Could Erik Pears Be A Left Tackle Option For Buffalo?

It's asked so often that it's a daily discussion here at Buffalo Rumblings: could Andy Levitre make a permanent switch to left tackle in 2012, particularly if the team uses a best-player-available approach in the 2012 NFL Draft and take Stanford guard David DeCastro?

My response has been the same each time: no, Levitre won't, in my opinion, be an option for the team at that position save for if they find themselves in a pickle in-game. Nor should he be. With Levitre entering his fourth season, it's about time that they let him focus on one position and develop some consistency there. Levitre belongs at left guard.

The Bills, however, could have a need to force someone out to left tackle in the event that the team can't find starting-caliber competition for Chris Hairston over the next month or so. A far more likely option than Levitre, in my opinion, is right tackle Erik Pears.

We know the team likes Pears, as he signed a three-year contract extension just prior to the end of the 2011 season. We also know that the team has given practice reps to Pears on the blind side, even if he's never actually played there in a game. Is it totally inconceivable, then, that Pears could become an option at left tackle if necessary?

We're not counting on it. Pears is a solid right tackle, but the team could be in serious trouble if Pears is asked to flip positions. Still, one could argue that it would be a better option than another position switch for Levitre.