Buffalo Bills training camp preview

by Steve

Holy smokes, training camp starts in five days. Again the Bills will host their training camp in suburban Rochester at St. John Fisher College. Not the greatest location but not all that bad either. It is about 75ish minutes away depending on traffic and your speed/location in Buffalo.

Looking up and down the roster, a marginal one that it is, the most glaring important and most question filled area is the offensive line. In what now seems like a yearly ritual there is HUGE turnover and in fact a new starter at all five positions.

Left Tackle
There is no reason to rehash the whole Jason Peters fiasco other than to say it was a complete travesty. (You can read my original post here) Evidently the Bills saw enough in Langston Walker's three starts at LT last year to feel he is an adequate replacement for a two time probowler. Needless to say I have my doubts( despite the Bills record in those games.) Behind him there is nothing. Demetrius Bell was on the squad last year and has an athletic pedigree (the Mailman's kid) but didn't play a down and has only played football for three years in his life(at Northwestern State). Probably they would play Kirk Chambers there ahead of Bell but he is currently listed as the starting left guard and a RT.

Left Guard
Kirk Chambers is penciled in here, not by me, but by the Bills brass. In reality it is rookie guard Andy Levitre's spot to lose in camp. The 2009 second round pick out of Oregon State was the first guard taken in the draft and should be able to usurp Chambers who is naturally a tackle.

Center
Geoff Hangartner is firmly entrenched as the starter for better or for worse. He played all over the offensive line of the Panthers last year. How much he attributed to their excellent season running the ball is probably tough to quantify but if he played any roll it is still a good sign. I would rather have rookie Eric Wood listed here but for some reason the Bills see their first round pick as more of a guard. Mind you he was the first round pick we got for Peters from Philly. Behind Geoff is Brandon Rodd a practice squad nobody and Marvin Philip a journeyman nobody with no experience worth describing.

Right Guard
Again, currently Seth McKinney is penciled in here for respect reasons only. It will be standout Louisville "center" Eric Wood's spot to lose in camp/preseason. I don't hate former third round pick McKinney or his forty-five career starts. I just picture him as more of a strong depth guy, especially since Wood is a first rounder and won't be getting a sniff at center in the near term. Behind that is Jonathan Scott, another Detroit Lions generic throw in signing for depth. He has two career starts.

Right Tackle
Arguably the most question filled position on the whole o-line. Brad Butler is moving over from the RG spot to start for the now shifted Walker. The Bills obviously like Butler considering the lucrative contract (3 years $8.8 mil) extension he received keeping him a Bill through 2012. According to his Wikipedia page he has the longest starting right tackle streak in VU history at 31 games. So he obviously knows the position but is he an NFL caliber tackle is yet to be seen. Hopefully Chambers gives him a strong push in camp assuming he won't be trotted out there as a guard for the entire camp.

Bottom line there is some talent here but zero continuity. The first time starters need to be determined ASAP to allow time to gel as a unit. All five will indirectly determine the outcome of the entire 2009 season unless the defense shocks us all and becomes a top caliber unit.