[positional grouping] Bills Offensive Line

[Foxx]

[As we move through the off-season, We thought it might be good to have threads dedicated to position groupings so as to better keep track of what is going on with each. As always, you are free to start your own thread on any subject. We just ask that if you do, cross post it to the respective [positional grouping] thread for ease of reference by others.]

 

State of the Buffalo Bills roster: Interior offensive linemen

The Buffalo Bills had a banner year offensively in 2020. Obviously, that means their skill position players performed well, but it typically means that the guys up front on the offensive line did their job, as well. The best offensive linemen are the ones who you don’t notice during a game because, if they play their cards right, they’ll just keep everyone else moving efficiently.

 

Unless you’re a die-hard Bills fan—and if you’re here reading this, there’s a good chance that you’re just that—you might assume that everything was picture-perfect with the offensive line on the year. The group was excellent in pass protection, allowing only 27 sacks on the season; however, the Bills ranked just 20th in yards per rush.

 

In our second installment of our State of the Bills Roster series, we look at the interior offensive linemen, a group that was shuffled multiple times this year, and may be headed for more change in 2021. ...

 

[Nanker]

Anyone who thinks this O-Line is set, take a look at this:

https://twitter.com/danfetes/status/1353500084130951169?s=20

 

Damn kinky linky thingy won’t embed. 😠

Edited February 1, 2021 by Nanker

[Nanker]

If that had happened to Conrad Dobler or Richie Incognito, Jones’s Adam’s apple would have crushed on the very next play. 

Edited February 1, 2021 by Nanker

[Ann]

4 minutes ago, Nanker said:

Anyone who thinks this O-Line is set, take a look at this:

https://twitter.com/danfetes/status/1353500084130951169?s=20

 

Damn kinky linky thingy won’t embed. 😠

Remove the ?s=20
 

 

[Nanker]

Just now, Ann said:

Remove the ?s=20
 

 

Thanks. 

[Ann]

I just saw this on BuffaloBills.com
 

Bills re-signed offensive lineman Jordan Devey to a one-year deal.
 

Devey saw action in one game in 2020 after spending most of the season on the team's practice squad and active roster.

Devey has played in 45 career games and made 21 starts in his seven-year NFL career. He is a native of American Fork, UT and played his college football at Memphis.
 

</snip>

[Ann]

Here was the offensive line depth chart (espn) in 2020:

Left Tackle: Dion Dawkins, Ty Nsekhe, Ryan Bates
Left Guard: Jon Feliciano, Ike Boettger, Cody Ford (IR)
Center: Mitch Morse, Ryan Bates, Jordan Devey
Right Guard: Brian Winters, Daryl Williams, Cody Ford (IR)
Right Tackle: Daryl Williams, Ty Nsekhe, Trey Adams, Cody Ford (IR)

[You Dirty Rat]

Bills sign Jordan Devey to a one-year deal

 

Bills re-signed offensive lineman Jordan Devey to a one-year deal.

Devey saw action in one game in 2020 after spending most of the season on the team's practice squad and active roster.

Devey has played in 45 career games and made 21 starts in his seven-year NFL career. He is a native of American Fork, UT and played his college football at Memphis.

 

https://www.buffalobills.com/news/bills-sign-jordan-devey-to-a-one-year-deal

[Ann]

45 minutes ago, Ann said:

Here was the offensive line depth chart (espn) in 2020:

Left Tackle: Dion Dawkins, Ty Nsekhe, Ryan Bates
Left Guard: Jon Feliciano, Ike Boettger, Cody Ford (IR)
Center: Mitch Morse, Ryan Bates, Jordan Devey
Right Guard: Brian Winters, Daryl Williams, Cody Ford (IR)
Right Tackle: Daryl Williams, Ty Nsekhe, Trey Adams, Cody Ford (IR)

https://twitter.com/SalSports/status/1356272212282667013
 

[Alaska Darin]

I think you have to bring Feliciano and Williams back.  Winters absolutely needs to go because he's terrible.  Nsekhe is probably a cap casualty unless he's willing to take a huge pay cut.

 

One thing about Beane - he's been able to find competent veteran OLineman using the various tools available to him.  Here's to hoping he's able to keep that going.

 

I suspect they want Scnow, Ford, Morse, Feliciano and Williams to be the starting 5.  The question is whether that's affordable.

[Ann]

1 hour ago, Norm said:

 

 

Harrison’s deal is reportedly worth up to $2 million with incentives. Considering that, he’ll get an opportunity to earn playing time so it makes sense that he would skip town and leave Orchard Park.

 

https://billswire.usatoday.com/2021/02/01/new-york-giants-jonotthan-harrison-deal/

[Koko]

The O-Line is a tough one to gauge. They had games where they pass blocked wonderfully, and games where they didn't *cough* Chiefs *cough*. They had game or two where they run blocked alright, and many games where they didn't.

 

I'm not sure if they need upgrades for players, or a better blocking scheme.

 

[Augie]

Remember what our WR corps looked like a couple years ago? Remember lumbering Kelvin Benjamin learning where to line up from Zay Jones not that long ago? They knew that had to be fixed, and look at what we did this year.

 

The FO is very open about needing to run the ball better. We took a couple 3rd round RB’s the last couple years. I expect them to add more talent at RB, review and improve the scheme, but more than anything we need the horses on the OLine. Even marginally talented RB’s look good behind a great OLine. We have some of the parts, and I expect the OLine to get upgraded like the WR position has been. For a good team, we will have a plenty of holes to fill, but OLine will be a focus. One or two upgrades represents 20-40% of your line. 

 

I know it’s a passing league, but you can NOT be a team that only passes. The ability to be balanced is required to win big. 

 

OL is the new WR. 

 

 

.

Edited February 1, 2021 by Augie

[Fansince88]

9 hours ago, Nanker said:

Anyone who thinks this O-Line is set, take a look at this:

https://twitter.com/danfetes/status/1353500084130951169?s=20

 

Damn kinky linky thingy won’t embed. 😠

He was obviously trying to pat him on the head after a great offensive stand...but his face got in the way!

[Nanker]

11 hours ago, Fansince88 said:

He was obviously trying to pat him on the head after a great offensive stand...but his face got in the way!

Yes. That’s how the refs saw it too. They almost threw a flag on Morse for swatting Jones’ hand away in a violent manner. 

[GG1]

The interior line weakness was exposed vs KC, and will need retooling. 

 

We can start with the depth chart

 

Left Tackle: Dion Dawkins, Ty Nsekhe, Ryan Bates
Left Guard: Jon Feliciano, Ike Boettger, Cody Ford (IR)
Center: Mitch Morse, Ryan Bates, Jordan Devey
Right Guard: Brian Winters, Daryl Williams, Cody Ford (IR)
Right Tackle: Daryl Williams, Ty Nsekhe, Trey Adams, Cody Ford (IR)

 

Winters was downright awful last year, and hopefully played his last game as a Bill.  Remember the guy got bowled over by an undersized Epenesa in camp, and should have given the coaching staff a hint.

 

RT remains a major issue, as I don't think Bills will have the space to resign Williams.  I checked the guy's past contracts, and he was grossly underpaid through his career.  I just don't see him taking a team friendly contract when he has yet to sign a true contract worthy of a top RT FA.  

 

The team resigned G Devey to $1 mil, but declined to keep Harrison at $2 mil.  That should give an indication to how they will approach FA. 

 

Assuming Bills don't keep Daryl Williams or bring in other veteran OLs, the unit will depend on the evaluation of the large number of OL kids the Bills kept in reserve this year.  Ford is definitely penciled in to return to the LG spot, and Boettger is in the mix for RG.   I think they keep Mongo, but slide him to C.   It will be hard to justify keeping Morse at the elevated $10 mil cap hit for a C.

 

RT is questionable again, with the hope that Bates or Adams can step up.   There's a possibility that Nsekhe resigns, but at a much lower cost than $5 mil.

 

[Foxx]

Buffalo Bills need to find answers on offensive line to improve 2021 running game

You can go back to any point in the history of football and come to the same conclusion about what makes a running game work. A great back certainly helps, but more than anything, you need good blocking.

 

It doesn’t matter if the running back is Red Grange in the 1920s and 30s, Steve Van Buren in the 1940s, Jim Brown in the ‘50s and ‘60s, O.J. Simpson in the 70s, Eric Dickerson in the 80s, Emmitt Smith in the 90s, or today’s stars such as Derrick Henry, Dalvin Cook and Nick Chubb.

 

If the big brutes up front aren’t creating space for the backs to operate, it can be awfully tough to consistently move the ball on the ground.

 

We saw this in 2020 with the Buffalo Bills and the top two men in the football operation – head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane – both mentioned the need to improve the ground game in 2021.

 

“I can tell you right now, we’ve got to run the football better,” McDermott said last week in his season-ending Zoom call with reporters. The next day Beane doubled down when he agreed, saying, “I just think as an offense, we never got in synch running, and I think there’s blame all around.”

 

...

[Foxx]

I hope they do resign Mongo.

 

2021 contract projection for Buffalo Bills free-agent lineman Jon Feliciano

Obviously, 2020 and the 2021 offseason have been very different for fans and players of the NFL. With COVID-19, revenues are down and practice structures have changed, favoring continuity. With that being said, a lot is up in the air on the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line right now.

 

Will the Bills keep Mitch Morse or do they prefer to have Jon Feliciano in that position? The Bills have none of their starting guards from a year ago under contract for 2021 and their starting right tackle, too. General manager Brandon Beane also said the team needed to improve running the ball in 2021 and specifically said it wasn’t the fault of the running backs.

With all that in mind, I think Feliciano is the most likely candidate for a new contract with the Bills, and it may come at the expense of Morse. For now, we’re going to write it up as a guard contract because guards make more money. If and when Buffalo releases Morse or says he is going to be cut, then we can adjust our thinking.

 

Feliciano is going to be 29 when he signs his new deal with two seasons as Buffalo’s starting guard under his belt (even though he missed half of 2020 with a weightlifting injury). Prior to that he was a backup and spot starter for the Oakland Raiders. ...

 

[Ann]

Jon Feliciano is one of over a dozen unrestricted free agents for the Buffalo Bills set to have their contracts expire upon the start of the new league year in March.
 

While Feliciano may not be the team’s top priority among the group of 14 free agents, he’s one of the most prominent names the Bills will need to make decisions on in the coming months.
 

As far as the veteran offensive lineman is concerned, he doesn’t see himself playing elsewhere next year.

In an interview with Tim Graham and Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic, Feliciano expresses a desire to remain with the Bills next season.
 

“Honestly, I don’t see myself going anywhere,” Feliciano said, via Ryan Talbot of NewYorkUpstate.com. “I love Buffalo and I know how they feel about me. I’m going to stay optimistic and I don’t like change. Honestly, when I think of next season, I see myself as a Bill. We’ll see what happens, but I think both sides want the same thing so it’s just a matter of time, I think.”
 

</snip>

[Spartacus]

Mongo needs to be the Bills multple positiion backup on the interior

 

which means a high end back-up salary

 

Bills need to upgrade the interior - not stay static