Buffalo will meet with Davis
Dion Dawkins Jerseys Stitched , who has experience starting at right guard and right tackle."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections
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Bills NFL Draft CoverageBuffalo Bills hosting G/T Nate Davis on pre-draft
visitNew,5commentsBuffalo will meet with Davis, who has experience starting at
right guard and right tackle. EDTShareTweetShareShareBuffalo Bills hosting G/T
Nate Davis on pre-draft visitThe Buffalo Bills will use one of their 30 visits
leading up to the 2019 NFL Draft to meet with University of North Carolina
Charlotte guard/tackle Nate Davis. The visit was reported by Ian Rapoport of the
NFL Network. Davis showed well during the 2019 Senior Bowl. He earned an
invitation following a 2018 season where he garnered second-team all-Conference
USA honors at right tackle, despite a four-game suspension for undisclosed
violations. The success at right tackle came after he spent his first three
seasons in Charlotte as a right guard, starting 30 of a possible 31 games. A
four-year starter, Davis anchored an offensive line that ranked fourth in
Conference USA in rushing yards per game in league games (163 yards/game) last
fall. Davis, a 6’3”, 311-lb offensive lineman who made 37 starts at Charlotte,
is projected by NFLDraftScout.com as the eighth-ranked guard in the draft class.
The site projects him as a fourth- or fifth-round selection. WalterFootball.com
has Davis as the seventh-ranked offensive guard, projecting him to go between
the third and fifth rounds. CBSsports.com has Davis as the 20th-ranked offensive
lineman and 120th overall, roughly equal to a fourth-round draft pick. According
to NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein, Davis “carries good power and outstanding
foot quickness on a stout frame and has proven to be consistent and effective in
a variety of blocking schemes. His footwork and body control help him square his
targets into his power zone, but a lack of arm length creates some
inconsistencies in sustaining blocks. He has some flaws, but there doesn’t
appear to be glaring holes to overcome his areas of strength and become a
starting guard early in his career.” The Buffalo Bills had issues up front, as
the offensive line struggled mightily throughout the season. As a result,
offensive line coach Juan Castillo was relieved of his duties (and he wasn’t
very happy about it, either). The Bills had to absorb the loss of three
stalwarts in the trenches before the season even began. The team traded away
left tackle Cordy Glenn
Matt Milano Jersey , lost center Eric Wood to retirement, then released guard Richie Incognito just prior to the enigmatic veteran engaging in a series
of increasingly bizarre incidents.Overall, the Bills have a ton of work to do
along the offensive line. In our latest look at the state of the Buffalo Bills
roster, we profile the offensive tackles. Note that some of these players are
listed at multiple positions along the offensive line. All statistical data
courtesy of The Washington Post.Dion DawkinsContract status for 2019: Signed;
$1,140,883 cap hit ($591,178 dead cap if cut)Age: 24 (25 on 4/26/19) Playing
time: 16 games (16 starts), 1057 snaps (99.81% of offensive total), 55 ST snaps
(12.53%)Key statistics: 11 penalties against, 1 catch, 7 yards, TD, 8 sacks
allowedEntering his first season as the planned starting left tackle (Dawkins
started there last year in place of an injured Cordy Glenn), expectations for
the second-year player out of Temple were high. He did not meet those
expectations, as Dawkins struggled often throughout the year. He regressed in
pass protection and in run blocking, as did the line as a unit. While he did add
a touchdown grab on a pretty sweet trick play dialed up by offensive coordinator
Brian Daboll, that one great play doesn’t take away from his mediocre-at-best
season. Dawkins has already owned the fact that he did not perform to
expectations
Jim Kelly Jersey , which hopefully is the first step towards rebounding in 2019. While he is the team’s left tackle at the moment, general manager Brandon
Beane would not rule out a position change for the man who has protected the
blind side of five different starting quarterbacks in his 32 NFL games.Conor
McDermottContract status for 2019: Signed; $645,000 cap hit (0 dead cap if
cut)Age: 26 (27 on 10/19/19)Playing time: 5 games, 22 snaps (2.08% of offensive
total), 23 ST snaps (5.24%)Key statistics: 1 sack allowedThe second-year backup
has served as a low-cost swing tackle to keep inactive on game days since the
Bills claimed him on waivers from the New England Patriots. McDermott had some
chances to play this year, albeit not many. His spot is one that may be
upgraded, but at such a low cap cost, he is a solid enough backup. Jordan
MillsContract status for 2019: Unsigned; UFAAge: 28 (29 on 12/24/19)Playing
time: 16 games (16 starts), 1011 snaps (95.11% of offensive total), 53 ST snaps
(12.07%)Key statistics: 7 penalties against, 6.5 sacks allowedBuffalo’s starting
right tackle for the past three seasons has one elite ability—his availability.
Mills has not missed a game since 2015; however, his play has ranged from awful
to acceptable throughout his tenure in Buffalo and, as a free agent, it’s hard
to imagine the Bills making any serious push to keep Mills in town. While it’s
definitely nice to know exactly who will be on the field at a given time at a
given position, there has to be a time where the coaching staff realizes it’s
time to upgrade particular spots. It’s time to make it better here by forgetting
about re-signing Jordan Mills. Ike Boettger Contract status for 2019: Signed;
$570,000 cap hit (0 dead cap if cut)Age: 24 (25 on 10/5/19)Playing time: 4
games, 76 snaps (7.18% of offensive total)
Womens Thurman Thomas Jersey , 7 ST snaps (1.59%)Key statistics: N/ABoettger finished his rookie year by playing both tackle and guard, and he
even took some snaps with the starters in the season finale against the Miami
Dolphins. In fact, he was the guy who cleared Kiko Alonso out after the latter
attempted yet another cheap hit on a quarterback who was mid-slide. For that
reason alone, I like Ike. He seems to be a tenacious guy who plays with a bit of
a mean streak, which is an obvious prerequisite for being an NFL offensive
lineman. Boettger is worth keeping through the next training camp and preseason
due to his strength and positional versatility.Jeremiah SirlesContract status
for 2019: Unsigned; UFAAge: 27 (28 on 8/8/19)Playing time: 12 games (5 starts),
138 snaps (13.03% of offensive total), 45 ST snaps (10.25%)Key statistics: 1
penalty, .5 sacks allowedSpeaking of positional versatility, Sirles served as
either a primary backup or a player on the field at tackle, guard, and center
this season. The ability to play multiple positions along the offensive line is
a coveted trait, and Sirles was Buffalo’s nominal sixth offensive lineman, as he
was the most common “tackle-eligible” throughout the regular season. (Side note:
on the Dion Dawkins touchdown, when the official said “number 73 is eligible,” I
turned to my wife and said, “That has to be wrong; Sirles is always the eligible
receiver.” The next sound I heard was the agonizing screams of thousands of
salty New York Jets fans as I celebrated in MetLife Stadium. I think that’s why
the play worked so well—if I knew Sirles was always the tackle-eligible, the
Jets must have known
http://www.thebillslockerroom.com/authentic-bruce-smith-jersey , as well, and they may have thought it was a mistake. Sirles was acquired in
September, replacing the traded Marshall Newhouse on the roster. While he won’t
be a high-priority free agent for Buffalo, if the team were to bring him back to
serve in a similar role as this past season, I’d be all for it if the contract
is reasonable.Positional OutlookThis group is one that has one average player
followed by a whole bunch of sub-par ones. If Buffalo is going to protect its
young quarterback and kick-start a once-dominant rushing attack, it starts up
front. The team isn’t going to cut Dawkins, but lighting a fire under him and
bringing in some legitimate competition at the tackle position would benefit
both the team and the individual players. The team has to make this position
better. Jordan Mills should be gone next year, Jeremiah Sirles will most likely
be gone, and Conor McDermott and Ike Boettger are not safe. Expect the Bills to
spend an early draft choice on an offensive lineman, and perhaps kick the tires
on a free-agent tackle, someone like former Carolina Panthers right tackle Daryl
Williams. The line needs a lot of help, and there is no better time to start
fixing it than the present.
