Why do people act like were not addressing the oline?

[BillsOwnAll]

Wood, leivitre,bell, merideth,wang...

All young O line talent... I not saying there all going to be great but give them more then a rookie season to prove it.

[psubills62]

I think our OT's CAN be better than people give them credit for. Bell performed decently for being a second-year, sudden starter in a no-huddle offense, and a former 7th-round pick at that with only a few years of experience in organized football. We also have a decent number of adequate RT's.

That being said, I think people believe they haven't addressed it because we just don't have much talent there. Could we get by if there are no injuries? Yeah, we could be below-average in pass blocking and above average in run-blocking, but it would really help our bad QB's if we could get a great OL.

I like our interior, it's the OT's that are the main problem. If our QB's are bad, it would at least be nice to help them out with a decent OL. But we haven't spent a draft pick higher than a 5th rounder on an OT since Mike Williams, I believe. Wang has had two injuries before his first season....well you can get the picture.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Bell is our wildcard. Can he come off injury and perform at an adequate level? If so it frees Meredith to battle it out with Green at RT. I think Meredith is more suited for the right side.

Any notes about Bell so far this camp?

[X-Era]

Bell is our wildcard. Can he come off injury and perform at an adequate level? If so it frees Meredith to battle it out with Green at RT. I think Meredith is more suited for the right side.

Any notes about Bell so far this camp?

They are putting him in slowly so he hasn't really seen much if any live action with the pads on. I don't expect us to get a good feel for where hes at until the 3rd or even last preseason game.

[ddaryl]

I think we really needed a young LT with experience and without it we are just left with questions marks which leads to worry wich leads to fear which leads to hate which is the path to the dark side...

[THATHURMANATOR]

What is the situation with Gauthier? Is he still being shopped?

[psubills62]

What is the situation with Gauthier? Is he still being shopped?

Probably not being shopped. He's actually had some minor injuries lately, though I believe he's back practicing with the team. They might listen to trade offers if the Bills become desperate.

I personally think that the Bills should look into sending one or two players from the secondary (Youboty, Whitner, etc.) to Baltimore. The Ravens just had their best CB go down for the year with an ACL tear, and Ed Reed may not be back for Week 1. They could use players in the secondary and we could really use Gaither.

[OpIv37]

Wood, leivitre,bell, merideth,wang...

All young O line talent... I not saying there all going to be great but give them more then a rookie season to prove it.

lmao- Bell and Meredith in the same sentence as "talent."

It's the same "band-aid on cancer" approach we've been taking with the OL since roughly 2004. It didn't work then and it won't work now.

[ServoBillieves]

Well, we didn't trade a first rounder/second rounder for a proven vet LT, we have crappy Guards from low rounds, we didn't snatch up one of the myriad of elite-talent FA o-lineman out there, we didn't address the RT situation in FA and we didn't bring in an elite C via early round of the draft or trade. Therefore, we've done nothing to address the line.

[Prov401]

Wang is going to be a bum. I'm calling it now. The guy plays way too high, and I can never see him becoming anywhere close to a dominant LT. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm fairly confident that he's just a backup in this leauge.

Bell showed glimpses last year, and could possibly be a good tackle in the NFL. But we won't know until pre-season play how he's coming along with the injury.

Hangartner is ok.

Wood and Levitre are good, and could become great.

Green/Merideth are serviceable.

Our O-Line is average. But we are an injury away from being poor.

[JCBills]

lmao- Bell and Meredith in the same sentence as "talent."

It's the same "band-aid on cancer" approach we've been taking with the OL since roughly 2004. It didn't work then and it won't work now.

Ah yes, because every good player in the history of the league has been good from their first snap as a pro and onward.

Back in reality, both players have obvious raw athleticism and talent, it's a matter of can it be refined?

[X-Era]

Wang is going to be a bum. I'm calling it now. The guy plays way too high, and I can never see him becoming anywhere close to a dominant LT. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm fairly confident that he's just a backup in this leauge.

Bell showed glimpses last year, and could possibly be a good tackle in the NFL. But we won't know until pre-season play how he's coming along with the injury.

Hangartner is ok.

Wood and Levitre are good, and could become great.

Green/Merideth are serviceable.

Our O-Line is average. But we are an injury away from being poor.

I will hold out hope for him but I had him as only the 16th best OT available in this past draft. I had Calloway spots higher at 14th.

[PromoTheRobot]

Well, we didn't trade a first rounder/second rounder for a proven vet LT, we have crappy Guards from low rounds, we didn't snatch up one of the myriad of elite-talent FA o-lineman out there, we didn't address the RT situation in FA and we didn't bring in an elite C via early round of the draft or trade. Therefore, we've done nothing to address the line.

As we all know teams give away proven vet LTs like halloween candy.

PTR

[feldspar]

Well, who the hell ever thought that Brad Butler was going to retire?

[YardRat]

Butler retiring hurt more than Schobel being a dick and then released.

I'm OK with what we've done with the o-line the last two seasons, but would be a helluva lot happier if we could have addressed LT in FA or via trade.

[X-Era]

Butler retiring hurt more than Schobel being a dick and then released.

I'm OK with what we've done with the o-line the last two seasons, but would be a helluva lot happier if we could have addressed LT in FA or via trade.

I think a few factors played into the Bills not addressing LT or QB this off-season. I think they think both positions have young guys who could develop and want to give a full years eval into them. I also think that they felt they could only get a few starters from this draft and they had too many needs to fill them all in one season. But, I dont think we feel we are all set at either position at this point. I really think our future at both positions will be determined by how our current guys perform this year.

And the truth is that I think we will be indeed shopping for a QB next off-season and may be looking for a LT as well. QB may be our 1st pick in the draft next year.

[more cowbell]

We addressed the O-line...in typical Bills fashion...bringing in guys who couldn't cut it on another team and expecting results from them...then holding our hands up and looking confused when they suck.

Derrick Dockery, Langston Walker, Bennie Anderson, Tutan Reyes, Trey Teague, Melvin Fowler, Chris Villarial, Cornell Green, Jamon Meredith....just to name a few

[Beebe's Kid]

Well, who the hell ever thought that Brad Butler was going to retire?

Do you mean before it happened, or after. I am sure afterward, there were many of the experts that knew it. I am sure it was Ralph's fault.

You think that Nix may be as smart as the real football minds out there, like Op, and realize that if you don't draft an LT in the 1st round, you are never going to get one. There is no such thing as developing one. Take Peters, the best lineman ever, we had to take him with the 1st overall pick, and then we treated him so poorly, by making him a top paid LT in the league, only to poor salt in his wounds by not giving him more the next year. We should have let him play 1/2 seasons every year, I mean is wasn't a distraction, and it was conducive to a cohesive line.

I know it looks bleak, and that many of you have to voice your strong opinions because you can't stand back and be silent while the Bills ruin you life, and on and on and on.... But what do you really know about Bell and Meredith, or Wang for that matter.

I know there are many who know a little, if not a lot about Wang, but the other two have both been described as athletic prospects. There is an entirely different coaching staff here. NOBODY got better under DJ, player progression became a luxury saved for the other teams, but Gailey is not Jauron...not by a long shot. There will be a difference, and who knows, maybe one of them will be a quick study?

It is just a little ****ing repetitive for all the bashing when, in reality, there isn't a lot to know about the guys, other than you don't know them, so they'll never be good. Not all players can be the "sure thing" Peters was.

[Night Train]

Brad Butler was a good backup G and nothing else.

The mistakes at OT were made during the Jauron era (Peters,Maybin selected over Oher) and Gailey/Nix watched the only true LT's get picked,prior to the Spiller selection.

This will take take time, not just at OL but all over the roster. I like our Guards & Hangartner is decent at Center. Time will tell.

[justasportsfan]

our OL scares the crap out of me. Even if Wood and Levitre pan out, we don't have proven depth.

[better days]

our OL scares the crap out of me. Even if Wood and Levitre pan out, we don't have proven depth.

I think Wood & Levitre have already panned out. Next year, Hangartner will be the proven depth.

[ServoBillieves]

As we all know teams give away proven vet LTs like halloween candy.

PTR

Someone caught the sarcasm in my post.

[X-Era]

If your going to end up spending a 1st or 2nd round pick on a LT next offseason, why not do it now on a proven player? McNeil couldn't be had for a 1st rounder or a 2nd rounder plus another later pick?

[Ingtar33]

if i trade away my babe ruth 1932 baseball card (signed)

for 4 1988 tom prince rookie cards and a pack of gum that doesn't mean i "addressed" my needs for a "quality" card.

Just because the bills added 5 bodies to their roster on the o-line doesn't mean they addressed any of their problems.

numbers mean nothing. tom prince circa 1988 was nothing in comparison to Barry Bonds circa 1988. you can draft 50 backups, they add nothing to your team if you're missing a starter.

[X-Era]

if i trade away my babe ruth 1932 baseball card (signed)

for 4 1988 tom prince rookie cards and a pack of gum that doesn't mean i "addressed" my needs for a "quality" card.

Just because the bills added 5 bodies to their roster on the o-line doesn't mean they addressed any of their problems.

numbers mean nothing. tom prince circa 1988 was nothing in comparison to Barry Bonds circa 1988. you can draft 50 backups, they add nothing to your team if you're missing a starter.

We agree. I feel like you have to either draft high, for the most part, or pay big bucks.

[better days]

If your going to end up spending a 1st or 2nd round pick on a LT next offseason, why not do it now on a proven player? McNeil couldn't be had for a 1st rounder or a 2nd rounder plus another later pick?

As Ingtar said those picks could be VERY valuable. Everyone including many on this board predict the Bills will have the 1st or 2nd pick in the draft. A draft that has a Rookie CAP. You could be talking about trading the next Kelly & a great LT (a 1st for the Bills) for an average LT.

[X-Era]

As Ingtar said those picks could be VERY valuable. Everyone including many on this board predict the Bills will have the 1st or 2nd pick in the draft. A draft that has a Rookie CAP. You could be talking about trading the next Kelly & a great LT (a 1st for the Bills) for an average LT.

Or we could win just enough games... say 7, to position ourselves out of the running for either. Our recent history seems to go that route.

[better days]

Or we could win just enough games... say 7, to position ourselves out of the running for either. Our recent history seems to go that route.

Agreed, but even at 7, if need be they could trade the rest of their draft picks to move up to get the Next Kelly. Most of the other bad teams already have their QB in place.

[X-Era]

Agreed, but even at 7, if need be they could trade the rest of their draft picks to move up to get the Next Kelly. Most of the other bad teams already have their QB in place.

But Nix has already pretty much stated we wont be a team that trades up.

[better days]

But Nix has already pretty much stated we wont be a team that trades up.

I know he hasn't said it, but I would hope a franchise QB is the exception to the rule.

[ServoBillieves]

if i trade away my babe ruth 1932 baseball card (signed)

for 4 1988 tom prince rookie cards and a pack of gum that doesn't mean i "addressed" my needs for a "quality" card.

Just because the bills added 5 bodies to their roster on the o-line doesn't mean they addressed any of their problems.

numbers mean nothing. tom prince circa 1988 was nothing in comparison to Barry Bonds circa 1988. you can draft 50 backups, they add nothing to your team if you're missing a starter.

So... Wood is John Ericks, Levitre is Jeff Seale, D. Bell is Dan Gil, and Hangy and Green are awful 3rd base and RF pick ups.

[OpIv37]

Or we could win just enough games... say 7, to position ourselves out of the running for either. Our recent history seems to go that route.

Not quite mediocre enough.

We have to win 7 games, but we have to go into December at 4-8 so we are out of the playoffs, then win 3 of our last 4 to screw ourselves out of a good draft pick when hope for the post-season is already lost.

it's the Buffalo way!

[Mahdi]

Wood, leivitre,bell, merideth,wang...

All young O line talent... I not saying there all going to be great but give them more then a rookie season to prove it.
Yeah we have a strong interior but the game is more about OTs then it is about OGs. I think Wang is a depth player at best, he has a low ceiling and a high floor.

We really needed a vet OT on this team to allow our other players to develop. I think Meredith has potential though and Bell is very good at blocking on the move so maybe the future of the OL is bright but the worry right now is pass protection.

All our OTs struggle with pure pass rushers.

[X-Era]

Not quite mediocre enough.

We have to win 7 games, but we have to go into December at 4-8 so we are out of the playoffs, then win 3 of our last 4 to screw ourselves out of a good draft pick when hope for the post-season is already lost.

it's the Buffalo way!

No you have to replace your young QB after the playoffs are out of reach with a guy who's over 30 and headed down hill.

[justasportsfan]

I think Wood & Levitre have already panned out..

for me to say that, they have to do it on a consistent basis without missing a whole lot of time due to injury.

[HHURRICANE]

Our o-line is just awful. Anybody who thinks other wise just needs to watch the video from last nights practice. Ask Bigbub what he thought.

I suspect that Bell will have a hard time even staying healthy for 16 games so who is coming in when he's out a game or two? What about on the right side?
Bell and Meredith are both backups on any other team.


To think this line is going 16 games without guys sitting out is dellusional.

[OpIv37]

As we all know teams give away proven vet LTs like halloween candy.

PTR

Once again, statements like this drive me insane.

First, our opponents never seem to use this excuse. In 2007, the Jets were 4-12. Now they have one of the best OL's in the league. They never use the "Well, no one was available" excuse. Over the time period that this team has struggled, numerous other teams have improved. Hell, some have even improved, collapsed, and improved again. For some reason, this excuse seems to work for Bills fans, but no one else buys it.

Second, let's forget about the first point and assume that it's true: there really were no options available for upgrading LT this off-season. So what? That won't make Bell or Meredith any better. You can't sit there and say "we'll be fine at LT because there were no better options." The reality is that our LT's blow, regardless of the existence of opportunities to improve on them. If there are no better options, then we just have to accept the fact that we're going to blow at LT for at least one more season.

[Mahdi]

Once again, statements like this drive me insane.

First, our opponents never seem to use this excuse. In 2007, the Jets were 4-12. Now they have one of the best OL's in the league. They never use the "Well, no one was available" excuse. Over the time period that this team has struggled, numerous other teams have improved. Hell, some have even improved, collapsed, and improved again. For some reason, this excuse seems to work for Bills fans, but no one else buys it.

Second, let's forget about the first point and assume that it's true: there really were no options available for upgrading LT this off-season. So what? That won't make Bell or Meredith any better. You can't sit there and say "we'll be fine at LT because there were no better options." The reality is that our LT's blow, regardless of the existence of opportunities to improve on them. If there are no better options, then we just have to accept the fact that we're going to blow at LT for at least one more season.
The Jets spent a fortune to get the OL they have. Faneca and Woody were huge for them. Then again they drafted Mangold and we drafted McCargo.

I still don't have a problem with passing on Oher. Maybin was the right positional pick, hopefully he proves he was the right player. Orakpo will be tough to beat though.

[Philagape]

Once again, statements like this drive me insane.

First, our opponents never seem to use this excuse. In 2007, the Jets were 4-12. Now they have one of the best OL's in the league. They never use the "Well, no one was available" excuse.

They can thank the Bills for Mangold being available :ill: