Center, right guard could hold back Bills’ O-line

By Connor Byrne  |   Tuesday, July 03, 2007  |  Comments( 34 )

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One of the biggest stories of the Buffalo Bills' eventful offseason was the fact that they seemingly fortified their offensive line. It had been a problem area in Buffalo for the last decade, which compelled General Manager Marv Levy and team owner Ralph Wilson to shell out a combined $75 million to guards Derrick Dockery and Jason Whittle and tackle Langston Walker. Of course, because NFL contracts aren't guaranteed, the Bills likely won't pay the full $75 million, but they still spent plenty of cash nonetheless.

The left side of the line, consisting of tackle Jason Peters and Dockery next to him, could be one of the best in the league. With that said, though, the remainder of the quintet is questionable.

Walker, who is set to start at right tackle, was a nightmare for the Oakland Raiders' horrid O-line last year, surrendering 10.75 sacks. However, the Bills are banking on him to be one of their better run blockers, which he can be. Just don't expect Buffalo's quarterback, J.P. Losman, to benefit much from Walker's pass-blocking skills (or lack thereof).

Despite the downside of Walker, he will be locked into a starting spot, as will Peters and Dockery, barring injury; given the skills of Peters and Dockery and the big contract of Walker (five years, $25 million), that's a given. But at center and right guard, there's still some uncertainty entering the Bills' upcoming training camp and preseason.

At center, Melvin Fowler is likely to start, but it's not necessarily a sure thing. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound 28-year-old was signed to a free-agent contract over a year ago and established a good rapport with Losman -- which is certainly a positive -- but he's not exactly an above-average player. In five seasons with the Browns, Vikings and Bills, the 2002 third-round pick from the University of Maryland has been somewhat of a disappointment. Fowler isn't adept at either run or pass blocking, which can often make him a liability.

If Fowler stumbles this summer, he could very well lose his No. 1 job to top challenger Whittle, a nine-year veteran and recent free-agent pickup who has worked under the tutelage of current Bills O-line coach Jim McNally. But even if that happens, Whittle is currently a backup for a reason: He simply isn't that good. And if the 305-pounder does grab the starting job, it would be more of a knock on Fowler than a positive sign from Whittle.

Unfortunately for Buffalo, right guard is perhaps even more of a question than center as of now. Incumbent Duke Preston is slated to start, but he's proven next to nothing in a pair of pro seasons. The rights to that job could end up being wide open; again, Whittle is listed as the top combatant on the Bills' depth chart, and second-year man Brad Butler is the third-string option.

Ultimately, the 6-6, 292-pound Butler -- whom Buffalo picked in the fifth round of the 2006 draft -- could be the guy to watch. After all, as a starting tackle for the University of Virginia opposite D'Brickashaw Ferguson -- whom the New York Jets selected fourth overall in the same draft as Butler -- the 23-year-old Butler demonstrated a mean streak and was quite dependable, starting in 26 games for the Cavaliers.

When Buffalo opens its regular season on Sept. 9, there's a distinct possibility the center and right guard positions could still be questionable areas. In fact, it's almost a certainly that at least one of them will be. At the same time, though, Butler may very well step up and prove to be a big surprise for the Bills on the right side, unless Preston or Whittle manages to win the No. 1 job in camp and preseason.

As for center, perhaps the Bills should have used the 26th overall pick in the '06 draft on Jets standout Nick Mangold instead of injury-prone defensive tackle John McCargo, whose foot problems may hinder Buffalo severely in 2007. If Fowler isn't protecting Losman or opening up holes for the running backs, Levy & Co. will indeed be kicking themselves for that blunder.

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CommentsComments: 34  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Jaardan		03:48 AM
07/03/2007
Connor, good subject, but wrong observation. Melvin Fowler is a perfect center for us. To say that the center position is a...
No.2
vg6874		06:24 AM
07/03/2007
There is a lot of truth in what Connor saids. The right side of the 0-line still has to prove itself. I really liked the way OT...
No.3
jackson		06:55 AM
07/03/2007
I never was sold on fowler, though i do not dislike hime, he seemd to be an avg. C last year, but w/ the improvemnets that the...
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