Who Should Stay, Who Deserves to GO, on our OL.

[PECKERWOOD]

We are constantly hearing about our sub par, OL. Who exactly is worth keeping, and who do you guys think should be shown the door?

[OpIv37]

Gandy and Villarial should be GONE.

Reyes and Fowler- they're not the greatest but they're not the worst. It would be nice to upgrade these positions (YET AGAIN) but not the end of the world if we don't.

Peters can stay.

[OpIv37]

LT and DT tie as our #1 priority in the off-season.

[Michael82]

Mike Gandy and Chris Villarrial should be gone. I'd hold onto Tutan Reyes and Melvin Fowler, but draft their replacements. I'd also move Jason Peters to LT.

[PECKERWOOD]

Gandy and Villarial should be GONE.

Reyes and Fowler- they're not the greatest but they're not the worst. It would be nice to upgrade these positions (YET AGAIN) but not the end of the world if we don't.

Peters can stay.
I definately agree with you on pretty much everything as far as, OL goes. What are your thoughts on Peters? I realize he is a genetic freak, but I havent been too impressed with him at RT. I still think he deserves another season though, since he has made some progress.

[bigbub2352]

I know this is an unreasonable request but in my opinion, the only one worth keeping right now, and he has to step it up as well is Jason Peters, all the hype but he gets beatin regularly against the run and the pass, u keep the reserves all of them Preston, Butler, Pennington and Merz and the guys on the PS, but these starters are junk

I know i will probably get negged are whatever but Tutan Reyes was let go by Carolina for a reason he cant pass block at all, and even though he is mobile misses alot of blocks when pulling and trapping
Chris Villereal is a bum and has been since he got here he is old and injury prone, and horrible as well in pass protection very easily bull rushed and is not good at all with the hole pulling thing

Mike Gandy was also let go by Chicago for a reason, he sucks, we got away with him last year but this year he is showing why he was out of football and cut by Chicago, we pick him up off the street and he is our new starting LT

Melvin Fowler is the best of the bunch but far from good, he is average at best struggles mightly against bull rush and swim moves, but is decent in run blocking, he is horrible at the shot gun snap which is kinda alarming

I would love to see the bills get at least 2 solid VA from FA, and draft at least one Olineman in the first or second round, hopefully Tutan doenst mind being a backup otherwise cut him, Merz can play both guard and center and so can Pennington so that is what i think

An offense that gets stuffed regularly on 3rd and 4th and short and cant protect the passer is in need of a serious oil change and maybe a lube job

[Patti120]

Peters should be switched to punter. Moorman should take his spot. I think Gandy would be superb at CB and clements can switch with him. From there I'd probably switch up Villarial with Roscoe Parrish because he'd really "shore up" the interior of our line.

With those simple moves there is no way we can be denied a championship.

[PECKERWOOD]

Mike Gandy and Chris Villarrial should be gone. I'd hold onto Tutan Reyes and Melvin Fowler, but draft their replacements. I'd also move Jason Peters to LT.
I agreed with everything untill you said move Jason to LT.

[OpIv37]

I definately agree with you on pretty much everything as far as, OL goes. What are your thoughts on Peters? I realize he is a genetic freak, but I havent been too impressed with him at RT. I still think he deserves another season though, since he has made some progress.

Peters hasn't been spectacular at RT but he also hasn't even played the position for a year yet and had to deal with a change in the offensive system. I dont think he'll ever be LT but I think he can improve at RT. I also think he'd be a monster if we got another RT and moved him into the G spot. Right now, though, we don't have the OL personnel to experiment with that and I think Peters will benefit from stability at one position.

[bigbub2352]

I hate to say it but Peters might be a better fit at guard with his strength and mobility he would be able to get out in the open and pull and trap, he gets beatin alot by speed rushers and i know it is only is second year but unfortunatley i do not think he is ready to go to LT

[bigbub2352]

opiv37 good thinking

[Michael82]

I agreed with everything untill you said move Jason to LT.
I think he's our best OT, that's why I would move him. But maybe he is best at RT, if he get a true LT. We can still pound the ball on the right behind Peters. :up:

[DraftBoy]

Leave Peters at RT, or move him inside, Id rather draft Joe Thomas to play LT.

[kernowboy]

Excellent

Its nice to see a few guys are suggesting that Peters move inside. I don't think he has the ability between the ears to be a starting LT, but he'd be a cracking guard. I think we need to give Butler a go at Right Tackle. As it stands the only interior lineman woth going after is Eric Steinbach and I don't think the Bengals will let him go, unless a Steve Hutchinson size bid is made.

If we can get a decent left tackle in the draft we could be ok.

Before the season started I thought Mike Pearson would be a serious upgrade over Gandy and Jeff Mitchell would be a better centre than Fowler. Whilst the latter has been ok, I still think Pearson and Mitchell are available so that even when we draft a left tackle it would give us breathing space. Assuming we don't do that, the draft could go like this.

Joe Thomas will go no lower than Ferguson did and will be out of reach
Levi Brown ... I think he'd be a better RT, not what we need
Justin Blalock ... again an RT or G

so I think we need to look at Doug Free, the 2nd best pure LT in the draft. He's either going to go at the bottom of the 1st and no latter than the middle of the 2nd. We could risk waiting for him and if we miss we can still make a play for Joe Staley in the 2nd or even Mike Otto in the 3rd. Lets stop messing around and draft someone who's got a left's feet and played there in college.

Next years line? As an absolute minimum

Free/Staley/Otto - Peters/Reyes - Fowler - Preston/Merz/Peters - Butler

That is one signing. If we upgrade either centre or one of the guards in FA even better.

[Mahdi]

Our left side should be set for the next 2 years at least. Peters-Reyes-Fowler, then get some serious upgrades at RG and RT.

[kernowboy]

That doubt has to be that although Peters has the athleticism does he have the consistency to be a LT? I have concerns about a college TE being used there but I can sure see him at guard. Before looking to get in a new RT, lets give Butler a shot as I am tired of seeing other teams playing good RTs who they gave a chance to despite the fact they were drafted in the 5th or lower. I definitely think Preston can be a starting guard or centre. He just needs to be a consistent one of the front 5 and take snaps in practice with the 1st unit. And for the left tacke position, this year we cannot pass up on one of the starting calibre guys who are there including.
Joe Thomas
Sam Baker
Doug Free
Joe Staley
and Purdue's Mike Otto who they say is as good as Matt Light was.
I don't want Peters moving to LT, whiffing in the position and then forcing us to go back to the LT in the 2008 draft. Lets draft a pure LT in a LT deep draft of 2007

[YardRat]

There isn't a position on our line that couldn't use upgrading, but the most dire are LT and RG, obviously. I don't see Peters moving to left side - he'll either stick at RT or move inside when Butler is ready to play.

I'd like to see LT addressed through free agency...someone like Davis, Steinbach, or even Starks from Pittsburgh. I'd also like to see the o-line in the mix for at least one pick on the first day of the draft.

Who knows, though, at this point...depending on how he's developing we may already have our left tackle in the fold with Pennington.

[BuffaloBillsStampede]

I say lose Gandy then Villarial then Reyes. I am happy with the other two.

[Lee-83]

keep: peters, fowler, preston (reserve)
release:gandy, villarial

reyes will not be resigned after this year.

[Mr. Cynical]

:flush: the whole line.

[kernowboy]

Unfortunately the LT option cannot be cured through FA

Steinbach is a LG and although he has the feet for LT I don't want to try and move suppose elses guard to tackle. We've tried that before.(Gandhi)

Starks is a right tackle. He doesn't really have the feet for the left.

Davis is a bit of a bust. Coming out of Texas, Mike Williams was considered the better prospect. A lot of people think he doesn't have the footspeed for the job. He hasn't always been the LT at the Cardinals getting beaten out by Shelton!!

I think with this years draft and so many fine LT prospects, we go for this on Day 1 of the draft. A number of teams have done ok to well with a rookie LT. I don't see why we need a road grader on the left, I want a nimble, and fast LT, who can handle a super quick DE or OLB and just keep them off the QBs ass.

I think Pennington will make a good swing back up and I'm not sure again if he's not just too big and insufficiently nimble for the left.

We keep Fowler at centre
We move Peters inside - I think to LG as he does have good feet
Before signing anyone else we give Preston a chance for a run at RG and Butler at RT.
We keep Pennington and Merz as development prospects.
If we cannot upgrade the RG position in free agency we keep Reyes and let him battle it out with Preston. If we can Duke becomes the 6th man.
We draft a LT no later than the 2nd round and he starts from Day1