Bills Training Camp Battles: Left Tackle

Unless something drastic changes, everything I’ve read says Bell is set to start, but I really think Meredith should get plenty of reps, if not start at RT

I hope Meredith gets a real shot at starting LT this year. Im not sold on Bell one bit, and when Meredith was playing last year he impressed me. Many “draft experts” gave him a higher round grade than where he was drafted, but fell due to maybe not having the right mind for it… but I like him and think he could be a nice fit at LT this year.

what a terrible picture =(

Meredith by default, “For Whom the Bell tolls” will continue to have injury problems…

Meredith will use the opportunity to secure a starting spot on the O-line, which one I’m not sure but he will be prove that he is starting material…

Our new coaches first critical call. Giving Bell the green light to suit up and knock some heads. At this point we are assuming that Bell will be ready to go. IMO at this point we should all be hoping Bell is ready to go. At this point last season Bell wasn’t even a consideration to start at LT. Some may have suggested he wouldn’t hold a roster spot. It was his effort and ability that forced Walker to the curb. Remembering that Walker wasn’t exactly a hot commodity when he was cut. Remembering Chris Brown reporting that Bell was opening eyes all camp. Then Pow Walker is gone and Bell is named the starter. It would make more sense to me that Walker demanded to be cut and that he was not willing to back up such a rookie. I often wonder what the fly on the wall knows about that whole transaction. Cutting Walker wouldn’t of been my first choice considering the depth along the line. Hell we even cut Chambers in the last round of cuts. There was so much turmoil during that period last season. Then Butlers injury, then the acquisition of Meredith with many other T’s to pick from. It’s almost like Bell started this whole controversy.

I am going Bell all the way. Assuming he is cleared to practice full speed. Maybe alternating at first but this kid has to play. Every indicator points to Bell being the man in Buffalo at LT, we got to prove in camp who our LT will be. Let’s hope Meredith progresses at the same pace as Bell has, but let’s hope he has more time to get there than Bell. If Bell isn’t the answer than he has to be pretty darn close IMO.

Im basing it entirely on what I saw during games last year. I thought the Bills had better pass protection from Meredith than they did from Bell all year long. I also dont want to trot out a guy who isnt healthy only to have him go down and have to deal with line reshuffling all over again. Trent or whoever is in there needs to know they can trust their LT to be there and that hasnt been the case since Peters left. What was it four or five LTs have started including Peters since his departure?

Bell also commits way too many penalties to be allowed on the field until he cleans that up. Giving away yards and first downs is UNACCEPTABLE, and I hope Gailey makes that clear by benching Bell. I havent lost faith in Bell’s long term potential but he was started earlier than he was ready.

The coaches are praising Bell because they want to boost his confidence hoping it will help him preform not because of anything else in my opinion. We have camp battles every where and the coaches want to boost confidence all around so that the best player emerges. I wouldnt bank on the praise impacting their decision.

Bell hasn’t been able to practice, and I believe it may allow Meredith the opportunity to stick in his LT seat.

Also, from Tim Graham’s recent AFC East Training Camp preview article:

HOTTEST SEATS

Bills: Demetrius Bell. It’s odd to imagine a player drafted in the seventh round as a long-term project being on the hot seat going into just his third season. But Bell plays left tackle, and the Bills can’t afford to fool around at such an important position. Bell didn’t play a snap in 2008, yet emerged as last year’s opening-night starter. He struggled before a knee injury ended his season prematurely. Bell was one of the NFL’s most penalized players, and Gailey abhors pre-snap penalties. In eight games, Bell committed six false starts and allowed five sacks.

I think they would like to start Bell, but as we all know, he hasn’t taken ONE rep this spring and Merideth has taken ALL of the number 1’s so far and HAS to be a leg up on Bell “at this point”.

I voted Bell, but for some reason, I’m really leaning towards Merideth being the opening day starter @ LT. Just a feeling I have is all w/ nothing solid to back it up. Once the pads go on Thursday & FOOTBALL “begins”, it’ll all clear itself up for the new regime to make the best decision for the team overall.

he was serviceable last year in a pinch and had no flags.

It will be difficult for Bell to come back from his injury.

and I tell you he can start at LT. He will impress some people this year. He may not end up in the pro bowl but he can start in the NFL and do a serviceable job for us. If we can find a veteran LT or if Bell can develop then we can move him over to start at RT. This guy is a monster and from what I have seen from OTAs he’s getting stronger.

That’s why I voted Bell.

Barring set back from injury last season Bell should start I believe