Offensive line to juggle again?

I wrote in an earlier blog how I wasn’t a big fan of the Jason Peters trade. You don’t just trade All-Pro Left Tackles, because they just don’t grow on trees you know. Since the trade, the Bills have revamped their offensive line and now the coaching staff may have second thoughts on the revamping. Sources have told ESPN AFC East Blogger Tim Graham, that some of Bills coaching staff wants Demetrius Bell to start over Langston Walker. And we aren’t talking next year, we are talking first week of the season.

One, this is not the time for your coaching staff to be thinking about making a change at the most critical position on the offensive line. 2 weeks before the regular season doesn’t sit well with me.

Two, If you make the change at some point, that means you’re going to be changing at least two spots on the offensive line. There is no way the Bills are going to bench their highest paid offensive lineman. So if they move Walker back to RT, then you’re going to move Brad Butler inside, which means you’d be changing 3 spots in one fell swoop. It’s a mess.

Three, I don’t know much about Bell, but I’m hearing some fans state that because Bell was a late round pick he would be following in the steps of Jason Peters, as being a guy who was developed rather than a high draft pick. That logic is completely false! I can’t think of the last All-Pro left tackle who were undrafted. And making the statment is like saying if the Bills drafted a QB with Pennsylvania roots, he’d become the next Jim Kelly.

Four, and most importantly, Bell has been out with an injury and is listed as week to week. If the Bills decide to make this change that would mean Bell wouldn’t have enough reps with the first team offense.

At the end of the day, I think the Bills will keep their line the same for opening night. It’s just too late in camp to consider making this sort of change. But I wouldn’t count out the change happening at some point during the regular season. Don’t forget that Bell is a cheap player, and moving him in the line-up would mean having 4 guys on the offensive line who are making pennies by NFL standards. It’s always about the dollars people, just ask Jason Peters.

-JP-