Top Offensive Lines in 2003

[TigerJ]

While we're all waiting impatiently for training camp I thought you might like to see this tidbit. Allsports.com has done an evaluation of offensive lines in the NFL and come up with a list of the top ten. Buffalo makes the list at #10. That's the good news. The bad news: Miami is listed at #8. One comment I thought was interesting: ". . . this is a young and improving offensive line that could be the best in football a year from now."

http://www.allsports.com/cgi-bin/showstory.cgi?story_id=42629

[WG]

I think all the teams from 6 down having better lines than ours is a bunch of BS.

I'm tellin' ya, we're gonna have a top 5 OL this season. I think the big reason for the low ranking initially is that Sullivan is in his third season now, and Teague, while good, is not great.

I don't think there's gonna be a better tandem of Ts than MW and JJ this year. Brown is solid at G. Teague will improve as will Sullivan. It will bear out to be a top OL assuming we have no injuries.

He's right on when he says this could be the best OL in football a year from now, only I think that will happen this year sometime. Perhaps not the best, but a top 5, and the best that Bledsoe's every played behind.

[venis2k1]

I cant see Teague getting better, but i do agree with our line being one of the best...as for Miamis line, anything that has Cruddy Ruddy and Jamie Nails on it cant be that good.

[WG]

I'm giving Teague the benefit of the doubt in his second full season at C. I think he'll improve marginally, but I agree, not overall as a lineman in general. I've always maintained that we could do better at that position especially for the bucks we're paying him.

[mypoorfriendme]

how good was our rookie sobieski when he was at full health? good enough to start at center in a season or two? because yeah, i think center is the weak spot of our line and also think that teagues not going to be getting any better at his age

[Tatonka]

sobie definately has the size to be a serious load at center... i would love to see that work out.

and if sullivan bolts after this season (he's a FA).. pulluco (sp?) is supposed to be coming along very well too.

[RUDEbyallMEANS]

Miami's O-line is very underrated.. Just hard workers with no big name players other than maybe Jamie Nails who was a 4th round pick.. Considering Miami has never had a top 5 Pick since the NFL/AFL merger, they do very well in stock piling talent..

[Jan Reimers]

This analysis appears to be based mostly on past performance. The Bills O line - because of the relative inexperience of Williams, Jennings, and Sullivan - has more room to improve. Teague may also get somewhat better, as he gets more used to the center position and his linemates. If Ruben stops holding (or at least getting caught) so much, I think we could be in the top three.

[ryven]

The best thing of that report was that NE has no O-line there not even above average. So is this to say our defense will have fun in the back field.

[TedMock]

Hopefully Sobieski comes back 100%. As mentioned earlier, Teague is good but a bit overpaid. He does bring intelligence to the center position. Don't forget that JJ had a hard time calling the assignments when tested there. Either way, Sobieski may be better and cheaper in a year. Also, I love Ruben but I believe his salary hits that balloon phase next season....clump? eb? We'll be able to afford it next season but we still need to think about it.

[Doc]

I expect Teague to improve more than marginally, with a full season under his belt and NFL-quality coaching. The same goes for the other guys, Sullivan especially. Heck NONE of the younger guys (Jennings, Williams, Sully) have had a decent O-line coach since joining the Bills, and I can only surmise that Teague's development as a center was held back by Vinklarek.

As for Miami's O-line, it's aging rapidly. Ruddy, Perry, and Dixon are well into their 30's, Nails probably won't ever be the same after the Achilles injury, and Wade is a talented player who is too inconsistent.

[Doc]

BTW, Sullivan is a RFA after this season, since he's only accrued 3 seasons. The Bills can either tender him at the 3rd round pick level if he doesn't show improvement, or if he does, tender him at the 1st round or 1st and 3rd level and then go from there.

[MDFINFAN]

Re: Top Offensive Lines in 2003

Originally posted by TigerJ
While we're all waiting impatiently for training camp I thought you might like to see this tidbit. Allsports.com has done an evaluation of offensive lines in the NFL and come up with a list of the top ten. Buffalo makes the list at #10. That's the good news. The bad news: Miami is listed at #8. One comment I thought was interesting: ". . . this is a young and improving offensive line that could be the best in football a year from now."

http://www.allsports.com/cgi-bin/sho...story_id=42629

The fact that Miami line is above yours is not surprising since they boosted the league top rusher and gave up little sacks, plus the line is intact this year, and playing another year in this system, they should be rated high. For Wys to say that lines 6 and above are not better than the Bills is very homerous..Wys you need to check out other teams OL's first, if you only focus on the Bills team and not see other teams, you can get very tunnel visioned.
The Rams will be good this year also, just wait.

[clumping platelets]

Originally posted by Doc
BTW, Sullivan is a RFA after this season, since he's only accrued 3 seasons. The Bills can either tender him at the 3rd round pick level if he doesn't show improvement, or if he does, tender him at the 1st round or 1st and 3rd level and then go from there.

Sullivan was a 5th rd pick........I would like to see him sign an extension this season. I don't think TD would tender him with a 1st rd tender.

[WG]

Originally posted by Tatonka
sobie definately has the size to be a serious load at center... i would love to see that work out.

and if sullivan bolts after this season (he's a FA).. pulluco (sp?) is supposed to be coming along very well too.

Yeah, "supposed to be"!

Haven't you heard enough of that for a year or two now?

So was Denney! So was Robinson! So was Jenkins! The list goes on. What do you expect them to say? It appears that he's a bust?

We won't have a clue until he sets foot on the football field and goes up against Miami, the Jets, and Pats.

Everyone's always "ahead of schedule", "looking to be a real steal", "competing for the starting job", etc.

Here are some facts:

We didn't go for a DE b/c one of the ones we had is supposed to step up this year! Let's see if that happens.

Even though we don't have any experienced depth this year on the OL for backups besides Price, we're told Pucillo is ready. Let's see!

We're told that Posey will be what he was last year? Let's see!

We signed Reese to "bring a [variety] of things to our defensive backfield at S", Let's see!

Blah, blah, blah...

Meanwhile we drafted a whole bunch of positions that were on the tail end of our immediate needs list!

If TD's judgement on these is like it was w/ Farris, Robinson, Jenkins, Watson, Denney, and others, then it won't be good.

It's starting to look bleak for Jones doing anything other than retiring. Adams, I've been saying is average and on the road to washed up, but let's see if he can play much better than average this year. If not, and if a DE doesn't step up, could spell trouble again.

Meanwhile guys like Joseph, a real need, a gimme starter, and a worthwhile pick was passed over for a RB who may or may not end up playing in the future!

I like TD overall as a GM, but some of his and GW's pickups have been sketchy at best. Seems like we're always "shopping" in the "injured players/as-is" basket at Budget Bazaar instead of simply signing players or drafting players that we actually need now!

Our first four rounds of draft picks this year won't help us this season. That is of course unless Kelsay is even worth a 2nd rounder or above. Any second rounder, mid round no less, and one who was touted as a first rounder, should have no difficulty starting some games this season even w/ Adams' signing. Again, we'll see!

I like the Sobieski signing, but until he plays, I ain't countin' a thing. Same w/ Pucillo. I do find it difficult to believe that w/ stone legs back there in the pocket that Pucillo, last year's 7th rounder, would be anything but inadequate as a backup in only his second season and w/ no playing time under his belt. You simply cannot "learn how to play" by getting reps in TC or practice. I don't care what anyone says, those guys aren't playing at the level they are in games.