Offensive Line

by Coast and Steve

"7 Days till Training Camp"

For the first time since the days Howard "House" Ballard was manning the left tackle position, the Bills haven't actually said their offensive line should be a strength. The key word is should or more so BETTER be the strength of this football team. The Bills front office threw some crazy jack at free agent lineman to bolster perhaps the most important position in football (besides quarterback).

The Bills brought in the likes of Derrick Dockery (7 years $49 million), Langston Walker (5 years $25 million) and Jason Wittle to help improve the unit. Walker and Dockery will be thrown into the lineup right away and Wittle will compete and at least add valuable depth and veteran experience.

The Bills already have a stud at left tackle. Jason Peters is the real deal and could be a perennial pro bowler. If the Bills don't lock him(he got an extension last season) up soon he will surely be gone once he hits the free agent market based on the crazy jack lineman are getting (note: crazy jack may be over used in this blog but there is no other way to describe the money going to lineman these days). Peters will protect Losman's blind side and by the end of the season, barring any injury, Peters will be regarded as one of the top 5 players at his position in the league. This guy is a remarkable athlete for his size (former tight end when the Bills signed him) and continues to prove to be perhaps one of only 3 good moves made by the Donahoe regime.

Starting at left guard right away will be the Bills new free agent signee and highest paid player in Bills history Derrick Dockery. It may be a good sign that Ralph went out and dropped crazy jack on a guy that he wanted with good "character," who is young and could be great. It is more of a bad sign though when former teammates of the Redskins O-line can't even believe the amount of money that Dockery received. When his own teammates don't think he warranted that much money then chances are he isn't good enough to be making the amount of jack he is making. This dude is making Steve Hutchinson money so he better be as good as Hutch. If he is then the left side of the Bills line is huge, athletic, fast and just plain nasty. This duo of Peters and Dockery could anchor this line for many years to come.

The Bills incumbent center will be Melvin Fowler. Fowler is adequate at the position but is not great by any means. There isn't much to say about the man, he seems to do a decent job snapping the football, and doesn't seem to get steamrolled too often. The Bills will be fine at the position.

At Right Tackle will be the other free agent signee, Langston Walker, who also is probably getting ridiculously overpaid. Walker inked a 25 million dollar deal so he must be an instant impact player. Walker is a monster though, standing at 6'8 366 pounds but he was far from a stand out in Oakland. He is still raw and McNally will have to work some magic in order for him to earn his paycheck.

The only real competition entering camp will be for the right guard spot and it will be centered on Jason Wittle and Duke Preston. Preston saw action last season at this position and was solid at times but still needs some work. Wittle is a vet who has playoff and even super bowl experience. He also has a history with McNally when he played for the Giants. Preston may by the slight favorite going into camp and the Bills coaches are saying they want to make this decision early. Look for Preston to earn the job initially.

The depth at o-line currently is adequate, with 2006 draft choices showing promise despite taken late in the draft. The likes of Aaron Merz at left guard and Terrance Pennington at right tackle, whom started a few games in 2006, gives the offensive line some stability regardless of injury. The possibility of injury is huge, however versatility and depth, ie the players mentioned, whom can fill multiple roles on the o-line, will help during the dog days of November and December.

With any luck, and the obvious amount of money poured into the position, hopefully the Bills offensive line will actually be a STRENGTH of the Bills. I know this idea is completely alien to most Bills fans, however, the money spent and the actual talent in place on paper appears as thought it should wreck most d-lines and allow for time for not only JP but also the tandem that is Marshawn and Am-track Anthony Thomas.