What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

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  • BillsFever21
    Registered User
    • Aug 2004
    • 9067
    #1

    What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

    Eric Wood is a great player but he has now been injured every single year in the NFL. Everybody can get injured and they can happen in many ways but after 4 straight years of injuries is he somebody you can commit a big long-term deal too after his contract is up next year? I don't see where it's possible unless it came with a bulk of the money in incentives.

    He is a great player when he's on the field and he a game changer on our OL but it's looking like he can't be relied upon for an entire season. Every year he gets injured and he usually isn't around to finish the season if we ever did make a playoff run.

    If he was willing to settle for a smaller contract with incentives I would re-sign him but would also have to make sure I had a reliable backup in his place whether it was with a veteran FA or a mid-round draft pick to groom as a swing man between Guard and Center.
    Tags: None
  • DBrown77
    Watching the Bills suck since 1999
    • Mar 2005
    • 1285
    #2
    Re: What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

    He broke his leg, blew out his knee, injured his knee this year again. What was his other injury?

    Comment

    • BillsFever21
      Registered User
      • Aug 2004
      • 9067
      #3
      Re: What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

      Originally posted by DBrown77 View Post
      He broke his leg, blew out his knee, injured his knee this year again. What was his other injury?
      I don't remember what his other injury was since he has missed time every season. He played in 10 games in 2009, 14 games in 2010, 9 games in 2011 and now 12 games in 2012. That means he has missed 19 games in his 4 year career.

      Comment

      • DBrown77
        Watching the Bills suck since 1999
        • Mar 2005
        • 1285
        #4
        Re: What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

        He is a catch 22 because he could be a pro bowl talent if he stayed healthy. Jeff faine had the same problem.

        • 👍 1

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        • BertSquirtgum
          Legendary Zoner
          • May 2009
          • 13379
          #5
          Re: What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

          Wood will be fine.

          Comment

          • GingerP
            Registered User
            • Aug 2012
            • 1717
            #6
            Re: What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

            Originally posted by BillsFever21 View Post
            I don't remember what his other injury was since he has missed time every season. He played in 10 games in 2009, 14 games in 2010, 9 games in 2011 and now 12 games in 2012. That means he has missed 19 games in his 4 year career.
            The 2 games he missed in 2010 were due to an ankle injury. Not sure the exact nature of it, but an ankle injury bad enough that he missed 2 games.

            Comment

            • MikeInRoch
              Registered User
              • Sep 2003
              • 10446
              #7
              Re: What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

              And none of those injuries suggest that he is more susceptible to injury than any other center. So the answer is you give him a big extension because he's a hell of a player.
              "'Clean up your room.', 'Stand up straight.', 'Pick up your feet.', 'Take it like a man.', 'Be nice to your sister.', 'Don't mix beer and wine, ever.'. Oh yeah, 'Don't drive on the railroad track.'"

              "Eh, Phil. That's one I happen to agree with."
              • 👍 1

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              • BillsFever21
                Registered User
                • Aug 2004
                • 9067
                #8
                Re: What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

                Originally posted by MikeInRoch View Post
                And none of those injuries suggest that he is more susceptible to injury than any other center. So the answer is you give him a big extension because he's a hell of a player.
                When they happen four years in a row along with two knee injuries it makes him for susceptible to injury then the average center. For whatever reason some guys are just more prone to injuries or unable to play through them then others.

                I like him and he's a great player but you can't give him a huge guaranteed extension without having some out clauses or some of it based on playing time incentives. The average player doesn't miss 1/4 - 1/2 of the season in three of his four seasons in the league and 2 games in the other season without there being some type of pattern. Each year it ends up being something.

                If he stays healthy then he makes a good chunk of change in line with the Top 5-10 centers in the NFL. If he doesn't stay healthy then it protects the team against paying out huge guaranteed money to a player rehabbing an injury almost every season.

                It's a must that you have a capable backup who is ready to step in and fill his slot in the event of another injury. Best case scenario is having somebody who can step in and play both guard and center whether it's a backup or a starting guard that can swing over to center. Either way it's going to cost you extra money to have somebody to fill that void.

                He has yet to finish a season in his career and you can't just disregard that. It's not just a game here or a game there or a single season where he was injured. It's been every season. If he can go out next year and stay healthy that would be a plus but that remains to be seen. Even if he does you still need a backup plan because of the history. We all see how the line operates when he's injured and we throw in any old scrub off the bench to take his place. It's in total disarray.
                Last edited by BillsFever21; 12-11-2012, 10:05 PM.

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                • MikeInRoch
                  Registered User
                  • Sep 2003
                  • 10446
                  #9
                  Re: What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

                  Just looking at "he hasn't made it through a season" is an ignorant point of view. Tell me exactly how he was supposed to not get injured (for example) on the play this year. He was engaged with a defender when another came in full speed from the side and struck him in the knee. No one survives that without getting injured.
                  "'Clean up your room.', 'Stand up straight.', 'Pick up your feet.', 'Take it like a man.', 'Be nice to your sister.', 'Don't mix beer and wine, ever.'. Oh yeah, 'Don't drive on the railroad track.'"

                  "Eh, Phil. That's one I happen to agree with."

                  Comment

                  • Oaf
                    Do you read what you write?
                    • Jun 2007
                    • 6151
                    #10
                    Re: What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

                    He was never injured in college. He'll be back for this season anyway, I'm sure.

                    Comment

                    • Mouldsie
                      Registered User
                      • Aug 2012
                      • 5661
                      #11
                      Re: What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

                      If you mean drafting a center in the first 2 rounds then no
                      • 👍 1

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                      • SeatownBillsFan21
                        Registered User
                        • Mar 2004
                        • 2149
                        #12
                        Re: What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

                        I know this o line sucks without him so IMO you lock him up and hope for the best

                        Comment

                        • jamze132
                          Don’t hate…
                          • Jun 2003
                          • 29325
                          #13
                          Re: What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

                          It's extremely important to continue drafting O-lineman every draft since those guys are ALWAYS getting banged up. To run a successful offense, you need depth. At least that's one area that Nix hasn't bungled. He drafts lineman.
                          • 👍 2

                          Comment

                          • trapezeus
                            Legendary Zoner
                            • Oct 2004
                            • 19525
                            #14
                            Re: What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

                            i'm torn on wood. if there is a top prospect passed over, you take him. good center play makes an average line much better. ever since he shifted over, the routine questions about upgradin gthe line has gone away. The center for alabama has played well and played LT and RT in prior years on championship teams, so he'd be great depth.

                            but otherwise, i'm thinking this team needs a 1st round qb pick and a 2nd round qb pick to ensure they are upgrading that spot.

                            Comment

                            • k-oneputt
                              Registered User
                              • Jun 2009
                              • 7131
                              #15
                              Re: What do you do with Eric Wood? Do you draft a Center for the long-term?

                              They need to draft another o-tackle in the middle us this draft.

                              Comment

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