How does Albert help us?

[Tatonka]

I see a whole lot of people convincing themselves that brandon albert would be a great pick. the same brandon albert that has shot up the draft boards because people THINK he would be a good LT. ok.. i can live with that.. i personally wouldnt want a guy that could maybe be a good LT but hasnt showing it much yet. that aside..

say we draft Albert.. where does he go.. well the only spot he could go is RG. Albert is not a center.

so we put him at center and replace one of the two guys that we have groomed to be a good starter on our line (peters being the other).

so then we still have a gaping hole at center... which happens to be the only position we really need to address at all. and you can get an upgrade at center in the 3rd round.

if you guys think that brad butler, who tried center for a short time in minicamps and didnt stick, is going to take over and be an upgrade over fowler, your kidding yourself. he has never played it. he was a right tackle, and has already changed to RG and is just getting set in there.. you want to move him again? i dont see it. doesnt make any sense.

i can understand the desire to have a great prospect who could be a good LT in the wings.. i get that we are one injury away from kirk chamber being a starter at the tackle spot... but we have no STARTERS at other positions that we have to fill first.

i like the idea of drafting albert i guess.. but it is a luxury that a team like ours can not afford right now.. just say no to albert.

[PECKERWOOD]

I think C and RG are both problem areas on the Bills OL but RG would absolutely be the easiest to fill. I really don't see a C that could come in right away and dramatically improve our offense. I keep hearing all this stuff about a "smashmouth offense" and a "power running game" but I don't see it! Lynch could barely pop out 4ypc behind our OL last year. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't mind if the first 2-3 picks addressed the trenches on BOTH sides of the ball. I really hope that Modrak went to the school of Andy Reid this offseason because I really like that whole concept alot. Lastly, don't forget that Albert can play LT too. We could plug Albert in at RG and if Peters or Walker goes down, boom, plug him in, plug him in.

[DrGraves]

well if albert somehow makes our line better. it will give more time for our horrible tiny midget WR's to get open. or we could just draft a WR and problem solved.

[Night Train]

So what if we draft a CB in Round 1 ?

[Devin]

It depends on your perception.

Albert has the ability to play OT, probably given his stellar physical attributes LT. But you and perhaps others are assuming this is the sole....or maybe the biggest reason anyway that the want for him is there.

Albert is one of the better OG prospects to come out in years, he rates better then Grubbs last year and as has been noted some believe (while not as high) the best OG prospect since Hutch. Hes that good.

While he MAY be able to play LT and play it well, I would assume if he were drafted here hed be playing OG. You have to look at the big picture. A line with Peters, dockey, albert and even an average Walker and Fowler is amongst the best in the league. You give your promising QB and your franchise RB one of the better lines in football to operate behind.

Im not saying I think hes the best option given our needs, however that said id be more then happy if we drafted him. That kid is going to be a pro-bowl lineman.

Given our youth and contract status wed have 3-4 pieces (great pieces at that) of our OL locked up for the next 3-5 years. And a long standing problem in buffalo resolved.

[YardRat]

The line is only as strong as it's weakest link, and if there isn't an upgrade for Fowler along with Albert, it isn't going to be that much improved over last year's, if any.

[PECKERWOOD]

The line is only as strong as it's weakest link, and if there isn't an upgrade for Fowler along with Albert, it isn't going to be that much improved over last year's, if any.

I really want to see what beastmode could do behind a great OL, that would be some Buffalo football definately worth watching!! I probably shouldn't get my hopes up too much though because if I want him, chances are we won't draft him! :ill:

[Devin]

Could always draft Pollak at C in round 3 :up:

[camelcowboy]

drafting a solid og who could back up both tackle spots can be nice. Looking at this draft any player we at 11 will have some questions.

[Mitchy moo]

I think C and RG are both problem areas on the Bills OL but RG would absolutely be the easiest to fill. I really don't see a C that could come in right away and dramatically improve our offense. I keep hearing all this stuff about a "smashmouth offense" and a "power running game" but I don't see it! Lynch could barely pop out 4ypc behind our OL last year. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't mind if the first 2-3 picks addressed the trenches on BOTH sides of the ball. I really hope that Modrak went to the school of Andy Reid this offseason because I really like that whole concept alot. Lastly, don't forget that Albert can play LT too. We could plug Albert in at RG and if Peters or Walker goes down, boom, plug him in, plug him in.

6 defensive guys standing in the box and we have no audibles available and run the play no matter what, that's normally a problem. I personally think ML did great, 6th graders could figure out when we we're going to run the past few years but hopefully not anymore.

[TigerJ]

Albert has actually played some left tackle (in '06) so it's not merely a projection that he can play there. I'm certainly not an advocate of drafting him though. If he's available at 11, and somebody wants to trade up to get him, trade away, Russ Brandon.

[John Doe]

drafting a solid og who could back up both tackle spots can be nice. Looking at this draft any player we at 11 will have some questions.

That's a good point.

Last season the Bills were fortunate that the injury bug did not hit the starters on the offensive line until late in the season. Of course, Jason Whittle was injured early on as a back-up.

After Whittle went down the main game-day depth was Duke Preston at center and guard, and Kirk Chambers at tackle - both are journeyman quality. If Albert were to be drafted then he would most certainly displace Butler as a starter, but then Butler could be the main backup. If a starter at tackle were to go down then Albert could move to to that spot and Butler would assume the guard position.

Taking the best player available, if it is clear cut, makes sense unless a team is truely overloaded at that position. The Bills o-line is thin enough that Albert could be a solid addition.

Also, after the 2009 season, the team is looking at the back end of the big contracts for Dockery and Walker. Of course, Albert won't come cheap either.

[Michael82]

Albert has actually played some left tackle (in '06) so it's not merely a projection that he can play there. I'm certainly not an advocate of drafting him though. If he's available at 11, and somebody wants to trade up to get him, trade away, Russ Brandon.
I'm hoping that he is there, so some team starts drooling over him. Then the Bills can trade the pick. :up:

[jamze132]

Everyone knows that games are won in the trenches. I am just not sold on taking a Guard at #11.

[kernowboy]

Whilst Albert is good, he's not perfect. I'd be interested in maybe picking up Shane Olivea and moving him to RG if we wanted to improve depth.

A C of the future might be Robbie Powell of Purdue. Not high on lists but a hard working blue collar worker who struggled to find a college because he needed to get financial assistance, but once he got on the field simply stuck first at G and then at C. Also one of the bigger centers.

For me the only way to go in the draft, is trade down because in the positions which will really make a difference to the team, there is as much starting quality in R2 as there is in R1

[X-Era]

I see a whole lot of people convincing themselves that brandon albert would be a great pick. the same brandon albert that has shot up the draft boards because people THINK he would be a good LT. ok.. i can live with that.. i personally wouldnt want a guy that could maybe be a good LT but hasnt showing it much yet. that aside..

say we draft Albert.. where does he go.. well the only spot he could go is RG. Albert is not a center.

so we put him at center and replace one of the two guys that we have groomed to be a good starter on our line (peters being the other).

so then we still have a gaping hole at center... which happens to be the only position we really need to address at all. and you can get an upgrade at center in the 3rd round.

if you guys think that brad butler, who tried center for a short time in minicamps and didnt stick, is going to take over and be an upgrade over fowler, your kidding yourself. he has never played it. he was a right tackle, and has already changed to RG and is just getting set in there.. you want to move him again? i dont see it. doesnt make any sense.

i can understand the desire to have a great prospect who could be a good LT in the wings.. i get that we are one injury away from kirk chamber being a starter at the tackle spot... but we have no STARTERS at other positions that we have to fill first.

i like the idea of drafting albert i guess.. but it is a luxury that a team like ours can not afford right now.. just say no to albert.

You can never have eneough good linemen.

However, G is not our biggest need IMO or even in the top 5.

But, If the Bills are true to there word and they run the draft vertical and horizontal, they must believe he is a very very good prospect to be interested. If they think hes the next Steve Hutchinson, a perennial pro-bowler, then yes, he is a true upgrade at RG, and that makes our team better.

I think it really points to a philosophy where no position on the team is considered safe going to the draft.

That concept, of BPA, is over more talked about than used IMO. Teams tend to go for BPA that fits a need instead of true BPA.

But, if your at 11, and you dont have any prospects that fit one of your true needs, but a player at a non-need position or low need position drops to you that you like, and you cant trade down.... I think you take him.

Thats the situation I could see with Albert.

[Don't Panic]

I really think Branden's best NFL position will be RT (assuming a right handed QB). His best highlights are leading the way for a RB at the point of contatc or second level. He could definitely play guard (so could a lot of tackles), but I think with time he'll settle in at RT.

For the Bills to draft him, there would have to be a lack of faith in Brad Butler the starter. Whether it is Branden at RT or Walker there, Fowler is the only proven C we have, and he has the paycheck to keep the job. Fowler will look pretty solid between Dockerey/Albert or Dockery/Walker (especially the latter).

If they go this route, our line will be disgustingly dominant (and deep with Albert's versatility and Butler coming off the bench). I understand the desire for addrsssing other needs, but I'm not sure any one of them make us better this year as much as the Albert pick does.

[patmoran2006]

6 defensive guys standing in the box and we have no audibles available and run the play no matter what, that's normally a problem. I personally think ML did great, 6th graders could figure out when we we're going to run the past few years but hopefully not anymore.
What the hell does that have to do with the question that was asked: How does Albert help us?

[YardRat]

That's a good point.

Last season the Bills were fortunate that the injury bug did not hit the starters on the offensive line until late in the season. Of course, Jason Whittle was injured early on as a back-up.

After Whittle went down the main game-day depth was Duke Preston at center and guard, and Kirk Chambers at tackle - both are journeyman quality. If Albert were to be drafted then he would most certainly displace Butler as a starter, but then Butler could be the main backup. If a starter at tackle were to go down then Albert could move to to that spot and Butler would assume the guard position.

Taking the best player available, if it is clear cut, makes sense unless a team is truely overloaded at that position. The Bills o-line is thin enough that Albert could be a solid addition.

Also, after the 2009 season, the team is looking at the back end of the big contracts for Dockery and Walker. Of course, Albert won't come cheap either.

I don't like that scenario at all. It's difficult enough for a rookie to step into the offensive line and be effective from day 1 without making him switch positions mid-season. IMO, if Albert is the man and he does take over at RG, he stays there unless he himself is injured and that doesn't help the depth at T any.

[Tatonka]

i guess i was really hoping someone could convince me he was a good pick.. center is our position of need though and there is no first round center.. so i just cant see us being a better team by adding a rookie guard, who is probably not going to be a better pro for at least the first half of the season than butler is already becoming..

i hope albert gets drafted in the top 10.

a week from now though.. AT LEAST WE WILL KNOW!

[Michael82]

i guess i was really hoping someone could convince me he was a good pick.. center is our position of need though and there is no first round center.. so i just cant see us being a better team by adding a rookie guard, who is probably not going to be a better pro for at least the first half of the season than butler is already becoming..

i hope albert gets drafted in the top 10.

a week from now though.. AT LEAST WE WILL KNOW!
I'm with you, man! So far no one has convinced me that he wouldn't be a waste of a pick. :ill:

[Devin]

Albert is a OG first and foremost, he may be able to play OT at the pro-level and some teams may project him there, but if the Bills drafted him he would almost certainly play between walker and fowler.

Albert will start as a rookie, and it wouldnt shock me at all to see him in the pro bowl in 2-3 seasons if that.

The Bills needs are going to vary depending on who you ask outside 1-2 positions. Plain and simple.

[casdhf]

Guards don't get drafted in the top 12.

[Don't Panic]

I jsut don't feel like our OL is SO good that we can rule out taking a guy like Branden at #11. I see a fit for him, he will be a Pro Bowler, and he can play at least three (if not four) positions from day one. I'm not 100% on it, but I'm definitely not dismissive of it.

[mybills]

We've been in need of a C for years, Tonk. I hope we get a monster C this time! :up:

[Tatonka]

there is nothing to indicate that the bills have a bad feeling about butler. i think he played very well last year and will get better... you dont just ditch a draft pick after 1 year as a start and showing promise to take a guard at 11th overall.

i am sure albert will be a great player.. but he is 100% luxury for us.. and we can not afford that.. we have too many holes.

[Michael82]

Guards don't get drafted in the top 12.
Exactly!

[Michael82]

there is nothing to indicate that the bills have a bad feeling about butler. i think he played very well last year and will get better... you dont just ditch a draft pick after 1 year as a start and showing promise to take a guard at 11th overall.

i am sure albert will be a great player.. but he is 100% luxury for us.. and we can not afford that.. we have too many holes.
Excellent post Tatonka, I couldn't have said that better myself. :up:

[colin]

first of all i think we will pick up a young c in the 4th or 5th. might take a season or two to get there, but he could be our next long term starter. very few linemen good enough of warrenting draft attention are Cs.

mangold is the only one in the past 5 years who wasn't basically just OK even after being touted.

as far as albert goes -- if he is the next rueben brown then we should take him, put him at RG for 12 years, and basically have a line like KC did for years. we are top 5 in rushing if that's the case.

otherwise tatonka is 100% on, that just isn't a need pick.

he's only worth it if he is a freakin monster stud. i'm not saying he isn't but i don't think it's likely.