Front five on O-line in place
Dick Jauron has named his starting offensive line, per BuffaloBills.com. No surprises.
Langston Walker : Andy Levitre : Geoff Hangartner : Eric Wood : Brad Butler
almost 3 years ago
Brian Galliford
33 comments
0 recs |
Email
PrintComments
No big suprise here, I am sure the injury really prompted them to do it since Chambers as of now is the best back up at the tackle position.
Is this a matter of ‘we drafted them so we’re throwing them in’ or have they really been the better players at the position so far?
I am not sure they are the better players today, but
the coaching staff must feel that they will be the better players by the start of the regular season. While Levitre being named the starter is not a huge surprise, it is somewhat surprising to me that he was named the starter so quickly. Was he really performing better than the vets? I didn’t think he was quite there yet.
"I BET YOU IF WE PUT A 12 DOZEN GLAZE DONUTS AT THE OTHER END ON KICK RETURN JAIME DUKES WILL BE OUR NUM # 1 RETURNER …… HOW YOU LIKE THEM APPLES DUKE APPLE PIE PUNKEN EATER DWINKE SMASHER DING DONG FLABER" - abayarde
Well with the possibility of Butler being out for a while (theres no news on his injury so i’m assuming the worst right now), and Chambers temporarily taking his place at RT, then yes I do think that Levitre can say he will be outplaying the remaining vets by the start of the season.
No disrespect ment towards Seth McKinney, but he’s a backup to the interior line. We signed him to be a back up and unless Levitre shows a real lack of progression, theres no reason for McKinney not to be a backup.
Captain of the "Promote Bob Sanders to Deffensive Coordinator" band wagon.
by CanadianBillsFan on Aug 4, 2009 9:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Levitre has been looking at least adequate at LG. I haven’t watched him all that closely but he hasn’t looked bad.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.
by MattRichWarren on Aug 4, 2009 9:59 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah i agree, and we have to remember the majority of what we did see, unless we were there at camp was right after he signed his contract and was still knocking the rust off..
i thought he looked decent when i went up to camp just a few days after he signed, and i actually thought he looked better in pass pro than being dominant in the run game, but he definitely didn’t look bad in run blocking, he just did a good job of staying in front of most of the pass rushers i saw him take on…
Important that the coaching staff goes out and clears to everybody who the starters are, because we need these five guys to get accustomed to each other, as we need them to gell when the season begins in a month and 10 ten days. I have a lot of confidence in these guys and hopefully they’ll live up to our expectations for them, which I think is quite plausible.
by BillsfanfromDenmark on Aug 4, 2009 2:25 PM EDT reply actions
I cannot wait
to see Eric Wood in game action on sunday. Ive heard this kid is a beast, just waiting to see it for myself.
by dragonwag0n on Aug 4, 2009 2:33 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
He is massive. The guy who I keep doing double takes on is Nelson. That kid is a big dude. He’s my new man crush. Well him and Trent.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.
by MattRichWarren on Aug 4, 2009 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Seems like we have a lot of mancrushes on Trent going around.
Captain of the "Promote Bob Sanders to Deffensive Coordinator" band wagon.
by CanadianBillsFan on Aug 5, 2009 7:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Try this on for size
It’s possible that Levitre is closer to starting than Bell is to taking the swing tackle job. Seeing this, Jauron naturally decided to plug his best reserve linemen (Chambers) into more reps at tackle for now. Now, it’s true that Levitre would have to be at least somewhat along. But what might be more true is that Demetrius Bell’s just isn’t ready to be the first tackle off the bench.
Otherwise, Chambers would likely still be competing at guard.
I completely agree about Chambers over Bell. Chambers won’t give you any spetacular plays, but he is definitely consistent, and filled in for Walker when he moved over to LT in the beginning of last season. Bell is well, a work in progress…
Right, and it's not that Bell is terrible
Chambers is just covering for both while they develop, and Levitre doesn’t need as much time.
by Dyl on Aug 4, 2009 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions
This is how it was going to be all along. All the Bell talk was ridiculously early considering how raw he was and how he has no game experience.
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
by Kurupt on Aug 4, 2009 4:20 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I completely agree about Bell. And there is no reason to push Bell along any faster then he is ready. This is a very smart move by the coaching staff.
Captain of the "Promote Bob Sanders to Deffensive Coordinator" band wagon.
by CanadianBillsFan on Aug 4, 2009 9:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Bell took first team reps tonight to start practice and was there most of the night...
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.
by MattRichWarren on Aug 4, 2009 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Interesting, part of the reason for the announcement may have been to get Bell more 1st team reps w/o the added pressure of everyone thinking he might become a starter.
"I know I'm a true receiver..." Roscoe Parrish, Buffalo Bills - May 2009
"In my heart, I know I'm funny." Lt Steven Hauk, Good Morning Vietnam - 1987
by thefourwinds on Aug 5, 2009 12:27 AM EDT up reply actions
I’ll save my judgments for at least the first 2 preseason games. I want to see these guys against at least some competition. Other than that – I really can’t go by just the twitter updates and pictures. I gotta DVR the game and then go over it.
- Ron – you going to be watching and grading?
I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying
It scares me as well that they didn’t wait until they had the tape from at least one preseason game. Two would have been even better. This is an example of why I don’t have much confidence in Jauron or his staff. They lock themselves into things and then are unwilling to change (and on those occasions — usually during a game — when they do take chances they are impulsive and ill-informed). That’s not smart, in the NFL or in anything else.
that’s not true – they did reshuffle the o-line during the bye week 2 years ago.
They adjust
I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying
by J2 on Aug 4, 2009 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions
aw, c'mon
if they didn’t commit to a line up, with all due respect, i have a hunch you’d have nailed jauron, et. al for being incapable of making a decision.
yes, hoping/expecting this re-shuffled line to be up to speed by sept is a big leap. but, also, its brave and there is a philosophy behind it. it is not mindless shuffling in hope of finding the pea. if one can believe 50% of what one reads about levitre and particularly wood – that they play with hunger, intelligence and a “finishing” attitiude, i don’t personally find it too much of a stretch that this line will be significantly better than last years laissez faire skirt sporting bunch.
as well, much knashing of teeth about LW at left tackle and his inability to adjust to “speed rushers.”
well, there are ways around that, too. as in – guide them upfield and run where they used to be. traps, draws, screens. same thing teams used to try to do to bruce smith.
considering what MRW has posted about seeing Wood out in front on screens, i’m optomistic.
buffalo drafted levitre and wood to give aggression and stones to the interior of the line.
lets give them a chance to do their stuff.
They could have started these five players in Canton on Sunday without making any formal announcement. That would have preserved their options until they had a chance to see how their new line performed in a true game situation. I’m sorry, but that would have been by far the smarter way to handle it.
i think they want to
appear as if they are more stable on the o-line than they actually may be
"Hold ya chin up...nuh nuh nuh...gone"
-Marshawn Lynch-
now i konw the titans d-line is a little different w/o big albert, but they were still a good line even when he missed due to injury..
so if they are able to show some glimpses against that d-line and give trent some time i’ll be happy w/ the progress so far… they definitely will get some good competition through the pre season so i’ll be exccited to see how they pan out
Wow – that was pretty quick. I didn’t expect an announcement like that for another week or so, especially given that Wood has only been to what, four practices?
41 days until the opener. My guess is that’s about 32 practices. Five preseason games (probably about 10 series worth of play). That should be enough time to get these guys to play together well, right?
wow
does this OL scare me…..If this OL doesn’t work out, DJ and company deserve a ticket out of town bc the season mainly hinges on how this hugely reshuffled OL turns out
MARVelous - "I went from America's team to North America's Team" Terrell Owens
but they did address the lines this year – VIA FA and draft. Can’t fault them for that.
Actually if you were to ask me right now – unless they win less than 7 games – I think they should be on for next year
I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying
by J2 on Aug 4, 2009 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions
I (unfortunatly) think that your right on that. Personally i don’t think that DJ has been doing a bad job, but he hasn’t been doing a great job either.
Captain of the "Promote Bob Sanders to Deffensive Coordinator" band wagon.
by CanadianBillsFan on Aug 4, 2009 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Buffalo Rumblings
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
