McNally's take on the offensive line.

[TigerJ]

I cannot speak to the reliability of this, but on the Buffalo Bills fan forum a poster claims to have attended a meeting at which Jim McNally was the guest speaker. If this is not made up, this is how McNally sees Buffalo's offensive line:

LT-Jason Peters - McNally calls him a "phenom." If he can't do it, Teague is the man.
LG-Justin Bannan - the decision to move him to the O-line has been made and he will have a chance to start.
C-Teague if Peters can handle LT, Tucker if Teague moves
RG-Chris Villarreal
RT-Mike Williams

Of course it is understood that free agency is not over with and the draft could also affect things, but this certainly would make things interesting. Bannan and Peters are both good enough athletes do do well in those positions. The question is how much they have to learn and how well they can learn it. If McNally can take two guys from different posiitions and put them on the same side of the line and mold it into an effective unit, he would have to be declared the greatest OL coach ever.

If Billszone software allows for it I'll try to post the link.

http://boards.buffalobills.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=44796

[Earthquake Enyart]

Has Thurm been over there again?

[Romes]

BB.com message boards < profootballtalk.com

[OpIv37]

I don't like the idea of two converted players as starters, esp with the QB and RB both being young.

[Bulldog]

Complete BS!

[Novacane]

may as well try Bannan at O guard. He has'nt done squat for the defense

[Jeff1220]

Obviously, Jason Peters is still raw as an NFL player, and even more so as an OT. However, Peters at LT does seem to make a lot of sense. The LT usually lines up against the smaller, quicker, speed-rusher DEs. Peters' quickness and athleticism, combine with his size, would make him a better fit to take on that type of defender than a slower, heavier tackle. And at 330, he wouoldn't be a smallish tackle.

[Dicknoze69]

Gosh, I really want to like that, but I'm definitely not sold on 2 unproven players guarding our franchise QB.

Peters could do it athletically, but I sure hope he's pulling a J.P. and spending all winter in Buffalo.

[Novacane]

Complete BS!


No it's not. I was at that meeting. Mcnally also said they are going to move Denny to TE, Thomas as our 3rd WR and Fletcher to FB

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

COUGH COUGH bull**** COUGH COUGH


Is there anything Jason Peters can't do?

[Jeff1220]

No it's not. I was at that meeting. Mcnally also said they are going to move Denny to TE, Thomas as our 3rd WR and Fletcher to FB

:nervous:
:rofl:

[Bulldog]

No it's not. I was at that meeting. Mcnally also said they are going to move Denny to TE, Thomas as our 3rd WR and Fletcher to FB

:dance: You da man. Thanks for all the inside info.

[Jan Reimers]

I don't like the idea of two converted players as starters, esp with the QB and RB both being young.
And on the left side, no less. I would be VERY surprised to see either Bannan or Peters starting this year, although Peters does seem to have phenomenal talent and could be a major factor in the not-too-distant future.

[Mudflap1]

Lay off the hallucinogens guys...

The O-line is where games are won and lost, where championship teams are made. You can't go el-cheapo and sign crappy guys, or put guys in there that used to be tight ends, defensive players, etc. Especially at left tackle. You need blue-chip prospects, proven veterans, especially with a young, unproven quarterback.

I had a good laugh at this one...

Jon

[OpIv37]

And on the left side, no less. I would be VERY surprised to see either Bannan or Peters starting this year, although Peters does seem to have phenomenal talent and could be a major factor in the not-too-distant future.

Agreed- converting Peters to a lineman, even left tackle, is a distinct possibility, but it's a season-long project. I don't believe this info because I don't think McNally would leave the left side of a first-year starter in the hands of a guy who's never played O-line, but I do believe McNally can turn a guy like Peters into a good O-lineman.

[askabry]

Funny stuff. BOTH the Left guard and tackle ... is that right? Very funny.

[OpIv37]

COUGH COUGH bull**** COUGH COUGH


Is there anything Jason Peters can't do?

I heard he's also the emergency punter and third-string paramedic/ambulance driver.

[Michael82]

Man, they really need to clean up that site. Too much rumors and crap flying around. Hell, there's more **** floating around in there than in a freaking toilet. :shakeno:

[Novacane]

..............one more thing Mcnally added. He said if Peters did not work out there is this big foul mouthed kid in the 4th row of sec 123 that they may try at LT.

[buffmaniac]

Is this the same guy who said that Ty Law was coming for a visit?

At best that would be the Bills fall back plan if all else fails but the Bills have already shown that they are looking to make moves. They brought Shelton in. They brought Demulling in. The Bills are definitely not satisfied with the OL and I would expect some more moves.

[EDS]

Lay off the hallucinogens guys...

The O-line is where games are won and lost, where championship teams are made. You can't go el-cheapo and sign crappy guys, or put guys in there that used to be tight ends, defensive players, etc. Especially at left tackle. You need blue-chip prospects, proven veterans, especially with a young, unproven quarterback.

I had a good laugh at this one...

Jon

I agree that this rumor is crazy, but I diagree on the fact that you need "blue chippers" at every o-line position. The Pats won their first super bowl with a rookie second round pick starting at left tackle, and won their most recent super bowl with a bunch of undrafted free agents like Ashworth, Neal and Hochstein. Not a first rounder in the bunch. Light makes the most money but I doubt he is making anything close to what Jennings is now making.

[Tatonka]

:roflmao:

ok.. that was fun.

[Mudflap1]

I agree that this rumor is crazy, but I diagree on the fact that you need "blue chippers" at every o-line position. The Pats won their first super bowl with a rookie second round pick starting at left tackle, and won their most recent super bowl with a bunch of undrafted free agents like Ashworth, Neal and Hochstein. Not a first rounder in the bunch. Light makes the most money but I doubt he is making anything close to what Jennings is now making.

I agree there are quality OL out there that aren't first round picks and so on. Yes, the Pats won Super Bowls with some guys like that. But right now, we're not in a position to be able to take chances like that. The Bills have not reached the playoffs in this millenium yet. The offensive line is where the building blocks begin. Put the two together and I think the answer is you need to bring in the best possible guys you possibly are able to bring in. Once the Bills win 3 Super Bowls with previously unproven players, low round draft picks, etc. maybe I'll let them slide a bit and say that the talent evaluators are now 'proven' and can spot talent in all kinds of places. Can you say you have 100% faith in Mularkey and Donahoe that they can spot awesome OL talent in low rounds in the draft, or veteran unsung free agents? If so, what do you base this faith on, the Bills record the past 4-5 years? The line we've had for the past 4-5 years? And furthermore, do you feel comfortable with your completely UN-seasoned, UN-proven, YOUNG franchise quarterback lining up behind center with an offensive line that is more unproven than, say, last year's spectacular squad?

Bring in some good friggin' linemen!

Jon

[LifetimeBillsFan]

Lay off the hallucinogens guys...

The O-line is where games are won and lost, where championship teams are made. You can't go el-cheapo and sign crappy guys, or put guys in there that used to be tight ends, defensive players, etc. Especially at left tackle. You need blue-chip prospects, proven veterans, especially with a young, unproven quarterback.

I had a good laugh at this one...

Jon
Those who doubt that this can be done successfully don't seem to even have a good grasp of the history of the team. Does anyone remember Paul Seymour? He was originally drafted as a TE and, after an unremarkable rookie season, was converted into an LT and became the starter in his second season. Seymour went on to be one of the cornerstones of "The Electric Company" and I believe even made the Pro Bowl in an era of legendary OTs. Seymour made the conversion to LT at the same time that the Bills handed the starting QB job to a young QB, Joe Ferguson.

As for Peters making the switch to LT: Peters did play some OT in college, where he was shifted from DT to TE to OT and back to TE, as Shawn Andrews emerged as a top-quality O-lineman. In addition to his low Wonderlic score, one of the reasons that Peters was projected to go lower in last year's draft than some of his other attributes might have suggested is that teams were not sure what position to put him at, TE or OT, in part because he had been moved back and forth between the two positions at Arkansas and did not have a lot of experience playing either position. While there were some questions about Peters' ability as a pass receiver, based on the fact that Arkansas didn't run a very sophisticated passing offense, there were no questions about Peters' run-blocking ability going into last year's draft: he was considered to be a very good run-blocker.

When the Bills picked up Peters (who I had hoped that they would draft), I predicted, here and on the ESPN messageboard, that the coaching staff would seriously consider moving him to OT in much the same way that Seymour was moved. And, indeed, when Peters was resigned and placed on the practice squad after failing to make the team as a TE, he approached Coach McNally and volunteered to work with the O-linemen in practice. According to several published reports, Peters was working with the O-line when the team lost Campbell and Euhus and was moved back to TE as an emergency measure to help make up for the team's lack of depth at the TE position.

With his speed, athleticism and quickness and a little more than half of a season working with the O-line, it would not surprise me to see Peters get a serious look at OT this season. Coach McNally has made a career of moving young guys to different positions on the offensive line and making them solid starters: M.Rosenthal, R.Seubert, D.Diehl, etc. are just a few; so, it wouldn't surprise me to see him move Peters or even some other players on the Bills' O-line to other positions. The question with Peters isn't with his physical ability to make the switch to LT, but rather with his ability to pick up and grasp the mental aspects of playing the position. But, if Coach McNally were to say that he thought that Peters could play the position well enough to be a competent starter, I would tend to believe him, based on his ability to develop young offensive linemen with less going for them physically than Peters.

As for Bannan: he really hasn't shown much as a DT, in part because he is too passive--which isn't what you want from a DT, but is not a liability in an O-lineman--and wasn't bad as a blocker in limited, short-yardage situations. Like Peters, there were published reports that he, too, volunteered to work with the O-linemen in practice last season. While I don't think he got as much practice time with them as Peters, I would not be surprised to see the Bills give him a chance to show whether he can be a contributor on the O-line.

While I would be a whole lot more comfortable with the Bills' O-line situation if they were to bring in another experienced O-lineman--either DeMulling or Shelton--I would not be surprised to see Peters and/or Bannan make the team's offensive line rotation next season.

As for Coach McNally possibly saying that Peters and Bannan look like possible starters on the left side of the line, one thing that you have to remember is that he cannot talk about players that are not on the team--as that would be considered tampering and might result in penalties that would hurt the team--so that could have had an effect on what he is reported to have said. If he didn't know that Gandy had been signed at the time, naturally he would not have mentioned him, let alone DeMulling or Shelton. I think that it is safe to say that his thinking will be greatly impacted by what the Bills are able to do in free agency and the draft and what he sees from the players that the team has once mini-camps begin. Still, I don't think that the idea of Peters being converted into a LT or Bannan being given a shot at LG is as outrageous, at this point when the Bills don't have either DeMulling or Shelton on their roster, as some here seem to think.

[EDS]

I have plenty of confidence in the Bills brain trust to bring in the necessary talent on the offensive line - whether it be a big name free agent, rookie or low budget signing.

We act as though trading for LJ Shelton is some magic elixir that will fix the 0-line. The reality is if he were that good then the Cardinals would not let him go.

[Mudflap1]

For your information, I DO have a good grasp on the Bills history. Anybody who thinks that Bannan should be the starting LG, Peters the starting LT, and Losman the starting QB this year please stand up.

I didn't think so.

As it is, I think throwing Losman the job without stating that there is an open competition is a mistake. Nevertheless, the kid has ability, the team invested a lot in him, so they decided he's going to play. Fine, we'll see what he can do.

The LEAST the team can do is give him a decent line. The line last year was not very good. Dreadful at the beginning of the season, average to mediocre by the end, which is an improvement, and shows McNally is a good coach.

I do not doubt that Bannan and Peters may be moved to the offensive line, and in time may get playing time and might even be effective, but anybody that thinks this team should hedge their bets this year on putting the unproven Losman in at QB with Peters and Bannan on his blindside needs to get their head checked.

Yes, again, you can get quality players in all areas. Low draft picks, free agency, June 1st cuts, bargain-basement areas, undrafted free agents, etc. They are there to be found. But the Bills have not proven they can find quality offensive line talent like this. Again, are you going to hedge your bets this season that Losman will be effective with Peters and Bannan on his blindside? Wouldn't you feel more comfortable with higher round draft picks and some quality veteran signings?

I'm skeptical enough about putting Losman in at this point, the least I can do is wish that he has the best possible chance to succeed by having quality players around him and the best possible line that this team can field. Right now, Peters and Bannan are FAR, FAR from that.

BRING IN LINEMEN!

Jon

[ParanoidAndroid]

I don't think this is impossible, but neither is it ideal. If this is what happens all we can do is watch and hope. I'd rather see Shelton here because he's a proven starter that lost his job to a former 1st rounder who happens to be a monster. DeMulling would be nice, but only if he comes cheap. Not very likely. We might have to mix things up and find a new formula. Again. I'd like to see linemen in here too...and linemen who actually stay. I'm tired of defenses owning our line of scrimmage.

[BidsJr]

Lay off the hallucinogens guys...

The O-line is where games are won and lost, where championship teams are made. You can't go el-cheapo and sign crappy guys, or put guys in there that used to be tight ends, defensive players, etc. Especially at left tackle. You need blue-chip prospects, proven veterans, especially with a young, unproven quarterback.

I had a good laugh at this one...

Jon

Robert Gallery was a tight end 3 years before being the #2 overall pick........

It is not that far fetched.

[Marvelous]

I love Bannon at LG. He seems to be very coachable.
AND HE'S CHEAP

[relentless]

I can't remember who we played last year, but Peters lined up at left tackle, and we pitched the ball to McGahee running left.....end result...Peters got embarassed and McGahee got stuffed. Peters was taken off the field on the next play.......However Howard Ballard was what?...an eleventh round draft pick...you never know, especially with a good o line coach.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Has Thurm been over there again?
:shocked:

[THATHURMANATOR]

A tight end playing tackle and a Defensivie tackle playing guard both on the same side of the ball? You are kidding me right?

[BuffaloRanger]

That would be the worst O-line in football. TD better not ignore the O-line again.

Seymour also had the luxury of a certain OJ Simpson.

The Pats can do anything because they have the best coaching/ get every single call go there way. I hate them and now everything Boston. (Except the Boondock Saints)

[jamze132]

I think it's incredibly insane for our starting O line to include a DT and a TE with no prior experience. Even God himself couldn't put that together and be succesfull in the first season with a rookie QB. In a couple of years, with a lot of practice, and a lot of beer, maybe, just maybe, we would make the playoffs, barring a career ending injury to JP which causes us to bring back Drew from retirement when Dallas cuts him in 06'.

I think McNally has more brains than that. He's not the top line coach in the NFL for thinking up **** like that.

[Dozerdog]

I cannot speak to the reliability of this, but on the Buffalo Bills fan forum a poster claims to have attended a meeting at which Jim McNally was the guest speaker. If this is not made up, this is how McNally sees Buffalo's offensive line:

LT-Jason Peters - McNally calls him a "phenom." If he can't do it, Teague is the man.
LG-Justin Bannan - the decision to move him to the O-line has been made and he will have a chance to start.
C-Teague if Peters can handle LT, Tucker if Teague moves
RG-Chris Villarreal
RT-Mike Williams

Of course it is understood that free agency is not over with and the draft could also affect things, but this certainly would make things interesting. Bannan and Peters are both good enough athletes do do well in those positions. The question is how much they have to learn and how well they can learn it. If McNally can take two guys from different posiitions and put them on the same side of the line and mold it into an effective unit, he would have to be declared the greatest OL coach ever.

If Billszone software allows for it I'll try to post the link.

http://boards.buffalobills.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=44796

Whomever posted this over there was on glue

[Dozerdog]

Did you notice a bear posted that?

[Michael82]

..............one more thing Mcnally added. He said if Peters did not work out there is this big foul mouthed kid in the 4th row of sec 123 that they may try at LT.
:fat: :$:

[TigerJ]

Did you notice a bear posted that?

Yes, but it didn't have the usual bear marks. It wasn't written in the third person. It didn't editorialize with unrelenting negativism, and the poster did not assume a position of intellectual superiority, false of course.

[Mr. Cynical]

McNally's take on the offensive line...
....to take a poop on.

[Meathead]

Whomever posted this over there was on glue
Actually it was pain pills and Hennessey.