Why guards, centers going earlier
Tags: 2012 NFL draft, Andy Levitre, Eric Wood, Offensive line
The last few years in the NFL draft there have been more and more interior linemen drafted sooner rather than later, when it used to always be the offensive tackles that came off the board first. While tackles still go high, prospects like Buffalo’s Eric Wood (1st round) and Andy Levitre (2nd round) have gone in the first two rounds, and this year’s class offers some similar type prospects.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper was recently asked why interior linemen are becoming more and more prevalent in the early rounds, and Kiper feels it’s not just based on talent alone.
“I think it’s because of the defensive tackles and the ability to get that push. This year the one player is (Stanford guard David) DeCastro. Fundamentally, technically, everything about him is top notch. Only knock is he’s a pure guard. You can’t hold that against him when you rate him though and he’s 12th on my board. Somewhere in that top 15.
“Cordy Glenn at Georgia is another kid that’s intriguing because he played left tackle this year and held up very well, played guard in the past and could be a right tackle in the NFL. Then of course Peter Konz, the junior center from Wisconsin, but his only issue is durability. Missed multiple games each of the last three seasons with injuries, but with his size and coming out of the Wisconsin program that’s developed a lot of good O-linemen you think of him early to mid-second round.”
Talent is still the top determining factor, but defensive play has probably played a role. Either way it again appears as though there are a healthy number of interior linemen that will be selected on the first two days of the draft.
AFC East player rankings
Tags: AFC East, Andy Levitre, Brian Moorman, C.J. Spiller, Eric Wood, Marcell Dareus, Ryan Fitzpatrick
ESPN AFC East blogger James Walker is listing his top 40 players in the division. So far he’s counted down from 40 to 21 and there are a handful of Bills players on the list.
Here’s the rundown of who has appeared on the AFC East Top 40 player list from the Bills.
Below is where the Bills are currently ranked from 21-40:
- No. 38 P Brian Moorman
- No. 32 RB C.J. Spiller
- No. 29 QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
- No. 27 C Eric Wood
- No. 25 DT Marcell Dareus
- No. 23 OL Andy Levitre
Levitre finds Bills gear in Cabo
Tags: Andy Levitre
Bills guard Andy Levitre just finished a vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and somehow got a hold of some typical Mexican dress adorned in Bills colors and marks. You’ve got to see it.
Levitre is donning a sarape with the Bills logo on it and tweeted the photo joking that his girlfriend would be wearing it to games next season. Ahhhh….. way to work it Andy!
Byrd, Levitre make PFF Pro Bowl
The Bills did not have any players selected to represent the AFC in this year’s Pro Bowl, but two players on Buffalo’s roster were recognized by the film reviewers and stat junkies at Pro Football Focus on their Pro Bowl roster.
Here’s what they wrote about Levitre and Byrd respectively.
Guards
LG – Andy Levitre (BUF), RG – Marshal Yanda (BAL), and Brian Waters (NE)
Don’t you just love a guy that gets a new contract and then ups his play? That’s exactly what Marshal Yanda did and none of us could be happier because we’ve been championing his cause now for four years. Levitre was playing brilliantly before he was called on to start at left tackle and then center. He held his own at those positions and that in itself deserves consideration. Waters was let go by KC when they determined his run-blocking no longer matched his superior pass pro skills but there’s nothing like a trip north east to sort that out. He’s still not the best run blocker around, but he’s good enough and he makes Tom Brady’s life in the pocket a much easier proposition.
Safeties
FS – Eric Weddle (SD), SS – Troy Polamalu (PIT), and Jarius Byrd (BUF)
Weddle was unanimous as he made those who questioned his contract eat their words. Polamalu is a frustrating player, because you have no idea what he’ll do; randomly take off to undercut something leaving his guy open for a big gain one play, then make a one handed diving interception the next. We’ve all seen the best, and worst, of him this year – many of us in the same game. In the end though he was a better choice than anyone else.
Byrd’s a little bit like Ngata in that, now all the hype is dying down, he’s turning into a better player than he was when he was making tons of interceptions on badly overthrown passes and little else.
Fred Jackson was also mentioned in their Pro Bowl listings, saying that he would’ve been the starter at halfback were it not for his season-ending leg injury.
NFL analyst votes Andy for Pro Bowl
NFL Network analyst Charles Davis along with five other analysts revealed his Pro Bowl ballot for this season and he’s got a Bills offensive lineman on it.
Davis voted for Andy Levitre on his Pro Bowl ballot. Having played left tackle and center this season in addition to his natural left guard spot, Levitre has garnered his share of fan votes as well. To vote for your Bills for the Pro Bowl just go to the ballot site.
Pro Bowl talk for Fitz, Levitre
The stat crunchers and film reviewers at Pro Football Focus have put together their cheat sheet for who is the most likely to go to the Pro Bowl this year for the AFC and NFC, and two Bills players are firmly in the running at their positions.
Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andy Levitre are listed at quarterback and guard respectively. They’re particularly high on Levitre writing the following about him.
Guards: Andy Levitre, LG (BUF), Marshall Yanda RG, (BAL) & Brian Waters, RG (NE)
Levitre may not still be at the top of our guard rankings but I’m calling foul. Up until last week, when he returned to his normal position, he’d started three games at tackle and another at center. I’m not saying he was great at either but he was better than a lot of the usual starting players across the league in those positions. Join me in ensuring he at least gets his reward of a Pro Bowl berth.
Be sure to vote for Fitz and Levitre on your Pro Bowl ballots.
Chan on Levitre at center
Bills head coach Chan Gailey was not prompted he criticized himself in his opening comments about making the decision to move Andy Levitre to center.
“I put Andy in a bad spot today with the weather and I can’t let that happen,” said Gailey. ”He’s a good football player and we’ll get that solved.”
Gailey said Kraig Urbik will move to center moving forward. Levitre had trouble with some snaps in the game and the wet field didn’t make it any easier. Gailey was so disappointed in the lineup switch that he personally apologized to Levitre after the game.
“He came up and talked to me and I appreciate that, but I don’t want him to feel sorry for me,” Levitre told Buffalobills.com. ”It’s not like I haven’t played center before. I felt like I could play it and did an okay job, but some of those snaps at the end weren’t very acceptable and I’ll take the blame for that. But he has nothing to feel bad about.”
Urbik to move to center next week
Bills head coach Chan Gailey was critical of his decision to put Andy Levitre at center to play his third position in five weeks on Buffalo’s offensive line Sunday. In the wake of accepting blame Gailey also indicated that Kraig Urbik is likely to man center next Sunday against the Jets.
“That’s probably the direction we’re going to have to go from here on out,” said Gailey when asked if Urbik would step into the pivot.
Urbik finished the Cowboys game at center two weeks ago. More importantly it will allow Andy Levitre to return to his more natural position of guard where he can be at his best.
Levitre likely back at LT
On Wednesday Chris Hairston took his fair share of reps as the starting left tackle, but that changed on Thursday. Hairston was behind Levitre at left tackle in the rotation Thursday. No word if Hairston sustained a setback, but it has head coach Chan Gailey leaning toward starting Levitre on the blind side for the third straight week Sunday.
“If I had to guess right now I’d say that’s probably over 50 percent chance that he’ll play left tackle,” said Gailey of Levitre. ”We’re still holding out hope for Hairston, but I think that’s the way we’ll go at least to start the game.”
Hairston is trying to return from a high ankle sprain suffered in Week 6 against the Giants. He’s practiced fully for two straight days and is not on the team’s injury report. Whether the ankle can handle a full game yet might be the only outstanding issue.
Fred, Andy on another All-Pro list
Fred Jackson and Andy Levitre have been recognized by another online outlet for their performances through the first half of the season.
ProFootballFocus has named Jackson and Levitre to their Midseason All-Pro team. Jackson, who through their own statistical analysis ranks as the most elusive back in football was a unanimous choice, while Levitre was also named despite splitting time at left tackle the past two games. Here’s what they wrote about each of them.
Running Backs: Fred Jackson (Buf)
Jackson was a unanimous choice which is hardly surprising since he’s the most elusive back in the league. The second team choice was rather harder, with Adrian Peterson narrowly beating out both Matt Forte and Lesean McCoy. They can both feel hard done by given the levels of their performance.
Offensive Guards: Andy Levitre (Buf) and Marshal Yanda (Bal)
The biggest threat to Levitre’s status as 2011’s top guard may be Buffalo being forced to use him at left tackle. The less time he spends there, the more time the competition have to catch up on him. Yanda and Sitton are just that bit better than a strong group of right guards, led by Brian Waters and Jahri Evans.
2 Bills on Midseason All-Pro team
Tags: Andy Levitre, George Wilson, Midseason All-Pro Team
Fred Jackson and Eric Wood appeared on the Pro Football Weekly Midseason All-Pro team earlier this week. Now two other Bills appear on another such listing.
George Wilson and Andy Levitre were two of the 25 players chosen for the Midseason All-Pro squad by CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco. Here’s what he wrote about each of them.
LG, Andy Levitre, Bills: He isn’t a household name, but he was outstanding before moving to left tackle the past two weeks.
SS, George Wilson, Bills: He might not be a household name like the guy in Pittsburgh with the long hair, but he has been better. This former receiver is a player.
Only the Raiders had more players selected with 3 and the Patriots and Giants were the only other clubs with 2 players on this list.
Hairston still iffy for Sunday
Chris Hairston was dressed for Sunday’s game against the Jets and could have filled in at left tackle in an emergency situation coming off a high ankle sprain. Fortunately he did not have to play giving him another week to let his ankle heal up. Heading into this week’s game against Dallas head coach Chan Gailey wasn’t sure Hairston would be ready for a full-time starting role at left tackle Sunday.
“That’s still up in the air right now,” he said. ”Let us watch practice on Wednesday and we’ll be better able to determine Wednesday.”
Gailey’s main concern is forcing Levitre to prepare for two different positions for one game if they plug Hairston in at left tackle and he’s not healthy enough to get through an entire game.
“I think Andy hasn’t done a bad job, it’s just whether or not we think Chris can play left tackle and that makes us a stronger team to play Andy at left guard,” Gailey said. ”Or does it make us a stronger team with Chris being a little limited to keep Andy at tackle and keep Rinehart at guard. We’ve just got to make that decision.”
This Sunday would mark a month since Hairston sustained the injury against the Giants.
Bell getting checked out
Bills OT Demetrius Bell hasn’t played since Week 4 at Cincinnati due to a shoulder injury. His latest check up is Monday.
That according to Bell himself, who when asked by the Associated Press how he felt, said he would know more when he met with the doctor late Monday afternoon.
Bell was initially replaced in the lineup by Chris Hairston, but he too succumbed to injury and was not fit to start each of the last three games leaving left guard Andy Levitre to fill the void.
Levitre to start Sunday
As expected Andy Levitre will make his second straight start at left tackle on Sunday against the Jets according to head coach Chan Gailey.
“Yes he’s good to go,” said Gailey. “He practiced again today.”
Levitre missed Wednesday’s practice, but participated on a limited basis Thursday and again on Friday.
The Bills lineman said Thursday that he was pacing himself through the course of the practice week so he could be at his best come Sunday as he’s been dealing with a nagging shoulder problem.
“I’m going to be ready to go,” he said. “I don’t think I’d need a break in the game.”
If for some reason Levitre’s shoulder does give him some trouble in the game coach Gailey said the plan would be to insert Chris Hairston (questionable) into the lineup to give him a break on a series here or there.
Levitre back
Tags: Andy Levitre
As expected Andy Levitre is back practicing after getting an extra day of rest. He doesn’t appear to be full go.
Chris Hairston is practicing for a second straight day in a return from an ankle injury, and is seeing most of the work as the starting left tackle.
Levitre has rotated in, but looks limited. We’ll get an update from Chan Gailey after practice.
Bills injury report
Here’s the rundown of the Bills injured players for this week’s game.
Did not practice
Andy Levitre – shoulder
Demetrius Bell – shoulder
Kyle Williams – foot
Johnny White – illness
Limited in practice
Chris Hairston – ankle
Donald Jones – ankle
Aaron Williams – chest
Levitre told Buffalobills.com that he expects to practice Thursday after getting an extra day to recover from Sunday’s game.
Good and bad news for O-line
There’s good and bad news for Buffalo’s O-line here at Wednesday’s practice.
The good news is Chris Hairston is back practicing less than 3 weeks removed from an ankle injury. He appears to be full go, but we’ll get the official report this afternoon.
The bad news is Andy Levitre is not practicing and not in attendance. He did miss a Wednesday practice a couple of weeks ago for a sore knee and returned the next day and played in the game.
Hopefully that is again the case this week.
Pro Bowl names similar
Tags: 2012 Pro Bowl, Andy Levitre, Eric Wood, Fred Jackson, George Wilson, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Stevie Johnson
While we profiled some of Buffalo’s legitimate Pro Bowl candidates for the AFC squad this season, so too apparently did the folks at ProFootballFocus. They did the AFC and NFC, but a lot of their candidates included the same Bills we had on our list.
The PFF analysts had Eric Wood, Andy Levitre, Stevie Johnson and Fred Jackson like we did. On defense they also had Jairus Byrd, who is having a good season. We had George Wilson. Even though they didn’t name Ryan Fitzpatrick, they did mention him and how a lot of PFF staffers were shocked he wasn’t listed.
Levitre at left tackle
Tags: Andy Levitre
Bills LG Andy Levitre is back out at left tackle today.
Levitre would be the team’s starting left tackle Sunday if Demetrius Bell cannot return from a shoulder injury.
Bell is not practicing today and Chris Hairston is out 2-4 weeks with an ankle injury.
