Bills’ Dockery needs to make every dollar

By Anthony Bialy  |   Friday, February 20, 2009  |  Comments( 109 )

Buffalo Bills
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The question is not only if left guard Derrick Dockery is good for the Buffalo Bills: It’s if he’s good for the money. The Bills may fairly ask if they’ve gotten value out of the first two seasons of his seven-year, $49 million contract, an amount that remains disconcertingly high for not only a guard but a guard of his displayed capability. If he didn’t want, say, his guaranteed $18.5 million continually recognized, he didn’t need to sign the deal, and the trouble is that his play makes how much his play costs hard to forget.

The top-hat-sporting, monocled Dockery put forth a year dotted with a high quantity of mistakes. The problem with offensive linemen is that the only stats that directly gauge their performance measure how many bad things they did. In that regard, Dockery had a regrettable season: He was credited with giving up a startling 8.25 sacks during 2008. Even without the stat, the anecdotal evidence is that members of opposing lines looked like they sliced right past him all season. Premier pass-rushing ends usually attempt to circle around the blockers’ collective flank, also known as the left tackle’s outside shoulder, to get the quarterback, but enemies also found success this past year heading straight through the alleged barrier.

The Texas product was caught holding twice and started early another two times, but his failure to protect his quarterback is the true foul. Buffalo surrendered an inordinately high 38 sacks, in part because a guard, of all blockers, couldn’t delay pass rushers.

Of course, one of the reasons he might have found defensive linemen so problematic was the man to his left. Tackle Jason Peters notoriously leisured his way through a significant chunk of the season after skipping a summer’s worth of practice, causing him to inflict more damage on this offense than Billy Joe Hobert and Willis McGahee’s mouth combined. If it’s not too much to ask, he better earn his absolutely unjustified 2008 Pro Bowl berth in 2009; Dockery would improve simply by working next to a dead-bolted door.

Additionally in his favor, the 28-year-old doesn’t miss time even if he doesn’t always make the best use of that time. The durable guard has started every game for the previous five seasons, including three spent with the Washington Redskins. But showing up and being on the field for the team’s first first down every time doesn’t amount to enough: Attending every class is useless if you don’t pay attention while there.

That extends to ground plays. Similarly to his pass blocking, there’s not the sense that Dockery regularly pulverizes a pathway for his rushers. Fans have to wish that he’d more frequently use 6-foot-6 worth of height and 330 pounds worth of weight to act like a human neutron bomb, vaporizing foes while leaving fellow Bills standing.

Dockery would in turn request more help, as two things he’d like for his Sept. 7 birthday to nearly coincide with the opener would be a half-competent center and the good version of Peters. The team should absolutely bestow those presents upon him, as the wished-for items would make their affluent lineman happy while also serving as a gift for all. Now, they just have to shop for what he wants. Although signing or drafting a new middle man is doable on management’s end, the thorny part is getting Peters to reach his potential; that’s something the tackle will have to chip in himself.

As for difficulties he can control, Dockery needs to not only elevate his own play but also drag his teammates upward regardless of their respective abilities or tendencies to underachieve. He might have to forcibly kidnap them for their own good, but that’s one of the unwritten responsibilities of opulent guards.
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CommentsComments: 109  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
11:01 AM
02/20/2009
As I recall there were 3 so called premium veteran free agent guards available the year the Bills inked Dockery. Eric Steinbach...
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No.2
flda-dennis		11:36 AM
02/20/2009
Dockery has been an over paid bust for the Bills. Both parts of his game (run&pass;) are D rated. It would be too bad if he was very...
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No.3
Goose		11:45 AM
02/20/2009
Again it is one of those instances that the Bills tried to improve paid big $$$'s and it hasn't panned out as of yet. All-Pro...
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