The "O" Line

[Bowl Winner]

The O-line as constructed is a huge weak spot for the Bills. I’m surprised to be saying this when Jim McNally was supposed to be able to do anything with any players he was given and still come up with a good O line.

 

Chris Villarrial, despite his four penalties on Saturday is a very good guard. Obviously he will be the starting guard again next year.

 

I like Jason Peters and when I have had the opportunity to watch him play I have seen him put up an excellent fight. Where he supplanted Mike Williams I would assume the plan is to use him at tackle again next year and I have no problem with that.

 

Trey Teague has been a good player for us but he’s never been a rock solid center. He has the brains but he lacks dominating size and has been blown off the ball too often to say that converting him to center was a complete success. Maybe Duke Preston would fare better there.

 

Bennie Anderson does have physical talent but he makes too many mental errors. The problem is that after the Bills overpaid for him, they had no one else to take over at his guard position when he performed in a less than stellar way. Trying to put Williams in that spot was just plain silly. I guess the scouting department gets a black eye for brining Anderson in, but what do we do with him next year. He’s too expensive to be a backup. He needs to be replaced either with a rookie or free agent, or perhaps Preston, but if the Bills cut him they eat a lot of salary on that one.

 

Gandy has worked his butt of this year at tackle but it’s just not his natural position. He’s a backup at best. Our first round pick should be a tackle to replace Gandy, and Gandy should be retained as a backup.

 

It’s pretty clear now that the reason Bledsoe struggled here is because the line couldn’t protect him because in my opinion Drew has been a better player in Dallas, and look at what his departure has done to the Bills this year. Everyone knows that cutting him was a huge part of our losing record. I am glad he’s gone though because I know he can only take a team so far and that the Bills had to move away from that. The O line has been a huge problem for Losman this year as well. The D line also needs to be fixed and should be addressed with early draft picks, but without at least three changes on the O the Bills are going nowhere.

[OnTheRocks]

If I were in charge Trey Teague would be gone. Not tomorrow, not today, two years ago.

 

I watched Olin Kruetz last night and this guy is not only a great player, he is a great leader. And it got me to think back on Kent Hull. I think the Center has to be the "co-leader" of the offense along with the QB. I can't say that I recall ever seeing Teague do anything that resembled "leadership" on or off the field.

 

As I thought further about it.....I don't have a real problem with LT, RG or RT.

However the CENTER must be replaced. And if possible....they might consider moving Teague over to LG and bring in the best available Center through FA.

 

I like Duke Preston when I have seen him at RG, but there must be a reason he hasn't taken over the Center position from Teague...so I am not sure he would be the answer.

[Simon]

Gandy has worked his butt of this year at tackle but it’s just not his natural position. He’s a backup at best. Our first round pick should be a tackle to replace Gandy, and Gandy should be retained as a backup.

Gandy's probably been our most consistent OLineman all year so I'd hesitate to declare him a backup. I'd like to see the Bills use that high pick on a bluechip LT and move Gandy inside to Guard. I don't care where Anderson then goes, as long as he goes off the field and takes his multiple drive-killing mistakes with him.

Everett/1strndLT/Gandy/Preston/Vilarial/Peters/Campbell might be a servicable unit if they can manage to stay healthy.

Cya

[Mark VI]

Bills may be forced to keep Chris V but he's turning into another Jennings with the constant injuries. His play has been inconsistent since last season ( when he actually plays ).

 

Preston was rated a late 2nd day pick before last years draft ( Bills picked him in the 4th round ). How good he actually is seems still up for debate.

 

Williams- toast, Bennie Anderson - toast, Teague- gone

 

Like what I see of Peters at RT. Still learning but excellent at drive blocking on running plays.

 

Gandy - good backup but I read his cap figure for 2006 is 1.9 Mil.

 

Bills have to make a serious run at the quality UFA's available and Draft at least 2 in the first 4 rounds of the draft. We need players.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Gandy's probably been our most consistent OLineman all year so I'd hesitate to declare him a backup. I'd like to see the Bills use that high pick on a bluechip LT and move Gandy inside to Guard. I don't care where Anderson then goes, as long as he goes off the field and takes his multiple drive-killing mistakes with him.

Everett/1strndLT/Gandy/Preston/Vilarial/Peters/Campbell might be a servicable unit if they can manage to stay healthy.

Cya

536610[/snapback]

 

I don't want SERVICABLE. I want QUALITY.

 

Bring in an OL with the high pick. Bring in the best available FA talent, even if it means outbidding the other teams by 2.5 million a year.

 

This line needs to improve, and in a fukking hurry.

[nick in* england]

Goodbye: Anderson, Williams, Teague, Jerman

 

Re-role: Gandy

 

Start: Peters, Villarrial, Preston

 

Retain for fodder: Geisinger, McFarland

 

Draft: LT, LG, RG

 

FA: LG, RG, RT

[tennesseeboy]

I don't want SERVICABLE. I want QUALITY.

 

Bring in an OL with the high pick. Bring in the best available FA talent, even if it means outbidding the other teams by 2.5 million a year.

 

This line needs to improve, and in a fukking hurry.

536615[/snapback]

I agree wholeheartedly. Some of the lineman may actually stay. One or possibly two may start, but not because they are NFL starters. They will start only because we could only get three starters through draft and free agency. And they will be weak links.

[JCBoston]

Don't forget, we still have Lawrence Smith coming off the IR!

 

[Sound_n_Fury]

The O-line as constructed is a huge weak spot for the Bills.  I’m surprised to be saying this when Jim McNally was supposed to be able to do anything with any players he was given and still come up with a good O line.

536591[/snapback]

 

Fuuny, but it seems like the Gints running game sure has improved over the past two years.

 

 

Chris Villarrial, despite his four penalties on Saturday is a very good guard.  Obviously he will be the starting guard again next year. 

536591[/snapback]

 

I sure hope not. For some reason CV is the teflon O-lineman with this team...when he's not banged up, he just plain underperforms.

 

 

I like Jason Peters and when I have had the opportunity to watch him play I have seen him put up an excellent fight.  Where he supplanted Mike Williams I would assume the plan is to use him at tackle again next year and I have no problem with that.

536591[/snapback]

 

I like Peters, too. But at this stage of his development, he's not a very effective run blocker. He's got great feet but not enough push...

 

 

Trey Teague has been a good player for us but he’s never been a rock solid center.  He has the brains but he lacks dominating size and has been blown off the ball too often to say that converting him to center was a complete success. Maybe Duke Preston would fare better there.

536591[/snapback]

 

Duke's your starter in 2006.

 

Bennie Anderson does have physical talent but he makes too many mental errors.  The problem is that after the Bills overpaid for him, they had no one else to take over at his guard position when he performed in a less than stellar way.  Trying to put Williams in that spot was just plain silly.  I guess the scouting department gets a black eye for brining Anderson in, but what do we do with him next year.  He’s too expensive to be a backup. He needs to be replaced either with a rookie or free agent, or perhaps Preston, but if the Bills cut him they eat a lot of salary on that one.

536591[/snapback]

 

Bad signing, but the cubbord was bare on inexpensive FA OG's this year.

 

 

Gandy has worked his butt of this year at tackle but it’s just not his natural position.  He’s a backup at best.  Our first round pick should be a tackle to replace Gandy, and Gandy should be retained as a backup.

536591[/snapback]

 

I think Gandy's the starting LOG in 2006.

[MDH]

Gandy's probably been our most consistent OLineman all year so I'd hesitate to declare him a backup. I'd like to see the Bills use that high pick on a bluechip LT and move Gandy inside to Guard. I don't care where Anderson then goes, as long as he goes off the field and takes his multiple drive-killing mistakes with him.

Everett/1strndLT/Gandy/Preston/Vilarial/Peters/Campbell might be a servicable unit if they can manage to stay healthy.

Cya

536610[/snapback]

 

 

I think it's way premature to assume Preston can come in and make all the line calls in addition to providing adequate holes/protection when we've really not seen anything from the kid. It’s also a bit much to expect a high first round LT to come in and play well right off the bat. The line you mention above might be a best way to go long term but I think JP would get killed behind it next year.

[Bowl Winner]

Great banter folks. Thats why I love TBD!

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

I don't want SERVICABLE. I want QUALITY.

 

Bring in an OL with the high pick. Bring in the best available FA talent, even if it means outbidding the other teams by 2.5 million a year.

 

This line needs to improve, and in a fukking hurry.

536615[/snapback]

I aggree with your thought that we want quality rather than serviceable, but disagree with your thought that the draft is a road to get a player who is much more than serviceable next year.

 

There are relatively few cases and is a real rarity that a drafted OL player is much more than what I would call serviceable his first year. Folks seem to operate under a false assumption that every 1st round OL pick is going to be Tony Boselli when it is actually much more the case that a first round pick is likely to be a player who ends up being a bust like Mike Williams or a hold-out with as lost first year like McKinnie.

 

Even the best of the LTs taken in the 1st that year, Levi Jones is a solid player now but one would be hardpressed to label him accurately as being more than serviceable and providing some hope that he realized his first year.

 

I agree with you and DiCaesare that the way to build a team is from the inside out and would not mind at all if the 1st round pick next time is an OL player. However, I am not under the illusion that this player is likely to be anything more than serviceable his rookie year.

[OnTheRocks]

I aggree with your thought that we want quality rather than serviceable, but disagree with your thought that the draft is a road to get a player who is much more than serviceable next year.

 

There are relatively few cases and is a real rarity that a drafted OL player is much more than what I would call serviceable his first year.  Folks seem to operate under a false assumption that every 1st round OL pick is going to be Tony Boselli when it is actually much more the case that a first round pick is likely to be a player who ends up being a bust like Mike Williams or a hold-out with as lost first year like McKinnie.

 

Even the best of the LTs taken in the 1st that year, Levi Jones is a solid player now but one would be hardpressed to label him accurately as being more than serviceable and providing some hope that he realized his first year.

 

I agree with you and DiCaesare that the way to build a team is from the inside out and would not mind at all if the 1st round pick next time is an OL player.  However, I am not under the illusion that this player is likely to be anything more than serviceable his rookie year.

536776[/snapback]

 

this is true for the first year. i remember Sherman White making Anthony Munoz look like Jerry Crafts during his rookie season. However....that is the kind of risk worth waiting one year for.

[X. Benedict]

I don't know what to say, for the past 5 years we have been promised a

power running game with no offensive line. Kent Hull where are you? I even

miss Brown and Tucker at this point.

[tennesseeboy]

I suspect that Ferguson will be a better than serviceable first year player. However, even if we don't get him and go with another strong OL draft choice in the draft, let's let them play into a strong offensive line. I can't imagine we won't play better than we did this year even with an all-rookie o line.

[crazyDingo]

Goodbye: Anderson, Williams, Teague, Jerman

 

Re-role: Gandy

 

Start: Peters, Villarrial, Preston

 

Retain for fodder: Geisinger, McFarland

 

Draft: LT, LG, RG

 

FA: LG, RG, RT

536618[/snapback]

yep. doable plan.

[obie_wan]

Why does the great Jim McNally get a free pass in this discussion?

 

Most teams in the league have lost key players to their line and replacements have been plugged in.

 

 

It seems no OL on our team can execute the McNally plan.

 

Why are there always gaping holes in the middle of the line for blitzers to exploit.

 

I think Teflon did a great job of overhyping the quality of the coaching staff and you are now seeing the less than stellar results

[Rubes]

The main problem is that we underperform at too many positions on the line, but we can't realistically replace every lousy lineman with somebody else who is immediately better.

 

I actually think we will probably go into next year with the same tackles, Gandy and Peters. Not great tackles, but they are at least average. I guess I'm willing to overlook Gandy's big whiff on Saturday that allowed Holcomb to get splattered.

 

The interior is where we really need change. I think the jury is still out on what will happen to Teague and Villarial, if only because we may need bodies. I think Preston is given the chance to take over the center spot, but the question is, is Teague too expensive to keep around anyway?

 

Villarial, IMO, will probably be given the opportunity to keep the RG spot, but I don't know if he's more expensive than his worth.

 

Then there's LG. If there was ever a position I would like to see a name free agent come in to patch a spot, that would be it. The salary saved by slicing Williams and Anderson should cover that.

 

A high draft pick (or two) at tackle or guard should provide adequate depth and preparation for beyond that.

[Formerly Allan in MD]

I've always wondered how Teague would do at his natural position, tackle. Unfortunately, the "brains" don't appear too curious. This seaon would have seemingly been the time to find out, with Preston available at center.

 

Agreed, we have to stop going for bandaids and focus on quality. Of course, TD has attempted that, as well, with Williams. The problems on both lines are clearly much more than personnel-related.

[macaroni]

If I were the king of the Bills (and I'm not) I would tell McNalley to give me a list of the 5 starting linemen from our roster that he would make the starters if he had to choose right now (barring injury status) ......... I would then cut every other player on the team that thinks he's a lineman, and totally restock our club via the draft and free agency (having McNalley identify the players to persue).

 

I'd then give McNalley through out the off season, minicamps, and preseason to manipulate the starters/backups and put together a decent line.