The Buffalo Bills added some depth to their offensive line by signing veteran guard Jamil Douglas. A former member of, well...a lot of teams, Douglas brings some possible position versatility and will likely compete for a swing spot. Appearing in most of Tennessee’s games on special teams, Douglas only played significant time with the offense in two games. Let’s check in on those games and see what Jamil Douglas brought to the table in 2020.
Play 1
First off, feel free to leave commentary on the GIFs. I just recently upgraded my laptop and that means sorting out the settings on a much less antique machine. Second, in both games where Jamil Douglas saw more than a handful of snaps on offense, he was in for an injured Rodger Saffold III at left guard. It’s notable that right guard is where he’s typically settled in.
This was his first snap in Week 9. Though it wasn’t the first of the season, the nine total in the first half of the year meant Douglas came in pretty cold. And it shows. A quick shove to his shoulders and his QB is in trouble.
Play 2
Here’s his second snap of the game and there’s quite a difference. The Chicago Bears pull a stunt aimed to go after Douglas. While Douglas does initially bite on Mario Edwards (97) he sees Robert Quinn (94) coming soon enough to prevent a quarterback hit or worse. The quick play design by Tennessee’s offense also helped things.
Play 3
One thing that consistently showed up was Douglas’s ability to block on the move. The positioning on this play and the extended arm to be able to keep his feet moving are great to see here.
Play 4
I enjoyed watching him move block so much, so here’s another one.
Play 5
For the limited snaps in 2020, Jamil Douglas put out a good amount of positive film. On this play some limited hand fighting helps him keep his side of the pocket clean. Churning his feet allowed Douglas to keep his balance during some fairly violent jabs.
Play 6
It wasn’t all positive though. This is similar to his first rep. Once one body part starts turning others are soon to follow. When the hand on his right shoulder forces him down and to his left, things get ugly fast.
Play 7
This play wasn’t successful but Douglas was in many ways. He pulls to the right side (our left) and becomes part of the wall. The catchphrase of the 2020 linemen stays true as Douglas isn’t a mauler, but holds his ground.
Summary
Fans of the Buffalo Bills have seen some pedestrian linemen through the years and a few truly bad ones. Jamil Douglas would have been a breath of fresh air for quite a few drought-era Bills teams. As I’ve always tossed out there, linemen are at their best when part of a cohesive puzzle. Keep that in mind for this next thing. I think Douglas is starter level in the NFL. I’m not saying he’d be successful with any team, but I think for the right puzzle he’d be a good fit.
In Buffalo he’s likely competing for a swing spot, but if he’s called into action he should set a nice floor for line depth.