Re-Tooled or Re-Packaged?: Our new offensive line

[Bill from NYC]

Look at the Bills roster, minus Nate, and tell me that RG or LG is a bigger need than CB right now.  I'll agree DT is, but the G spots on O (while still a need) aren't a bigger hole that CB without Nate.  The Bills have no one on the roster who can step into a starting CB role right now.  Of course, that could change after FA begins, but as of right now CB would be a major need.

 

Without Nate I'd say the Bills biggest needs, in order are:

 

DT

CB

G

WR

LB

TE (though I'm starting to like Royal more and more)

 

With the improved play of the OL one could actually argue that WR is more of a need than G.

871215[/snapback]

 

Point taken but I ask you to carefully examine the Bills 06 draft.

Look at the contributions from Williams, Ellison and Pennington to name 3. These guys were late round picks, and are big contributors to our win yesterday, if not out entire winning streak.

My point is to ask why it is etched in stone that Nate be replaced (if need be) with a 1st round corner? Don't you suspect it is time to join the ranks of winning teams and bolster up the OL with our early resources?

Teams that take OGs in the first round seem to have a huge record of success.

 

Worth a try, no?

[cmdevisser]

Wow this forum has nate clements on the brain....

 

but i guess i'll accompany the traffic; I believe the bills are going to stick with Youboty as their replacement for Nate, after all he was widely believed to be a 1st round CB and no one really knows why he slipped into the 3rd round. I predict his playing time will be steadily increased the next few games so the bills can get a better evaluation of him.

 

I think Youbouty would be comparable to Nate in his first season, he has all the tools.... too bad Lucas is out of the league now.

[Bflojohn]

From my perch, I'd say that the possibility exists that the Bills have found a tandem at tackle that could be a force for a half a dozen years or more! If nothing else, finding the correct complement at OLT and ORT is paramount for this team going forward. I'd sign Mike Gandy back as my insurance policy at as many as 3 positions, as a back-up. I wholeheartedly agree that ORG is in need of an upgrade. Duke Preston is not a bad back-up option either as Chris Villarrial makes his retirement rounds in the lockerroom in two weeks! Eric Steinbach would look awfully good in a Bills uniform, and I believe that he will be the #1 priority of the front office in the free agency period. Melvin Fowler will be even better with stout guards flanking him, so upgrades are definately in order. On the defensive front, John McCargo will be just fine as most players make a quantum leap between years 1 and 2 in regard to understanding the pro game more and in their strength and preperation. The same will hold true for Kyle Williams in his second year, so I am of the opinion that an upgrade is in order to replace Tim Anderson from any appreciable playing time (back-up!). The draft is impossible to forecast because the roster will change in free agency and the upgrades might already be in place! Therefore, best player available always seems best in the middle of a first round!

[Britbillsfan]

Since the O-line got shuffled the Bills are no longer having to put as many extra blockers as they can in order to help against the pass rush.

 

The reason that there is now life in the TE position (in that we are now seeing receptions from Royal/Ceislak) is that they are now able to run routes rather than staying back.

 

With more receivers JP has more options to throw to making for better quality receptions (read more ypa).

 

So the improvement in the line is not evidenced by less sacks, but by the fact that we are able to run a more balanced pass offence that has an easier time making the plays.

[Fewell733]

I guess it really illustrates how stats don't always tell the story.

[beausox]

Some facts:

 

Team-- Sacks--rushing yards

 

Bills--41--1396

 

NE--26--1681

 

Jets--32--1526

 

Miami--36--1399

[John from Riverside]

What about the possibility of Signing Steinback to LG and moving Gandy to RG?

 

I like Peters and Pennington....and we have Brad Butler waiting in the wings......

 

But that 1st round pick HAS to go on a runn stopper DT if a good one is available......

[Dibs]

Teams that take OGs in the first round seem to have a huge record of success.

 

871241[/snapback]

Bill....I want us to take an OG in the first round next draft. I personally believe that a good OL is vital to superbowl success.....however.....I wish you would stop linking that article for the purpose of showing that teams that take OGs in the first round have a huge record of success. It is not true and is disingenuous to say so.

I actually(a while back) looked at OGs drafted in the first round & found that at best, the teams that drafted them progressed to the superbowl at the league average.

All the article really shows is that the 2 teams from the last superbowl had drafted guards in the first round.....the premise does not follow through with the previous 30 superbowl teams to the same extent. Both teams had drafted TEs in the first round(as had NE)....do we think that the way to win a superbowl is to draft a TE in the first round? No....very few teams that have used 1st round picks on TEs have ended up winning(or getting to) the superbowl.

 

OTs on the other hand may well be a different story. I intend(very soon) to look at 1st round OTs in the superbowl but......

simply put again.......

Teams that have selected OGs in the 1st round of the draft in the last 20 years do not see superbowl action any more than the teams that have not drafted OGs in the 1st round.

[Koufax]

Interesting observations about the O-Line. Preston needs to head back to the bench with a good RG, and Gandy is very much on the bubble and I'd love to find an improvement at LG and let Gandy go. I agree that we can't overvalue our talent because it got reshuffled, and think our guard play is weaker than people realize, and Pennington is still a work in progress (but warrants a 2007 starting job).

 

So Right Guard is my top priority. CB if Nate goes, DT, LG are all positions to improve on. Having McCargo as a DT and Youboty as a CB, and a potentially passable Gandy at LG prevents us from having to force these "have to take a DT in the first round even if it is Bunkley, have to take a Tackle in the first round even if it is Justice" and allow us to find the best value and not reach in the draft or overpay in free agency as a result of panic.

 

The good news is Marv and Dick have shown to be much more level headed than us, and I expect they will have another very good off season.

[Bob in STL]

Much has been made of the reworked offensive line and the effect it has had on Losman and the offense, but I don't think people realize exactly how much of an effect the new line has really had.

 

In the 7 games before the bye week the Bills gave up 21 sacks.

Willis McGahee ran 150 times for 564 yards and 3.76 YPC.

 

In the 7 games since the bye week the Bills have given up 20 sacks.

Willis McGahee has run 76 times for 308 yards and 4.0 YPC.

 

I have to say...Im not impressed, and despite the general opinion that this line has been playing much better than any line the Bills have had in years (it doesnt take much does it?) Jason Peters will be the anchor of this line for many years to come, and by all accounts Pennington has looked very good at RT, but the offensive line must be a priority this offseason for Marv and co, and that means not waiting until the second day to select offensive linemen.

871074[/snapback]

 

 

Your not impressed? Then watch the games.

 

The sacks may be the same but Losman has much more time, he has room to step up, he is comfortable. The blocking is better and now we are getting the TE's into the play.

 

The first 7 games he was running for his life; sack or no sack. Stats don't tell the whole story.

 

I agree that there is room to improve but they are far better since the bye week changes.

[ChicagoRic]

Hmmmm.........Stat are just.............stats.........but here is one.

 

First 7 games: 2 wins, 5 losses.

 

Last 7 games: 5 wins, 2 losses.

 

I've Tivo'ed every game this year, and there is a noticeable difference between O-line #1 and O-line #2. I have not put a stopwatch on it, but there is more time and things look-----for lack of a better term---crisper. Execution is better and while it may not help McGahee all that much, it makes a huge difference to Losman.

 

 

Regards,

Eric C

ChicagoRic

[Dibs]

Your not impressed?  Then watch the games. 

 

The sacks may be the same but Losman has much more time, he has room to step up, he is comfortable.  The blocking is better and now we are getting the TE's into the play. 

 

The first 7 games he was running for his life; sack or no sack.  Stats don't tell the whole story. 

 

I agree that there is room to improve but they are far better since the bye week changes.

871529[/snapback]

I believe they are better since the by week too....however.....there was a HUGE change in offensive philosophy prior to the HOU game. Less 7 step drops, more shotgun, JP being allowed(finally) to use his legs. I think the line improved(marginally) but the changes by play-calling & JP show the real reasons for the greater offensive efficiency. We still let through too many sacks & we still cannot get any push up the middle(esp. on short yardage). We need to upgrade the interior of the OL.