Demetrius Bell

[Forward_Lateral]

Buffalo's starting LT in 2009. Who wants to bet?

[Nighthawk]

People are very high on him and not just the Bills organization. I remember reading many articles last year around draft time saying this guy will be a late round steal for some team. He is part of the reason that I'm OK with the trade.

[SABURZFAN]

Buffalo's starting LT in 2009. Who wants to bet?


Edwards is in trouble then. :dead:

[Forward_Lateral]

I'm not saying he should be, I'm just saying this what I think will happen.

[BillsWin]

I support Bell badges are being made as we speak.

[kernowboy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps02jh7IbZQ

[Michael82]

I liked what I saw from him at camp last year and think he has tons of potential. Supposedly, the Bills think that he may turn out better than Peters did. Hmmm....

[kid mickey]

The Bills are pretty high on D Bell. I don't expect him to be at LT right away. I think Langston Walker is gonna be LT week one with Bell working RT and then making the switch possibly mid season depending how well he does. All I do know is that the Bills are primed to draft the four positions of need DE TE OLB OG all within round three.

[User Manuel]

Stranger things have happened, like a Fat TE being converted to OT and making the Pro Bowl.

[Ingtar33]

I was pretty damned high on bell last year too.

[tatersalad]

I was pretty damned high on bell last year too.

Why?

[Lefty2985]

i like him a lot and i am ok with him starting there. he showed great potential and had a good pre season. go d. bell!!!

[TigerJ]

I think Walker starts the year at left tackle. He's a known quantity, having played there last trainning camp. Bell could start at right tackle and they might switch during the season, or Buffalo could leave them at those spots all seasopn and start Bell at LT in 2010.

[Ickybaluky]

Bell was a project when drafted, so it is hard to imagine they would put him out there so early. He has the athleticism and potential, but he came from a lower-level competition in college and probably needs time. I think they are more likely to start him at RT and move Walker to LT, to let him grow into the role. That is what they did with Peters.

[Night Train]

Bell, Chambers or Jonathan Scott.

[OpIv37]

People are very high on him and not just the Bills organization. I remember reading many articles last year around draft time saying this guy will be a late round steal for some team. He is part of the reason that I'm OK with the trade.


I agree with you on a lot of things, but I have to call you out on this one.

You say Peters didn't show squat last year. Well, Bell couldn't beat him out. Not only that, he was the 4th tackle behind Walker and KIRK CHAMBERS.

If Peters was so bad, how the hell are we supposed to win with the guy who was THREE PEOPLE below him on the depth chart? It's completely illogical.

[Jeff1220]

Isn't he Karl Malone's illegitimate son or some kind of story like that?

[Nighthawk]

I agree with you on a lot of things, but I have to call you out on this one.

You say Peters was terrible last year. Well, Bell couldn't beat him out. Not only that, he was the 4th tackle behind Walker and KIRK CHAMBERS.

If Peters was so bad, how the hell are we supposed to win with the guy who was THREE PEOPLE below him on the depth chart? It's completely illogical.

OP, have you been drinking??? Where have ever said that Peters was terrible last year? You've never seen me post that...and I certainly didn't post that today.

I'm confused what you're trying to argue...is it because I like the potential of Bell?

[OpIv37]

OP, have you been drinking??? Where have ever said that Peters was terrible last year? You've never seen me post that...and I certainly didn't post that today.

I'm confused what you're trying to argue...is it because I like the potential of Bell?

Ok sorry- this was the quote I was referring to and I inadvertently exaggerated your position:


I wouldn't even reach for an OT.

All this invented panic is entertaining. Peters hasn't shown squat since 2007 and his knee surgery 15 months ago... But keep perpetuating the fake hysteria. :coocoo:

Let the Draft play out. Coaching is still our biggest issue.

the point is that you weren't impressed with Peters' play last year, but Bell couldn't overtake him. Yet, you said Bell was one of the reasons you were OK with the trade.

That's what I don't understand- if Bell couldn't unseat Peters despite you being dissatisfied with Peters' play, why would having Bell make you more comfortable with the trade?

[OpIv37]

and I toned down my original post to make it more reflective of what you said.

[Nighthawk]

Ok sorry- this was the quote I was referring to and I inadvertently exaggerated your position:



the point is that you weren't impressed with Peters' play last year, but Bell couldn't overtake him. Yet, you said Bell was one of the reasons you were OK with the trade.

That's what I don't understand- if Bell couldn't unseat Peters despite you being dissatisfied with Peters' play, why would having Bell make you more comfortable with the trade?

My point is that at one time Peters was a project with lots of upside and I feel Bell is the same type of player. He is not going to be as good as Peters next year, but let's face it...Peters did not want to be in Buffalo. This team got good value for a player who did not want to be here and I'm excited to see how the draft plays out. I'm not one who believes the Bills will necessarily draft a LT at #11. After the first 2 guys, it's pretty much a crapshoot and you can grab a guy in round 2.

[Goobylal]

Why would anyone expect that a rookie 7th rounder who benched 225# 9 times could overtake a LT coming off a Pro Bowl and All-Pro season, even if he struggled at times? Or that he'd overtake another guy who has been in the league for several more years in Chambers?

[OpIv37]

fair enough.

I'm just so pissed about this trade. Honestly, if the Bills' FO doesn't blow these picks (and there's a good chance they will), this trade could work out in the Bills' favor in the long run. But we're looking at 2-3 years before that happens and we sacrificed whatever little chance we had this season for that cause.

[Goobylal]

I liked what I saw from him at camp last year and think he has tons of potential. Supposedly, the Bills think that he may turn out better than Peters did. Hmmm....
Where did you hear that?

[Nighthawk]

fair enough.

I'm just so pissed about this trade. Honestly, if the Bills' FO doesn't blow these picks (and there's a good chance they will), this trade could work out in the Bills' favor in the long run. But we're looking at 2-3 years before that happens and we sacrificed whatever little chance we had this season for that cause.

This is my only concern...will the Bills get it right. This could be a great draft for the Bills, but they have to get the right players. I don't want them trying to be smarter then everybody else and pulling a pick out their asses just to show how smart they are. Pick quality players and let them play.

[TigerJ]

Isn't he Karl Malone's illegitimate son or some kind of story like that?

Yes, I think that's pretty much accepted as fact.

As far as strength is concerned, Bell, having been a recent newcomer to football, and not having played at a major level of competion, his reps at the 225 lb mark last year is not a huge surprise. If he is motivated to get better, and everything I know about him (admittedly not much) says he's highly motivated, there's no reason a year in the Bills strength and conditioning program couldn't produce a dramatic increase in strength.

[Goobylal]

Bell played LT in college for 3 years. Peters didn't play LT in college at all. So Bell was farther ahead than Peters learning-curve-wise when he was drafted. His bench was weak, but a year in a pro strength and conditioning program can do wonders. I hope the Bills give this kid the first crack at the LT spot.

[The Spaz]

Bell played LT in college for 3 years. Peters didn't play LT in college at all. So Bell was farther ahead than Peters learning-curve-wise when he was drafted. His bench was weak, but a year in a pro strength and conditioning program can do wonders. I hope the Bills give this kid the first crack at the LT spot.

While what you say is true you have to add that Bell hadn't played football in high school either.

[Goobylal]

While what you say is true you have to add that Bell hadn't played football in high school either.
True. But does that make much of a difference? The jump from HS to college is far greater than college to pro.

[The Spaz]

True. But does that make much of a difference? The jump from HS to college is far greater than college to pro.

Are you kidding? He played 0 High School football. I don't care about how big the jump is. Having played some is better than nothing. I want the guy to succeed I'm just saying he has a lot more to overcome than Peters did.

[Ickybaluky]

Are you kidding? He played 0 High School football. I don't care about how big the jump is. Having played some is better than nothing. I want the guy to succeed I'm just saying he has a lot more to overcome than Peters did.

Plus, Peters was basically a 3rd tackle in college. He was a blocking TE on a Arkansas team that ran the option. His pass blocking was raw coming out of college, but his run blocking was pretty well-developed.

[homeslice5484]

Chris Brown thinks he will be the starting RT.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

I agree with you on a lot of things, but I have to call you out on this one.

You say Peters didn't show squat last year. Well, Bell couldn't beat him out. Not only that, he was the 4th tackle behind Walker and KIRK CHAMBERS.

If Peters was so bad, how the hell are we supposed to win with the guy who was THREE PEOPLE below him on the depth chart? It's completely illogical.

OP, this is the same argument that you made when I said that Jason Peters would become the Bills' starting LT midway through his rookie season when he was still on the PS. You were wrong then and are wrong now for exactly the same reasons: you assume that it is impossible for an unusually athletically-gifted player who is raw and inexperienced to learn and improve at the NFL level.

While most, if not all, of us didn't know "diddly-squat" about Demetrius Bell before last year's draft, it turned out, after he was drafted, that he had been on NFL scout's radar despite the fact that he went to a D-II school because of his athleticism and familial pedigree (the fact that his father, Karl Malone, was a top-flight NBA player and his half-sister is a WNBA star constitutes what scouts in all sports consider having "good blood-lines"--the same thing that applies to Clay Matthews, LB, USC, this year). In short, while not as big or fast as Peters coming out of college, Bell was considered an exceptional athletic talent with potential to develop into a NFL LT. A classic sleeper.

So, why wasn't he able to beat out Peters or Chambers or Walker for playing time last season, you ask? Because he was RAW as could be trying to make the jump from a D-II program to the NFL and not nearly strong enough yet to hold his own at that level, silly! That is the definition of "a late round developmental project from a small school".

Bell was not ready to play, let alone start, on the NFL level last season. But, contrary to what you seem to believe, that does not mean that he could never, ever, possibly be ready to play and, yes, even start and excel in the NFL!!!

Before you even think to make your standard argument that the vast majority of late round developmental picks in the NFL draft never make it, consider this: despite all of their injuries last season, the Bills were concerned enough that another team would grab Bell off of their practice squad that they kept him on the active roster--not the practice squad!--the entire season rather than risk losing him.

They would not have essentially given up a precious active roster spot for 16 games if Bell had not shown them something.

What makes me so sure that this was the case? The fact that we have seen young players come and go from the active roster to the practice squad and get cut very quickly by this coaching staff in the three years that they have been here. Even Jason Peters and Fred Jackson spent time on the PS. Bell is the only young player that the Bills have kept on the active roster for an entire season without ever being activated for a game in recent years.

That has to tell you something about what they think about his talent and how he is developing.

Now, is Bell going to be ready to step in and start at LT in Game One of this season? I honestly do not know.

But, given the way that the Bills have handled this situation, I would not be at all surprised if he is. Although, I think that they will ease him into the starting job much in the same way as they eased Peters into the job.

I think a lot will depend on how the draft develops and whether the Bills choose to bring in another veteran interior offensive lineman after the draft (Simmons, Kendall, Bentley, etc.):

I can see the Bills going the way that many are predicting, with Walker at LT, Chambers at LT and Bell at RT to start the season and then having Walker and Bell flip-flop positions over the bye-week break (which, conveniently, comes at mid-season).

I can also see the Bills bringing in a veteran OG, keeping Walker at RT and starting Chambers at LT with Bell spelling both until Bell takes over for Chambers at LT during the bye-week break.

But, it wouldn't shock me at all to see the Bills bring in a veteran OG, keep Walker at RT and start Bell at LT, with Chambers being available to step in and take over for Bell if he should struggle in some games.

The fact that the Bills had let it be known that they were considering moving Chambers to LG when they still had Peters tells me that they already had enough confidence in Bell's ability and development that they were willing to make him the back-up OT this season. If they were willing to do that, they must think that Bell can play. The question, then, is whether he is ready to start yet or not.

If Bell starts, will he be as good as Peters? Well, that depends on which Jason Peters we are talking about: the one who was magnificent in turning in an All-Pro season in 2007 or the one who looked awful and didn't come close to deserving to make the Pro Bowl in 2008?

I think it would be unrealistic to expect Bell to step in and play up to the Peters of 2007 right off the bat. But, considering that Chambers played better than Peters in 2008, I think that, if Bell doesn't at least do as well as Chambers did in 2008, Bell will be sitting if he doesn't play better than Peters did in 2008.

Bell has the athletic talent to be a suitable replacement for Peters at LT and I will go out on a limb and say that I believe that he will ultimately be the replacement for Peters as the Bills' starting LT--if not this season, then next year. The question is whether Bell is going to be ready to step up and take over the starting job at some point this season. Be it at the beginning of the season, the middle of the season, or by the end of the season. That's what we are going to have to see.

I will go even further to say that it would not surprise me if the Bills decide NOT to use the 28th pick in this year's draft on an OT.

If a top LT prospect falls to them at # 11, I can see the Bills taking him, believing that they can get C.Barwin (a A.Schobel clone) to beef up their pass rush at # 28.

If that doesn't happen, I can see them go DE, as expected, at # 11, taking Mack (or an OLB) at # 28, taking a TE or OLB (or an interior O-lineman, if they take an OLB at # 28) in Round 2, and taking another O-lineman (or OLB if they take an O-lineman in Round 2) or TE in Round 3. All without taking an OT prospect.

If the Bills believe that they have the OTs that they need for this season in Walker, Chambers and Bell already, they may well feel that they can afford to wait until the middle-to-late rounds to draft a LT prospect. Why? Because, after the top 5 LTs in this draft, any LT that they draft at # 28 or later will not be ready to start this season or even play before mid-season (and, then, likely only at RT, not LT). So, if they are wrong about Bell, they aren't going to get any immediate help at LT out of this draft anyway. And, if Bell, Chambers and Walker can't get the job done for them this season, it isn't going to matter much to them because they won't be around next year in any event.

I hate the fact that the Bills weren't willing to pay Peters. I also hate the fact that Peters turned out to be such a jerk that there is/was no way to know whether he would be willing to play up to his All-Pro abilities after getting paid or not or whether he would start to whine about his contract again in a couple of years, etc.

That having been said, I don't think that the Bills would have taken the stance that they did with Peters if they didn't feel that Bell has the ability to ultimately replace him--whether that be immediately, by mid-season, or next year.

From everything that I read about Bell after the draft, it seems that a lot of people think that he has the athletic ability to do the job. And, according to what Modrak said before The Combine, apparently Bell has been working hard and the coaches are pleased with how he has been coming along in his development. That and how the Bills dealt with Peters leads me to believe that they see Bell as being at least close to being ready to make a step up and challenge for the starting LT job this season.

Of course, they have to be right in that assessment or the Bills will be in for a long season and they will be looking for work when it is over.

But, don't write Bell off just because he couldn't come in from D-II and beat out Peters, Chambers and Walker for playing time last year as a rookie. If he had done so, it would have been far more shocking and unlikely than him developing from a raw, athletically-gifted, D-II prospect into a solid starting NFL player!

And, don't be surprised if they are right on this one, OP. They very well could be.

[jamze132]

fair enough.

I'm just so pissed about this trade. Honestly, if the Bills' FO doesn't blow these picks (and there's a good chance they will), this trade could work out in the Bills' favor in the long run. But we're looking at 2-3 years before that happens and we sacrificed whatever little chance we had this season for that cause.
Don't be mad. There is no way in hell Peters will live up to that enormous contract. He might play lights-out this season, but eventually the true JP will come out. There is no way in hell he does a 180 now that he is in Philly. He's still going to be a douche.

Granted, I would have preferred he was a Bill, his contract demands were just too much and his me-first attitude was just ridiculous. We don't need players like that.

He's a great young LT and has all the tools to be one of the best ever, but let's face it... he was never going to be that player in Buffalo because of the animosity that has spewed out from his attitude and contract demands.

[CoolBreeze]

I agree with you on a lot of things, but I have to call you out on this one.

You say Peters didn't show squat last year. Well, Bell couldn't beat him out. Not only that, he was the 4th tackle behind Walker and KIRK CHAMBERS.

If Peters was so bad, how the hell are we supposed to win with the guy who was THREE PEOPLE below him on the depth chart? It's completely illogical.

My GOD, after reading so many posts this morning, you have to be the most pessimistic person in the world.. Everything is negative.. Sheesh.. relax..
It's only a game. If you don't like the Bills then move on. It's obvious your smarter than every member of the Bills front office. Your 30 years of NFL experience, evaluating talent, writing contracts, and coaching the professional athlete is obvious... Hopefully YOU and make the difference.. :sarcasm2: