Round 2, Pick 51: Andy Levitre, OG, Oregon State

[SKOOBY]

The lines are getting help, great to see it.

[MrLocke]

How much confidence would you have in Butler?

 

Levitra (yeah, I know) has played Guard and BOTH tackle positions in college. He's going to be an important guy even if he doesn't crack the starting lineup.

 

You don't use picks as high as this one not to be a starter.

[Bill from NYC]

http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/andy-levitre?id=71363

 

 

 

I know you were really stoked about this guy, Bill. Three out of four picks on the lines? McKinney might not make it out of training camp.

 

Randy Cross liked him a lot. He predicted NE or Pitt. to take him at the end of round 1. The team will feel the effects of drafting these guys in terms of running the football. I hope teams try that formation where everybody stays back. Wood looks like he will kill someone.

[John Adams]

Randy Cross liked him a lot. He predicted NE or Pitt. to take him at the end of round 1. The team will feel the effects of drafting these guys in terms of running the football. I hope teams try that formation where everybody stays back. Wood looks like he will kill someone.

 

Right. Bills got their CB thing out of the way but at least they used 3 picks wisely. Maybin may be small but my god is he athletic. I wonder if he'll be LB.

[Alaska Darin]

You don't use picks as high as this one not to be a starter.

How many games did James Hardy start last season? Or Josh Reed, Chris Kelsey, Roscoe Parrish, etc in their rookie seasons?

 

Second round draft choices aren't guarantees.

[Blue Chipper]

I like the pick alot. The Bills line needs good players. Wood will be the starting center & Levitre will play guard. Two young guyd playimg their natural position- not trying to make a someone play a postion they are not comfortable with.

[Bill from NYC]

Right. Bills got their CB thing out of the way but at least they used 3 picks wisely. Maybin may be small but my god is he athletic. I wonder if he'll be LB.

 

I was gonna ask Lori and R.Rich. They are the PSU freaks.

[KOKBILLS]

Randy Cross liked him a lot. He predicted NE or Pitt. to take him at the end of round 1. The team will feel the effects of drafting these guys in terms of running the football. I hope teams try that formation where everybody stays back. Wood looks like he will kill someone.

 

If they had taken Levitre instead of Byrd I would have been thrilled...It is interesting...The Bills obviously feel their problems on the O-Line are G to G...I like the Wood and Levitre Picks for sure...I think the Bills just got a LOT tougher along the O-Line...

[4BillsintheBurgh]

I like the pick alot. The Bills line needs good players. Wood will be the starting center & Levitre will play guard. Two young guyd playimg their natural position- not trying to make a someone play a postion they are not comfortable with.

Or a center playing guard and a guard playing tackle.

[Steely Dan]

Best guard in the draft, good pick, we gave up our 3rd and the first or our two 4th round picks, so now we got Levitre,wood,butler,walker. now we need a good LT maybe bell or chambers. like the pick ... GO BILLS

 

The happiest guy in Buffalo tonight is TE.

[Rico]

If they had taken Levitre instead of Byrd I would have been thrilled...It is interesting...The Bills obviously feel their problems on the O-Line are G to G...I like the Wood and Levitre Picks for sure...I think the Bills just got a LOT tougher along the O-Line...

Agreed, that would've made so much more sense. Too late now though, here's to things working out.

[Bufcomments]

gave up 3rd and a 4th, but great pick versatile lineman, he can play either tackle as well, 3 out of 4 picks were on the line, do you think the Bills are learning?

Took them long enough...what 9 years lol

 

I like the fact they are beefing up the lines..... maybe he might give Bulter some push in training camp.

[Wing Man]

I wouldn't want to be a OL veteran on the Bills right now. Might need to use those college courses now.

[BuffaloBlood]

Nobody has mentioned the idea of LeVitre playing RT. That would make our line

 

LT Walker

LG Wood

C Hangardner

RG Butler

RT LeVitre

 

Backups

Chambers

McKinney

 

 

Not awful

[billybob]

Took them long enough...what 9 years lol

 

I like the fact they are beefing up the lines..... maybe he might give Bulter some push in training camp.

 

 

I never liked Butler's run blocking but thought he was a fair pass blocker but if they cut him I won't shed a tear.

[MrLocke]

How many games did James Hardy start last season? Or Josh Reed, Chris Kelsey, Roscoe Parrish, etc in their rookie seasons?

 

Second round draft choices aren't guarantees.

I think Hardy was given every oppurtunity to start last season he just didn't perform when given the oppurtunity. The other players except Parrish became starters became starters, when their second year? I think Wood, Butler and Hangartner are locked up beyond next season.

[cantankerous]

Great pick! This guy was a huge part of the tremendous year of freshmen RB Yaquizz Rodgers. I watch the Ducks and Beavers all the time and I am stoked we landed this guy. Best guard in the draft!

[nodnarb]

In case it hasn't already been posted, PFW ranks Levitre as the #1 guard in the draft.

 

http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFLDr...9/OffGuards.htm

[Beerball]

How much confidence would you have in Butler?

 

Levitra (yeah, I know) has played Guard and BOTH tackle positions in college. He's going to be an important guy even if he doesn't crack the starting lineup.

Dick, Wood and Levitra walk into a bar...

[In-A-Gadda-Levitre]

it's interesting that that this mock showed Philly grabbing Levitre. The Bills barely jumped in ahead of them.

 

Then again, they also show Josh Freeman going at #39 to the Jags

[LynchMob23]

From the looks of these picks, don't be surprised if we do pick a receiving tight end later and utilized unbalanced lines when we are in run mode.

[Steely Dan]

The thing I like best about those two picks is that both guys play mean. The Bills have had guys who play soft up front on the OL for years. Now, along with Butler, they have some attitude up front.

 

 

Kick Wilfork's ass!!!!

 

 

Dick, Wood and Levitra walk into a bar...

 

..and beat the ever livin out of Beerball!!

 

Oh wait, that's not a joke. That's a hope.

[In space no one can hear]

Per Pro Football Weekly:

 

19 (51) Buffalo (from Dallas) — OG Andy Levitre, Oregon State

The Bills may have lost Jason Peters and Derrick Dockery, but they have now landed two solid replacements in Eric Wood and Andy Levitre, a college left tackle, who will both bolster the middle of the line. Levtire is very smart, understands angles and can be very efficient in a short area.

[LynchMob23]

How funny is it that Parcells has now drafted 2 dbs and a gadget player and the Bills have taken 3 linemen and a db? Weird.

[John from Riverside]

Haven't seen it mentioned.....but what about Levitre at RG and Butler at RT?

[Sisyphean Bills]

I'm confused. Unless he's going to play tackle shouldn't the interior line be fine with Wood, Hangartner and Butler. Is this a vote of non-confidence for Butler? Could Butler move to Tackle where he played in University I believe.

I think that must be it. Butler was a LT [edit: and RT] at Virginia and most thought he'd be a RT at the NFL. Maybe they plan to bump him out to RT with Walker flipping to LT.

 

Or it could be the Bills outsmarting everyone and drafting a C to play G and a G to play T.

[Magox]

Nobody has mentioned the idea of LeVitre playing RT. That would make our line

 

LT Walker

LG Wood

C Hangardner

RG Butler

RT LeVitre

 

Backups

Chambers

McKinney

 

 

Not awful

That very well may be the case this year.

 

with backups Chambers, Mckinney and Bell

 

I would think that the idea would be for next year Bell and Walker at the tackle position, and Wood at Center and Butler and Levitre at gaurd.

 

This would allow Bell and Levitre to bulk up a little bit

[DazedandConfused]

From the looks of these picks, don't be surprised if we do pick a receiving tight end later and utilized unbalanced lines when we are in run mode.

I think our base O is actually gonna be a 3 WR set with Evans and TO out wide and Parrish manning the slot. We are way deep at WR with Reed and Johnson giving us the ability to even run a lot of empty backfield sets,

 

The problem for us looking to use TE as a central part of the O is that you need a TE with both pass catching and blocking ability which Pettigrew might have done (but may be not as he is just a rookie) and if Pettigrew got injured or took time to develop we have no all around TE to back-up (do you see Schouman as more than a good ST player and though Fine is fine receiver no one sees him as a 6th OL player as our TE will need to be.

 

My sense is that this team goes 3 wide and tries to get H-Backs to fill out both the TE and FB roles as you do need these types of players for some situations. However, as H-backs these players will have specific duties on specific plays and need not show the diversity of a starting TE or when we had a Centers or Gash at FB.

 

No TEs is the way to to as best as I can tell.

[DazedandConfused]

Competition will be the key word on the OL. They would Wood to take the starter job but Hamgardner is passable if necessary. Butler, LeVitre and Hamgardner will compete for the G slots.

 

Walker likely flips to LT and Chambers, LeVitre and Bell (whom they seem high on internally) compete for the RT slot.

Add McKinney to this mix as a back-up and if the best man wins at each position they will have starters and a serviceable back-up at each position.

 

Interesting.

[Lurker]

I think that must be it. Butler was a LT at Virginia and most thought he'd be a RT at the NFL.

Ferguson was the LOT at UVA when Butler was the there. Brad played the right side...

[ax4782]

I think that must be it. Butler was a LT at Virginia and most thought he'd be a RT at the NFL. Maybe they plan to bump him out to RT with Walker flipping to LT.

 

Or it could be the Bills outsmarting everyone and drafting a C to play G and a G to play T.

 

Even when the Bills finally get it right and address actual needs on this team, people still find a way to be negative. Seriously. Wood is almost certainly going to play center for the Bills. Hangartner will be playing left guard. I fully suspect that Langston Walker will start the season at LT and they'll evaluate him during the pre-season and early on to see if he can handle it. Butler will start at RG and I suspect that Levitre will play some RT along with Bell. Levitre played T in college and his size and ability on that side of the line probably would be a good fit. This gives the team an opportunity to see what their two new young tackles can do. If Levitre isn't doing well at RT they can turn him into a guard and let Bell play RT or Chambers if it comes to that.

 

The Bills have actually done quite a good job addressing real needs in this draft with very good quality players. Why all the negativity?

[ans4e64]

I don't understand why people think the backup we signed from Carlina HAS to start here. I've been saying since we signed him that he was signed as depth. Why isn't it possible that Levitre is our LG and Wood is our OC?

 

No. Hangartner MUST start.

[Sisyphean Bills]

Ferguson was the LOT at UVA when Butler was the there. Brad played the right side...

 

Actually, Butler played both LT and RT. (I just remember seeing him on the left, but yeah he played some right too.)

 

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/uvafootball/wb/79186

 

I don't understand why people think the backup we signed from Carlina HAS to start here. I've been saying since we signed him that he was signed as depth. Why isn't it possible that Levitre is our LG and Wood is our OC?

 

No. Hangartner MUST start.

 

I think it has to do with the comments made by Dick Jauron. Where is that link?

[lets_go_bills]

I love this pick. He's another nasty O-Lineman. The top rated Guard is ours! The CB pick pissed me off but this one is great. More trench building. The Bills FO recognized how bad the Offense was and how badly we needed O-Lineman, especially after trading Peters

 

Love this pick.

[DC Tom]

A shockingly good pick! We are going to be solid and deep at Guard pretty soon. When was the last time you heard this?

 

Last time I heard that, the Bills had no center, no RT, Fina at LT, and ten guards.

 

Deep at guard is not necessarily a good thing.

[Bill from NYC]

Last time I heard that, the Bills had no center, no RT, Fina at LT, and ten guards.

 

Deep at guard is not necessarily a good thing.

 

Who was the last Guard besides Ruben Brown who you thought was better than average?

[Sisyphean Bills]

Even when the Bills finally get it right and address actual needs on this team, people still find a way to be negative. Seriously. Wood is almost certainly going to play center for the Bills. Hangartner will be playing left guard. I fully suspect that Langston Walker will start the season at LT and they'll evaluate him during the pre-season and early on to see if he can handle it. Butler will start at RG and I suspect that Levitre will play some RT along with Bell. Levitre played T in college and his size and ability on that side of the line probably would be a good fit. This gives the team an opportunity to see what their two new young tackles can do. If Levitre isn't doing well at RT they can turn him into a guard and let Bell play RT or Chambers if it comes to that.

 

The Bills have actually done quite a good job addressing real needs in this draft with very good quality players. Why all the negativity?

WTF are you talking about? Go to the store and buy yourself a sense of humor and copy of "Reading Comprehension for Idiots".

[spartacus]

Since they appear to be putting Wood at LG, wonder if this means Levitre goes to LT?

Butler would be the more likely guy to move to LT.

 

He has more mobility than Walker and more experience than the rookies

[LabattBlue]

Utterly fantastic selection. They must have put Jauron back in the basement,

[ans4e64]

Actually, Butler played both LT and RT. (I just remember seeing him on the left, but yeah he played some right too.)

 

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/uvafootball/wb/79186

 

 

 

I think it has to do with the comments made by Dick Jauron. Where is that link?

 

But wasn't that BEFORE we took Levitre?

 

Butler is in no way shape or form a LT. He's the stiffest guy I've ever seen play tackle in college. I was surprised when we picked him, but not surprised when we moved him into guard. He's like a statue out there.