie.

what do you guys/gals think about the others on the roster who could play this spot? Any injured/dinged up players returning that would be challenging Star - or are the backup? 

How about those who follow college and the draft? Got some favorites in the first 3 rounds?

 

Well - we have more time in FA both before and after the draft, we have the draft, we have Star returning, we have Harrison Phillips returning ( struggled early, but got better as the season progressed), and if needed trades.

 

So no I don’t pin any hopes on Star - I pin my hopes on Beane continuing to work on the roster right up to and in to the season.  He will continue to address what he and McD feel the roster needs and we continue to get better with fewer and fewer holes.

 

Currently on the roster you have Star and his back-up in Phillips - plus a guy in Butler that has done 1 technique as needed.

 

I will be worried if we get to late November and we are constantly getting run on and have a losing record, but right now it is not even a hole - just a question mark.

[benderbender]

I like Star. He's a good fit. And i'm perfectly fine with pinning our hopes on him as long as everyone understands that Star is not elite, he's not top 10, he's just OUR 1-tech. And that's good enough for me. If he does his job, it frees Oliver and company to do what they do. I'm all for that. 

[freddyjj]

1 hour ago, Victory Formation said:

They may have some hope left in Harrison Phillips, before his knee injury he looked good, maybe he rebounds? Ultimately I think we add another 1 tech somewhere in the Draft RDs 1-3.

I agree that 2021 will be a fish or cut bait year for Horrible Harry.  OBD might be looking a little later in draft for a NT/1T college player to eventually replace Star

[TailgateChef]

36 minutes ago, H2o said:

I prefer Brown III or Wilson due to the fact they offer more in the pass rush, as well as being able to clog up running lanes. Shelvin is more like Star, eat up two blockers and hope your LB's are making tackles. 

Isn't that how our defense is set up?

That being said, BB3 (if we draft him, let's make that a thing) would be an excellent pick up.  I'm not as big on Wilson, because he's....not as big.

[hjnick]

1 hour ago, Desert Bills Fan said:

I have been reading much about the return of Star - the one true 1 technique DT, we have. If he does not return in good shape , or doesn’t perform at a high level - are we back to last years defense?

i am concerned we don’t have a back up or injury replacement for Star. 

Seems like our last hope is the draft. I am worried about so much being based on a rookie.

what do you guys/gals think about the others on the roster who could play this spot? Any injured/dinged up players returning that would be challenging Star - or are the backup? 

How about those who follow college and the draft? Got some favorites in the first 3 rounds?

Well, that's the thing about Star's position, you can't just teach big/fatty... you gotta be a big/fatty! 

 

Let's draft the biggest mountain of a man to help provide depth at this position.  IF that is what this D was missing last year, a new big/fatty could do wonders for this defense.

[Sherlock Holmes]

1 hour ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Who you like?

Jabba the Hutt, UDFA from Tatooine!

Edited April 9, 2021 by Sherlock Holmes

[SoCal Deek]

Anything that will keep the opposing O Line from swallowing up Edmunds will be just fine with me.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, glazeduck said:

There are a LOT of reasonable solutions in FA left, too. We'll be fine here even if Star isn't up to snuff.

 

What's puzzling a bit is that they didn't bring one in last season, if indeed there is so much 1TDT talent out there

Perhaps they felt Butler would work

[ndirish1978]

1 hour ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

You beat me to it. Was just starting a thread titles "Where's the Beef? (Addressing the 1-Tech)"

 

Even if Star shows up in the best shape of his life, we need to draft another true big-body 1-tech to get ready to take over next year.

 

I don't know who that is in the 2021 draft.

 

Is that Christian Barmore at #30?

Marvin Wilson at #61?

Someone even later?

 

I would rather have Tyler Shelvin than Wilson, could probably be had in the 3rd. He's enormous.

[MJS]

I don't see why anyone needs to worry. Our defense was not bad last year, especially as the season progressed. It was an average defense that played like a top 10 defense late in the year. I think people are a little spoiled at having a top 5 defense for so long.

23 minutes ago, Sherlock Holmes said:

Jabba the Hutt, UDFA from Tatooine!

I don't like his lack of mobility and explosiveness. His 40 time and 3 cone drill were really disappointing.

[John from Riverside]

There is an opportunity in this draft to pick up a TRUE 1 tech DT.....I really hope they do it

[oldmanfan]

I expect a big tub of goo to be drafted

[27yanks]

2 hours ago, H2o said:

You draft one regardless. A list to browse through on YouTube in no particular order. 

 

1. Tyler Shelvin - LSU

2. Marvin Wilson - FSU

3. Bobbie Brown III - Texas A&M

4. Tedarrell Slaton - Florida

5. Neil Farrell Jr. - LSU

6. Naquan Jones - Michigan St. 

7. Alim McNeill - NC State

8. Khyiris Tonga - BYU

1 for sure 6 is a sleeper moving up the charts

[Motorin']

2 hours ago, H2o said:

You draft one regardless. A list to browse through on YouTube in no particular order. 

 

1. Tyler Shelvin - LSU

2. Marvin Wilson - FSU

3. Bobbie Brown III - Texas A&M

4. Tedarrell Slaton - Florida

5. Neil Farrell Jr. - LSU

6. Naquan Jones - Michigan St. 

7. Alim McNeill - NC State

8. Khyiris Tonga - BYU

 

Tonga, Tonga, Tonga!

[John from Riverside]

Tyler shelvin is absolutely my guy a mammoth of a person but actually has a little bit of movement skills to him

[WideNine]

1 hour ago, Rc2catch said:

I think we have fans who use stars absence as a bigger excuse than it was. The defense had to adapt and as the season went on they did. They had to get creative with the blitzes and personnel and I think it ended up being a good thing. Star is not going to make or break this defense. His contribution is going to be more for the run game as he’ll come off the field most passing downs. Our issue imo is mostly in the pass defense 

 

I think that teams that can be successful with their front 4 without blitzing are stout in the interior of their lines while rotating fresh bodies at End.

 

Tampa has an embarrassment of riches with Vea and Suh manning the middle of their lines which allowed them to be strong against the rush and avoid having to commit to blitzing players to manufacture pressure on passing downs. Against better offenses (KC and GB) as soon as their QB sees a blitz they know where you are exposed and can exploit it.

 

I think a solid-to-impact DT at the 1-tech will help this team take the next step they are trying to take against elite teams. That, and we will finally see if a "clean" Edmunds can play downhill/instinctive football from his MLB position.

 

I think we have serviceable players now, but they are not players that I think teams have to really game plan around or force changes in blocking schemes. Star is a big question mark coming back in with one year left. It is not an every-down position and potential upgrades I think could be had in the draft around our 2nd or 3rd pick... will be interesting to see how highly the Bills value addressing that position.

 

 

 

[Chandler#81]

2 hours ago, Desert Bills Fan said:

I have been reading much about the return of Star - the one true 1 technique DT, we have. If he does not return in good shape , or doesn’t perform at a high level - are we back to last years defense?

i am concerned we don’t have a back up or injury replacement for Star. 

Right, cuz FA is over, we won’t draft anyone and all our PS guys suck.

 

 

or maybe you could peruse the Board and find out what’s going on..(?)

35 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

I expect a big tub of goo to be drafted

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Hell, Star is that. -and with more than a year off and completely out of the picture, I’ll be surprised if he isn’t terribly out of shape, slovenly and in need of a bath.

 

but that’s just me.

[Desert Bills Fan]

Thanks for the replies and insights. Gives me some leads to check out ....while waiting for draft day 😉

[msw2112]

This thread is making me think back to the heyday of Ted Washington and "Fat" Pat Williams.  They were good ones.  Hopefully, we can find a similar type of player in the draft.

 

That, and/or a good year from Star, should really allow Edmunds and Oliver to do what they do best. 

Edited April 9, 2021 by msw2112

[machine gun kelly]

1 hour ago, Sherlock Holmes said:

Jabba the Hutt, UDFA from Tatooine!

Works for me.  Let’s see those centers getting past this guy. Wha ha ha ha!

 

doesn’t the little animal on the left look just like Ridge?  🤪🏈

 

Just kidding Ridge.  I was going to say Weo, but then he would’ve done a Boba Fet on me.

1 hour ago, Motorin' said:

 

Tonga, Tonga, Tonga!

I thought you were going back to that WW2 movie, Tora, Tora, Tora.  Love John Wayne.

[TailgateChef]

1 hour ago, MJS said:

I don't like his lack of mobility and explosiveness. His 40 time and 3 cone drill were really disappointing.

Perhaps.  But he supplements excellent hand usage with his prehensile tongue to create space and attack the line of scrimmage.  He also has the Rancor.

Edited April 9, 2021 by TailgateChef