Duke Preston visiting the Packers

[Ickybaluky]

I'm sure many here would be crushed to see him go.

LINK (http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nflnation/0-6-466/Preston-enters-picture-for-Packers.html)

[FlyingDutchman]

poor packers

[seanbillsfan]

I'm sure many here would be crushed to see him go.

LINK (http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nflnation/0-6-466/Preston-enters-picture-for-Packers.html)
He is not very good at all, but right now our line is in shambles. We need to keep who we have

[yordad]

He is not very good at all, but right now our line is in shambles. We need to keep who we haveWell, we don't have him.

[HHURRICANE]

He's a FA and the Bills didn't even try and offer him something? The funny part is that I think he's a suitable backup. The NE game must have really pissed off the coaches.

[yordad]

I swear, if we brought this dumb bum back, he would screw up a game from the sidelines.

[venis2k1]

He's a FA and the Bills didn't even try and offer him something? The funny part is that I think he's a suitable backup. The NE game must have really pissed off the coaches.

I know it pissed me off.

[bigbub2352]

Please sign there so we are not tempted to resign him and we draft someone who is actually able to play the positions we had Preston playing

[Mitchell55]

We should resign him. We already need 3 guards and a center. We need to resign him to fill 1/4 of those.

[Nighthawk]

Just say no to Duke!

[theanswer74]

Just say no to Duke!

Duke Preston no, Duke Robinson YES!!

[FlyingDutchman]

He's a FA and the Bills didn't even try and offer him something? The funny part is that I think he's a suitable backup. The NE game must have really pissed off the coaches.

HELL NO they wont try sign him to something. did you watch him last year?

[Ickybaluky]

He still could return, per Tim Graham (http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afceast/0-6-101/Preston-could-return-to-Bills.html):


Now that the Raiders have traded for Miami Dolphins center Samson Satele, it looks like Preston's options are down to two clubs. He could return to the Bills or join the Green Bay Packers.

[Ickybaluky]

Sound like GB really likes him (http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/41722902.html):


Packers coach Mike McCarthy confirmed a report on ESPN.com that Green Bay was interested in Preston, adding that the 6-foot-5, 326-pound guard/center had a good visit with the club and was an intriguing prospect for his offensive line.

"I had a chance to meet him," McCarthy said at the National Football League owners meetings at the St. Regis Hotel. "I was very impressed with Duke . . . very bright. I like the way he presented himself. I found it to be a very positive visit. As far as where we're at with the negotiation, I don't have anything for you.

"But I liked him. I didn't know much about him until he came in. He can play both positions."

[justasportsfan]

The thing is, are we any better without him, depth wise? Has he been replaced by someone better in terms of depth?

[HHURRICANE]

HELL NO they wont try sign him to something. did you watch him last year?

He was better than Fowler. He would be an excellent backup. I agree that starter is not in his future.

[ServoBillieves]

The thing is, are we any better without him, depth wise? Has he been replaced by someone better in terms of depth?

Christian Mother****ing Gaddis ya'll!

[Romes]

Packers signed him.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/41954577.html

[Night Train]

Packers signed him.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/41954577.html

Best of luck but it wasn't happening here.

Looks like Tarzan. Plays like Jane.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

Because of the injuries that they have had on their offensive line (I saw an article the other day that Tauscher will not be ready to come back until after the start of TC), Preston actually may have a chance to start for Green Bay this season. I wish him luck.

But, personally, I'm not at all upset that the Bills did not re-sign him. Preston was given more opportunities to show that he could get the job done as a starter in the NFL than most players ever get. He got to start games all four years that he was with the Bills and never was better than "below average".

While he may have been better than Fowler last season, he couldn't handle any of the bigger DTs that he went up against whether he was playing center or guard. He constantly was getting pushed back, overpowered, or simply knocked back on his butt. As a result, the Bills were forced to have one of the linemen next to him help him out with his blocking assignments--which limited what their line was able to do and frequently required them to keep a TE in to help with protections. It also left them more vulnerable to blitzing LBs.

With his experience playing in the league, could he be a serviceable back-up? Yes, so long as the rest of the line adjusted its play to cover for his limitations. But, if that's all that he could do after getting opportunity after opportunity to step up his game (remember that M.Levy called him out by name as someone who needed to do that), why waste any more time and money on him when the team could potentially get the same level of "below average" play or better out of a rookie who might have the potential to develop into a much better player?

I'm as concerned as anyone about the lack of depth that the Bills have on their offensive line at the moment. But Duke Preston showed me that he would not be good enough to answer those concerns over the course of four seasons.

There have been some who have criticized me and others for accepting mediocrity from the Bills. And, I have had many arguments with them on this messageboard over the years. But, there are times when they have a valid point and this is one of them. Duke Preston is mediocre at best. While it is true that he could fill an open spot in the Bills' roster, it would be a case of filling that spot with a known mediocrity and accepting that. Well, this is where I join those who say that that should not be acceptable--even if the role is just that of a back-up.

I'd rather see the Bills draft a couple of offensive linemen who may or may not develop into quality players and give them a chance to show what they can do--even if they make the expected rookie mistakes--than try to keep a guy that they know is "below average" and is going to limit what their offense can do when he is in the game. If they are going to have to limit their offense to cover for the limitations of one of their offensive linemen, I'd rather see them doing that for a promising young rookie than for a mediocre vet like Preston. At least there is a chance that the rookie might get better as he gets more experience, which hasn't really been the case with Preston. And, if the rookie doesn't get better, well, the Bills won't really be that much worse off than they would be with Preston.

So, I'm not sorry to see Preston leave the Bills. I wish him luck with the Packers. But I don't see him being a big loss for the Bills at all. Especially since there are so many promising interior offensive linemen in this draft class.

[Lexwhat]

Another link:

http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/03/26/packers-agree-to-terms-with-ol-preston/



Bye bye Preston. :wail:

When you were drafted, remember when Jim McNally said your "potential" was "out-of-this-world" ??? :sad:

[justasportsfan]

they hire Preston, we hire Sanders.