At 6-4, 340, [Peters] has tremendous size and rare agility with a natural knee bend you just don't...

At 6-4, 340, [Peters] has tremendous size and rare agility with a natural knee bend you just don't see from such a large person. What is amazing is that Peters was a tight end in college and could continue to get better. He makes everyone around him much more effective. Presently, he is unhappy with his contract, and the Bills would be foolish not to get him locked up for the long term.

ESPN - Bills' O-Line Ranks #21 in NFL (Insider needed)

5 months ago Brian Galliford Comment 11 comments 0 recs |

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Ron's take

Ron from NM, what is your take on the ranking of the O-line? ESPN doesn’t think highly of it.

by the Skycap on Jul 14, 2008 3:41 PM EDT 0 recs

To be more specific:

They didn’t even talk about Brad Butler or Langston Walker. They called Melvin Fowler a “smart center”, but not as talented as Peters and Dockery (who they’re also very high on).

by Brian Galliford on Jul 14, 2008 3:43 PM EDT up 0 recs

Everytime I read a major publication concerning the Bills O-Line, they talk about how smart of a player Fowler is. So he can make reads and calls before the snap, don’t all centers do that? Guys like Birk of the Vikings and former Jet, now a Titan, Kevin Mawae do that AND their good athletes. Every summer I read from cover to cover Athlon Sports’ NFL preview, which does a position by position run through of every team, just to get my head straight for the coming season. This is from their section on the Bills O-Line.

“For the first time in recent memory, the Bills return their entire starting five intact. Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters teams with left guard Derrick Dockery, center Melvin Fowler, right guard Brad Butler and tackle Langston Walker. Peters, an athletic 6’4, 340-punder whose ability to neutralize speed rushers is fun to watch, earned his first trip to Hawaii in 2007, and the expensive additions of free agents Dockery and Walker paid dividends as Buffalo cut its sack total from 47 to 26, a team-record low. Fowler enjoyed his best season at center since joining the Bills, and Butler emerged to take over the troublesome right guard spot. Ten-year veteran Jason Whittle can back up all three inside spots.”

I was disappointed that I didn’t get an explanation for how they concluded that it was Fowler’s best year with the Bills, but other than that, as Athlon usually is, it was a very thorough analysis of our line I think.

McKelvin and Hardy - rookies of the year

by poz on Jul 14, 2008 4:46 PM EDT up 0 recs

Wow

that’s a questionable statement to make, at best. I guess because the line only gave up 26 sacks and improved in the run game from the prior year, Fowler was given some undeserved credit. Maybe getting shoved into the backfield is something they consider a positive?

by Kurupt on Jul 14, 2008 8:54 PM EDT up 0 recs

BS

TOP 5 left tackle, Peters
Top 10 Guard Dockery
Very Good Ritght tackle Walker
Young up and comer in Butler
Average Center
And 4 out of 5 of these guys is 6’6”+ and 320+

If they would have at least had us in the top half it would have been more reasonable

This town needs an enema!

by killascript on Jul 14, 2008 5:32 PM EDT 0 recs

I'm gonna nitpick

Peters is 6’4
Butler is listed at 315 pounds and Fowler at 310
Dockery is listed at 6’6, but he is actually just a hair over 6’5

And Dockery isn’t a top 10 guard. I don’t think he is even a top 10 left guard. Don’t let the contract fool you, he is pretty average.

by kaisertown on Jul 15, 2008 2:46 PM EDT up 0 recs

Rankings based quite a bit on potential

The Panthers came in a couple of slots ahead of Buffalo despite not returning a single starter at the same position. It’s just silly to rank them ahead of the Bills’ line or any other proven unit. They could be terrific, terrible or anywhere in between. We won’t know until the end of the season.

While it is apostasy to suggest this on a Bills website, Peters and Dock aren’t elite players. They are good, perhaps even very good. Butler and Walker aren’t that far removed from Peters and Walker. Yes, I’d rather have 2 Peters’ and 2 Docks than 1 of each with Butler and Walker. I just don’t see them as elite. Does anyone here think Peters is a Boselli or Ogden?

If Fowler had his best season since becoming a Bill in 07 then it’s a stone cold miracle that he held onto the starting job. His play was well below average in the run game, the Bills’ bread and butter. He is holding the line, and therefore run game, back. We saw in the Nervana posting that there was very little variance when it came to pass blocking between 11 different centers. Centers distinguish themselves-or not-by run blocking effectively.

I’ll have to actually read the entire slate of listings to figure out where I think the Bills should be placed but I’m thinking high teens, perhaps mid teens. Gotta run, more summer campers just arrived.

by Ron From NM on Jul 14, 2008 9:23 PM EDT 0 recs

When you get a free minute

do you think you could explain to me, seeing as how you have been watching the o-ine specifically on tape, if Fowler is makg line calls and adjustments on every play? Or if you have any insight into why “experts” seem to claim that Fowler is a very smart center. I’m curious.

McKelvin and Hardy - rookies of the year

by poz on Jul 14, 2008 10:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

Probably Fowler is the reason

the Bills’ O-Line got downgraded to #21. The other 4 guys should make it into the top half of the rankings with an average center.

Get the Bills back to the big game!

by Blitz on Jul 15, 2008 9:31 AM EDT up 0 recs

That’s not actually accurate. As mentioned above, they generally spoke quite highly of Fowler, but didn’t mention Butler or Walker in the article at all. I’d say they’re down on Walker/Butler much more than they are Fowler.

by Brian Galliford on Jul 15, 2008 10:21 AM EDT up 0 recs

O-Line

Butler is more of an unknown commodity at this point. I do believe his upside is quite high as he has the intelligence, temperment and ability to be very good.

While Fowler may make excellent calls and/or adjustments during the game he has too many problems handling the physical part of the game.

I do believe Peters is on the path to being in Boselli and Ogden’s class. The length of time he is able to sustain the level of play he showed last year will determine whether he reaches those heights.

by gatornation on Jul 15, 2008 11:02 AM EDT up 0 recs